When I married my husband I thought our Thanksgivings together would be picturesque of a November cover issue of Martha Stewart Living. I always imagined perfectly set place settings with large floral bouquets and mixed-media centerpieces made of warm hued colored felt tied with complimentary silk ribbons. I use to fantasize about the effortless perfect sit-down holiday dinner where everyone seemed happily engaged in conversation with each other as lit candles illuminated their smiling faces and served as perfect mood lighting that accentuated the magic of the moment.
As much as I appreciate the image of a perfect Thanksgiving meal, where the turkey is seasoned and roasted to perfection and the accompanying side dishes are as memorable as the array of homemade desserts, I’ve learned that the quintessential Thanksgiving dinner has little to do with how things appear and has everything to do with the love and fellowship of the company you find yourself in.
I’ve also learned with each passing year my vision for a perfect Thanksgiving would never quite resemble a sentimental Hallmark commercial. That is, unless families in these commercials eat with plastic utensils and use sturdy heavy paper plates to heap tall piles of food onto. In that case, my family Thanksgiving gathering would very much look like a Hallmark commercial.
Instead, I have slowly learned to embrace (sometimes with hesitancy) all of the idiosyncrasies one could realistically expect in a houseful of family members – joys and trials included.
Serving a wonderful and memorable meal is nice, but enjoying the presence of those around you is what will make this Thanksgiving one to remember.
I hope your Thanksgiving gathering is filled with great food, fellowship, laughter, and memories you will recall for years.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is always my favorite day to cook and bake, so much variety.
Hello!
Keep it doing recipes please. You are a great inspiration.
From Spain, I wish thanksgiving to you too.
Great photography! It’s difficult to get good shots of food. Some people will even devote their entire photography careers to the specialization of food photos. Nicely done!
lovely pictures! 🙂
Oh Christina, I’ve been there and done that with the Prime Rib. I think it’s hard because it is so expensive but at least you had a memorable one!
I absolutely agree! Last Christmas my boyfriend had his heart set on prime rib and he spent hours on it’s perfection. Unfortunately it got set on top of the stove – we didn’t eat for another hour and it turned into shoe leather. I thought he was going to cry; honestly, he may have. We were all supportive about the whole thing, but privately later were talking and I tried to instill the together-ness of the holiday dinner vs. the expectations. Sometimes I think it’s the turkey that caught on fire or the pumpkin pie that didn’t set that make the best holiday memories. If you have to scrap the whole meal and end up at the table with cereal, at least you’ll be together, and hopefully laughing.
Christina
http://www.foodiewithalife.com
Those pictures look amazing! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all. Always about giving… THANKS, and not getting.
And Fall is always a beautiful time for changes.
I love these foods,wish thanksgiving to you too!
Wow, that’s what I call a thanxgiving dinner!!!
If those are photos of your current Thanksgiving, they are certainly Martha-Stewart-Living-worthy! But I know what you mean. The dream rarely squares with what reality presents. Like having a daughter, SIL, and 2-year-old grandson arrive with rousing headcolds! What’s wrong with THAT picture? 🙂