Hallmark Thanksgiving Dinner

I saw a friend posted on Facebook yesterday (I think it was) a question asking if everyone had that perfect, Hallmark Thanksgiving Dinner. Then she asked what about those who had no one. I am paraphrasing. I guess I never really thought about it truthfully. We have Thanksgiving whether it’s my extended family or just my close family, either way, we celebrate it. In 2011, hubby and I made our first Thanksgiving meal. Prior to that we just attended Thanksgiving at family’s house.

I always had a goal to make a turkey. In 2012 we made our first Bacon Wrapped turkey. Yum! I think having a turkey is the only “traditional thing” we do. We play with sides. We play with turkey recipes. We’re not traditionalists. I remember one year at my aunt’s house she said we were having a “grown-up” Thanksgiving meal. It was good, but the only traditional part was having a turkey. I wish I was into taking pictures that Thanksgiving (as I am now) so I had a memory of what we actually had… I remember steamed green beans, roasted potato chunks, and that’s about my recollection of that menu.

But… do we have that Hallmark Thanksgiving Dinner? Good question. Here’s what Thanksgiving looks like at our house, give or take….

Thanksgiving

• At one point or another hubby and I will argue about making gravy.
• I will get made fun of for having my Thanksgiving memory book. (It contains every Thanksgiving since hubby and I have been together)
• We will try new stuffing recipes.
• We will do different desserts every year, but there is always one traditional style… aka pumpkin or pecan or something, but there is always a twist on it.
• One dish always gets forgotten until after the meal. That could be it was made but someone forgot to put it out when the food was moved to the table or it never got made.
• Every year I claim I want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and every year I forget.
• I always wish we actually dressed up for the meal, every year we all show up in whatever we’re wearing because at least we have on clothes, am I right?
• Just prior to Thanksgiving my mom and I discuss “pretty” paper plates versus the real thing. I am the one for the real thing.
• There is usually a debate Turkey breast versus a whole turkey. The whole turkey wins out.
• The house gets extremely hot that we’re all roasting right along with the turkey. This goes for Christmas too.
• Our guest list changes every year. But the company is still always GREAT.
• The location is never the same, but it’s still great.
• There is usually a meltdown on someone’s part about the “shape of the house.” Meaning is it clean enough. Hubby and I tried to get a head start on that this year.
• There is usually a crapton of text messages that go in and out… and usually, at one point or another, I wind up sending I Love You to the wrong person. We get a good laugh about it.
• I always wait for the cute Thanksgiving message from my aunt who lives in Texas. Then I send it on to my people because she always sends cute ones. pictures or gifs.
• If Tbug is around, I have her set the table and every year have to remind her which side the fork goes on. If she’s not with us that year, it falls on me.
• Every year I claim I want to keep the carcass of the bird so I can make turkey stalk. Every year I forget. And that word carcass is weird.

So Hallmark Thanksgiving?

So do we have that Hallmark Thanksgiving? Who knows. What I know is there is a lot of love at our house. We spend time with family and friends. Best yet, we eat until we put ourselves into our fat pants. Good thing for the Black Friday Sales so we can buy new clothes, right?