Monthly Musings - October 2020

Today I'm joining Holly and Patty for Monthly Musings, the Thanksgiving Preview.

1.  Favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

As strange as it probably sounds, Thanksgiving has been sort of a non-event for our family.  When I was growing up, we mostly lived overseas so we were never around family to have a Thanksgiving gathering.  Mum was British so no Thanksgiving there and Dad didn't really seem to be that bothered.  He'd been away from home for so many years (he joined the Army right out of high school) and his home life before then wasn't the greatest so I doubt there was anything to celebrate.  We don't like turkey so we'd have a ham or a roast chicken and about the only tradition I really remember is that my sister and I always got the day off school, which was quite an event for the years we lived in England because all of our friends were in school that day.  Mum always invited a handful of neighbors to join us for Thanksgiving dinner and they enjoyed our American celebration.

We're still not that bothered about turkey, a small boneless breast of turkey is what I usually cook and we have rice and gravy instead of mashed potatoes and gravy along with standard cranberry jelly, corn, and green bean casserole.  We used to put up our tree as soon as the dinner dishes were in the dishwasher but this year, it's going up on November 1st.  We used to go shopping on Black Friday, not major shopping, just browsing around and soaking up the atmosphere because people used to be friendly on Black Friday.  You could stand in line with total strangers at 5:00am and talk about Christmas plans and no-one had to worry about being trampled for the last DVD player in the store.  Black Friday is going to be a non-event this year as well.  Thank you, COVID-19.

I think I need to find something and do it for a few years and then I can write about our Thanksgiving traditon.

2.  Favorite Thanksgiving dish?  Will you share the recipe?

Green bean casserole from the recipe on the back of the French's fried onions can with the following exceptions - don't add any of the onions to the green bean/mushroom soup mix as they get gross and soggy, just sprinkle them on top about five minutes before the casserole is done, and use Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic, it really makes it delicious.  I also add a small can of mushroom pieces and stems.

3.  Football game?  Yes/No?  In person?  On TV?

None of the above, not football fans here.

4.  Talking Turkey - white meat or dark meat?

White, that's all you get on a boneless breast of turkey.

5.  Do you call it stuffing or dressing?

I believe Stove Top calls it stuffing, lol!

6.  Tell us three things you are thankful for in this crazy COVID Thanksgiving.

a.  We are all healthy.

b.  All of our needs are met - we have employment, comfortable housing, reliable transportation, food on the table, and some extra to share and put in the bank each month.

c.  We have FaceTime.  You don't realize how important that is until you are separated from your loved ones.

7.  Pumpkin pie?  Apple pie?  Pecan pie?

Pumpkin for me, apple (crumble) for Sophia, pecan for Vic.  I like that our supermarket carries half pies.

8.  If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up your tree before or after Thanksgiving?

New tradition - tree up November 1st, just the twinkle lights, ornaments will come later.

9.  Black Friday shopper, yes or no?

See #1.

10.  Do you sit at the table for Thanksgiving dinner or dine more casually?

At the table, I love to set a holiday table and practice my latest napkin fold.