I can remember my mom making lists upon lists and checking them all three or four times before leaving the house to do the grocery encounter. It was more than just shopping for food. No, at this time of year, it was an adventure that was fueled by endless coupons for various stores scattered across Kenosha county. Kroger's had that good stuffing bread on sale with a coupon for a free gallon of milk and real butter. The Pig had potatoes and sweet potatoes on sale and their flour was the cheapest so for making pies that was the place to go. And Lakeview had 20 lb. turkeys for .19 cents a pound. We'd drive all over town and the end result was a trunk full of all the fixings for a grand Thanksgiving feast.
I remember my mom getting all the good dishes out of storage and washing them up, ready and waiting for the big day. The good glasses and good silverware also made an appearance. Once washed, this was all lined up on a side table.
I remember my mom washing the turkey, inside and out, and carefully removing the gizzards and neck bones that were hiding inside. She would take the old crank meat grinder out and, after lightly cooking them, grinds them all up to be added to the stuffing. She would chop onions and celery and garlic until the aroma took over the entire house. She'd mix that with the ground turkey innards and the good stuffing bread, now toasted and cubed, and pour in copious amounts of chicken stock and the water she cooked the innards in. She'd dig in up to her elbows and mix this all together. And then she'd set it aside.
I remember standing near the sink as she gave our turkey a gently bath. Running streams of hot water inside and out, rinsing out anything that just should be there. She placed the bird on a rack in a large roasting pan and then filled it's inside with the aromatic stuffing mixture. Next she'd cut a stick of real butter into chunks and poke each one up into the turkey between the skin and the meat. When done, the turkey would have pockets of yellow butter sticking out. She then would rub the whole thing down with salt, pepper and something called poultry seasoning. A little more stock was poured at the bottom of the plan and the whole thing was placed on a cookie sheet to make sure it was strong enough to hold this behemoth. And into the oven it would go. Gradually, throughout the day, the whole house smelled of warm turkey goodness. It was heavenly.
I remember my mom making green bean casserole, scalloped carrots, mashed potatoes and any number of other side dishes to go with the big bird. When I got older, she let me put together the relish tray. Cranberry sauce, 2 kinds, black and green olives, sweet and dill pickles all layed out on a decorative tray to be eaten with our meal. And when I was older still and allowed to help with the main meal she would say, "How's about we have a little Bloody Mary?" and I would be in charge of making the drinks which we would sip while we cooked and talked. And talked.
I remember talking to my mom while we were cooking. We'd talk about the meal, about our family, about people we both knew, about life, about our feelings, and about nothing at all.
These days, Thanksgiving is different. But it is no less precious. Because I know, from my memories and from today, that I have so much to be thankful for. And I will always remember that.
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