THANKFUL

The oven is off. My contribution to tomorrow's Thanksgiving table is done. I can't help but think about my Mom-- the holiday bunny. She LOVED holidays. Each one had it's own specialties. For Thanksgiving, she'd break out the the large, white ceramic platter with the embossed turkey, the thanksgiving table linens, the "good" dishes and glasses that were forbidden to go into the dishwasher. She made the best gumbo...She would have been doing some serious cooking, even at this hour.
I'm grateful to have her recipes. Tonight it seemed like I instinctively knew what to do. She used to have the heavy grinder thingy with all of the parts and the old mixer. All of the chopping or pureeing I had to do was so much easier thanks to Toastmaster. I only had to make two dishes, so I wasn't on my feet nearly as long as she used to be. I thought of her the whole time I was cooking---and cleaning. She always said, "Clean as you go, so when you're done, you won't have so much to do and you can enjoy your meal." She was right. If something splashed or spilled, she was right on it, and after dinner, all that was left to clean were the dinner dishes and glasses. She considered cooking a full-time job. There was no going too far away from the stove. You had to keep an eye on things. Her sense of smell was amazing. If she said something was burning, it was.
She also didn't believe in putting the pots, in which the food had been cooked, in the refrigerator. Everything would be transferred to Tupperware or some other plastic container. The turkey would be carved and placed in bags. When I was young, her Thanksgiving dinner meant at least 3 days of leftovers, and then there would be turkey sandwiches, then beans or greens would be graced with the turkey bone. When I got older, there was no leaving the house without an ample doggie bag.
It's always odd not seeing her in her kitchen. Even after all these years, I can imagine hearing the sound of her slippers as she made the corner from the hall to the foyer and entered the kitchen.  
I'm glad to have good memories, but it would be better to have her. Holidays just haven't been the same, but I'm thankful..: )

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