Thanksgiving is coming fast. For some, this time of year is very exciting, but for others it can be very stressful. Thanksgiving is especially stressful when you're the one responsible for Thanksgiving dinner, and you want to make it perfect.
I remember one year when my mother was cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the family. Any other day of the year, it was rare to find mom anywhere near the stove, but on Thanksgiving, she sliced, diced, boiled, and baked us up a nice meal. It was always simple things, often from a box or jar, but it was always good. It is because she always kept things simple that I struggle with why she did what she did that year. I can only explain it as a result of Thanksgiving stress.
This was the year that mom, clearly stressed out of her turkey lovin' mind, decided that we were not going to have the usual turkey gravy from a jar. She decided that gravy from scratch would be much better. She had never made gravy from scratch before but she thought "how hard can it be!".
She set out to make homemade turkey gravy. She mixed the turkey drippings with flour, added some more flour and mixed it some more until she had some really nice looking lumpy gravy. No matter how much she mixed it, she couldn't get rid of the lumps.
Then she had an idea; she would just strain the lumps out. She poured the lumpy gravy mixture into the strainer and...the gravy went right down the drain! She forgot to put a container under the strainer. She was left with was a strainer of lumps and we were left without gravy!
The moral of the story, when it comes to Thanksgiving: Don't make it any more stressful then it needs to be. Do what you're good at. It is okay to use gravy from a jar if that's what works best for you. You can always put that extra time into something you know you're good at; even if that something is putting a frozen pie in the oven. Thanksgiving is about spending time with family. The food is just what you gather around to make that happen. Thanksgiving doesn't have to be perfect to create perfect memories.
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I learned years ago not to stress over holidays. Too many stressful holidays changed how I handle holidays. I have no idea why I stressed over holidays. But I do know that when you do not stress over the holidays - the holidays are really really FUN!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! they are so much fun when you don't stress!
DeleteThis story sounds like something my mother would have done. I plan on having a stress free Thanksgiving
ReplyDeleteLOL! You have one of those moms too, huh?! :) I hope you have an awesome stress free Thanksgiving!
DeleteHolidays are definitely a stressful time of year! We decided this year we are starting a new tradition of camping and are going to skip the big dinner all together!
ReplyDeleteYes holidays are stressful. I have learned a long time ago that less is best.
ReplyDeleteThankfully my aunt does most of the preparation and the rest of us brings a side dish or a dessert. Times are changing and she is getting older so we will be making changes in the future I am sure.
ReplyDeleteLOL...my Mom once decided she was going to make the pie crusts for her pies for Thanksgiving dinner. All the added stress of it not coming out right drove her to tears! Ever since, it was prepackaged pie crust! lol
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