Cheers to Thanksgiving and Our Goofy Families

OMG, C started the day off with a survey of available online goats … www.goatfinder.com, even a dating service for people who raise goats, she’s not going down on the goat thing without a fight, but as I understand it from a friend with Alpacas, GOATS NEED TO BE MILKED THREE TIMES A DAY MINIMUM (and one of us is here all day with more to do than milk goats) but we’ll get back to that ...

We have just survived Thanksgiving - the most gluttonous of holidays! This year we broke with our tradition of inviting our friends without ties (family living miles away) and misfit friends (no family to speak of) for a nice big slice of tenderloin – never turkey (B’s mom was thrilled to have turkey this year). So this year, we have invited C’s large family to TG. This is something akin to herding cats.

Save the Date

This year, many of our friends had other plans. So C called her dad and asked, "What's up for Thanksgiving?" and got a less than enthusiastic response. Dad said that he would check with mom. "We are more than happy to have it at our house!" C said enthusiastically, followed up by, “We’ll make everything!” and, once again, he said he would talk to the mom. C’s family's communication level is about as spicy as her mom's cooking, so we would see what transpires.

Weeks go by ... B asks, "So, have you heard from your family?" "No," C calmly replies. B is annoyed. “It just seems like an invitation should warrant a response,” B offers.

Weeks go by ... C receives an email from one of her brothers - addressed to the three remaining siblings. "What are we doing for Thanksgiving? I don't think mom and dad want to have it at their house this year." Being always on top of the email (sadly - this is not the case with C’s phone, which is forever on vibrate), C shot back (enthusiastically), "I will host it!"

Days go by ... My sister responds, "I can have it here, too." What kind of response is that to my invite? And besides - her house is too small. Still - it was nice to hear from her even if it took days to respond.

Days go by ... C’s oldest brother responds, "We can have it here." C is beginning to wonder about this communication - we don't even think expert code crackers could break this one - should C’s family be recruited by the military?

C, being one who hates indecision, promptly responded, "We will have it at our house - we are centrally located between all family members, dogs are welcome here (with five what is two more?), and we are more than prepared to cook. Bring your happy faces and nothing else."

Again, days go by ... C’s sister responds, "OK - but don't forget my allergies." C says, “Now I didn't remember her exact allergies but I did remember that she had allergies, which is something that my mom can NEVER remember. So at every holiday dinner, my mom surely forgets the spices but she somehow manages to put every allergy-ridden food on the table, thereby leaving my sister to nibble on a lone carrot stick. Naturally, I intended to call her and ask her what she couldn't eat. Fortunately, it was fairly simple. No dairy or vinegar - she would bring the potatoes (with rice milk) and I would refrain from dressing the salad with anything dairy ridden (nope – not quite correct – she can eat goat cheese just not cow milk … another reason to get a goat – hee! hee!).”

Days go by ... B asks, "Do your parents know about this plan?" "Well I assume so ... but you are right - knowing my family, no one had mentioned this plan to my parents." C calls her mom to make sure all plans are clear. They hadn't heard a word. Surprise! In fact, C’s father completely failed to mention the original invitation to them weeks ago. Fortunately, C’s mother was delighted. No long drive and no cooking at her house.

More days go by ... we have yet to hear word one from C’s oldest brother, and we never did hear a word, guess that’s the answer.

Days go by again ... C sends a final email to her family (enthusiastically)! "I am just confirming TG at our house - I was thinking about 2 p.m. Please let me know if this works for you. I have the following people bringing these dishes - LIST DISHES. If you are bringing something else, just email me!" As B is prone to saying and I generally concur, "We have a generally sunny disposition!"

Days go by ... C is beginning to think that either her family has my email blocked or that there is some vortex out there that is damming us from receiving any communication. By now, even she is annoyed. So after another couple days go by, she calls her mom. "So is [my oldest brother] coming to Thanksgiving?" She really doesn't know, (lord knows we have not heard!) but speculates that they will not be coming. She goes off on a long explanation about their dogs' dietary indiscretions or something. TMI. That being said, the schedule is set at our house with my mom and dad, brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law, and four nieces and nephews as well as B's mom - 13 in all.

The Dinner

OK - C had good reason to have TG at our house this year. We call it portion control and we don't mean that her family is overweight and needs to have their meals regulated. In fact, for the most part, they are a pretty healthy family. No -- along with not understanding "spice," C’s mom has this thing about leftovers or the lack thereof. Simply put, there is NEVER enough food at their holiday gatherings. One year, it was so bad that her siblings and she rallied together and brought a second turkey. Her parents were not amused, but nobody left hungry.

We do not understand this concept. C’s mom would buy a thirteen-pound turkey for a group of 20. When passing around the side dishes, everyone would eye the limited amount of food in the bowel and carefully make a mental adjustment - dividing the amount in the food by the number of people and then take a miniature portion - something akin to an amuse-bouche. So over time, C became her anti-mom. That is - she went over the top to have too much food (as B’s mom commented at TG dinner). It never goes to waste - whatever isn't divided between our house and B's mom is taken to Sean and Tony or fed to Bob for lunch. And if there is still more? The dogs get a very special treat.

This year's menu consists of the following:

Honey brined turkey - brining a turkey is the only way to go. After 18 hours in the honey brine mixture, cook it in a cooking bag for the first three hours, then uncover for the final hour and you will get the moistest turkey you can imagine. The 21-pound hen was wonderful, tender, and yes, moist.

Herb encrusted tenderloin – well, we couldn't completely break from the anti-tradition tradition. This is the remaining portion of Angie's cow, which was purely delicious. We covered it with a salt and herb dough and slow roasted it to medium rare. Once complete, we sliced it thin on the deli slicer and served it with a creamy horseradish sauce. Thanks Michelle for the Rosemary Plant - we had plenty of fresh herbs for the roast. While the beef cooked longer than “medium rare,” it was so delicious that my dad asked to take the LEFTOVERS home. Leftovers – we thought they were the spawn of Satan.

Cornbread stuffing - this was made with all of our favorite ingredients. First, we made our super moist cornbread. Then we added corn (which we froze in summer - this was the corn we picked right off the plant), bacon (the food of the gods), onion, garlic, red peppers, eggs, celery, chicken stock, a cream substitute (for my sister), parsley, and yes, even cilantro. We don't take credit for this recipe. We saw it on the food network by Michael Simon from our own Cleveland’s Lola. The result was a fabulous balance of vegetables and sweetness from the cornbread – definitely a keeper.

Fresh bread – We made our baguettes with poolish (a standard fair). This was a big hit with my family and we sent each family home with their own loaf.

In addition, our guests brought cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, wild rice casserole, and pumpkin pie. The food was abundant and wonderful.

In the end, despite the lack of communication, it was a wonderful dinner with the family. The nieces and nephews loved all the dogs, horses, and cats and took to running around the property. C’s one nephew, who can be quite challenging, was lovely – asking questions about B’s glassblowing and the horses – vowed that he wanted to return to our modest home. All and all, this Thanksgiving made C realize one thing. No – C didn’t have this sudden new-found relationship with her family. Instead – what we realized is that even though we don’t have “perfect” families, food brings people together.