Traditions

Since Thanksgiving is in a couple of days, I thought I would share our traditional Thanksgiving feast and invite you to do the same.

• Roasted turkey - we got a 23 pounder this year.  We like to have lots of leftovers!!  We will also have 6 people for dinner.
• Whipped mashed potatoes - after being mashed, add butter and milk and whip with the mixer
• Sausage dressing - I always make a double batch as it seems to be a fan favorite - my secret?  Use 1/2 regular sausage, 1/2 hot sausage....sage...and for the bread cubes, I use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat.
• Green bean casserole - though I do not eat it, when my husband and I got married, this was something he could not go without on Thanksgiving, so I make it for him
• Broccoli with cheese sauce - fattening, I know...but oh so good!
• Winter squash - I go on a search every year here in the south to find the frozen block in the grocery store, to no avail.  So this year I am making it from scratch using butternut and acorn squash.
• Cranberry sauce
• Crescent rolls
• Pickles and olives
• Homemade pumpkin pie - made with sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated...I know, same as the cheese sauce :-)
• Homemade whipped cream for the pie

Someday, I hope to be able to make this meal with more from our own garden and possibly livestock.  But for now, I will make the butter and whipped cream, bake the squash myself and mix it up.  The rest came from the grocery store, but everything is made with something that you just can't buy in the store....a whole heaping helping of love and being grateful to be able to prepare this meal for the people I love, know they are well fed for a day, and be able to spend it with family and friends. 

I hope you will share your traditions too!