KateSpot

When I was a child, we would start the day with a big breakfast - eggs, bacon, pancakes - the works. My brother and I would shovel down our food so we could turn on the television. We would eagerly watch the Macys Day parade, looking for Underdog and Yogi Bear. Who can forget Mighty Mouse? Tim and I would watch the marching bands and I remember looking for all the ones from New Jersey. I loved seeing Santa at the end of the parade and getting so excited that Christmas was only a very short time away.
Usually around noon, we would get all dressed up and then drive to my grandparents' house. They didn't live too far, perhaps about 20 minutes. I remember walking in to their house and taking a deep breath. There was almost an overwheleming array of smells - turkey, stuffing, pie - just a house full of delicious aromas. Nana didn't need any vanilla candles - her house always smelled like a bakery no matter when we visited.
Her tables were full of appetizers - pickles, olives, chips and dip, cheese and crackers, pepperoni or some kind of sausage and stuffed celery. I have NO idea who in the world came up with the idea of stuffed celery but he must be a culinary genius. It is delicious. A stalk of celery with cream cheese spread over it. Yum.
Then, my Mom took over making Thanksgiving dinner. I think by the very early 80's was when she started. Nana and Pop would come over with a carload of food. She made the best pies. I always loved her pumpkin pie. A few years before she passed away, I told her that I wanted the recipe for her pumpkin pie. Was it a family recipe handed down from her mother? She leaned over and said to me "I just use the recipe on the back of the Libby's can." Well - I almost fell out of my chair! Nana thought that was pretty funny.
We always had a wonderful dinner. Sometimes, we would have friends of my parents' over for dinner. We had a cousin from Iran, who lived with us for several years, who adored Nana. He was so skinny. She would practically stuff him full of food. Remember, fat=healthy. He loved it.
Then, my parents spilt up, making the holidays a little difficult. It's hard to eat Thanksgiving dinner knowing your dad is in a one bedroom apartment, all alone. We ended up moving to a smaller house. Mom would still cook Thanksgiving dinner every year. One year, Dad brought Tim and I to NYC to see the Macys parade. It was SO crowded, blocks of people just stuffed together. It wasn't very enjoyable and it was very very cold.
I met Husband in October of 1989. We moved in together April 1, 1990. The following Thanksgiving, we ate at both sets of houses - my Mom's and his parent's houses. My Dad remarried a few years later. Now, a huge dilemma. Where the hell do we eat dinner? We ended up eating at his parents' house and having dessert at my Mom's house. We did this for quite a few years.
This is the first year I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner for MY family. We will have a big breakfast. We will watch the parade. I'll even make stuffed celery. I miss my grandparents terribly. It is important for me to keep up our family traditions and maybe even toss in some new ones. I know my grandparents would have approved. I am thankful for all the wonderful things in my life - my beautiful girls, a kind and loving husband, parents who love me, an uber-cool brother, so many wonderful friends, a home, my health...

I hope everyone has a wonderful and beautiful Thanksgiving.