Another holiday  means another orchestrated meal.  Usually the pebblekeepers have simple meals. One pot. One Crock. One dish.  Put as many veggies in the dish as you can, and you save all the sides. . . . . put the main dish on a salad and voila.  Simplicity. But then a holiday comes along, and the memories of childhood celebrations come.  Memories of smells and flavors urge a normally simple person forward to complexity.  So a few years ago, I started writing it down.  I’ve made a list of both hubby’s and my families favorites.  Then put it to a time line on when to purchse, when to prepare, when to bake and for how long.  The first year I kept a journal of Thanksgiving week.  On the weekend, I streamlined the list.  The last two years I have added a tip here and there.  My hope is to first get really good at managing such a great celebration – in such a way that I’m not exausted, testy, and dis-sheveled at meal times.  That I don’t forget to put the onions in the dish, or the olives on the table.  I’d also like a streamlined list for those to come after me. If I ever plan on passing on the dinner celebration, wouldn’t it be nice to pass on the road map as well?

I’ve been shopping for weeks, adding one or two things to the grocery basket here and there.  This morning it was time to start the stuffing.  Hubby’s family likes a certain cornbread dressing.  First you make fresh corn bread w/o any sugar.  Then make biscuits or use day old bread.  They dry out on the counter for the day, then get a bath in sauted onions and celery and chicken broth.  Little pillows of butter get tucked in, and then it gets baked for 45 minutes in its own dish.  Not in the Turkey.  A jar of my moms canned leftover turkey meat, or  a pan of sauted giblets, or 2  boiled eggs or all of the above gets added some years.

Weds is also pie day.  This year we are doing coconut cream, pumpkin and apple.  Two types of apple this year.  Usually we do pecan also – but this year the pecans are a luxury.

I’m thinking of doing my ma’s make ahead salad later on today.  It is a layered salad that is sooo yummy. 

I encourage you to write down what you do today and slide it right in the recipe box. 🙂