Pass the stuffing...

My grandmother was the Thanksgiving queen. It was the holiday that I think she enjoyed the most - even more so than Christmas. I know some people in my life are going to read this so please don't be offended, but no one, I repeat no one has ever out done Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma Richard's house. Even though people helped out it was alway the best when at her house.

Let's start with the turkey. Grandma never had just a turkey. These things were huge! A real Arnold Schwarzenturkey. Sixty two pounds of mouth watering, butter basted, sage rubbed, melt in your mouth, oven roasted bird. This was of course filled with the best stuffing. Those little bits of bread, seasoned with love, were simply to die for.

There was potatoes - never made from a box. Oh no, peeled, boiled, and mashed by hand. Enriched with real butter, milk, and pepper.

And gravy made from starch, an assortment of spices, and that little bag of "parts" that not a lot of people know what to do with.

Oh and golden corn on the cob smothered in butter and sprinkled with salt.

Yams, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

Green bean casserole with a crunchy top, broccoli casserole loaded up with cheese and rice, potatoes au gratin, and casseroles that I am not even sure what was in them.

There was salads with lettuce and eleven types of dressing. Salads with fruit and nuts.

Veggie trays with carrots, celery, radishes, black olives, green olives, dill pickles, sweet pickles, and homemade dip.

Trays of mixed nuts and pretzel sticks.

Bowls of Chex mix. Bowls of chips. Bowls of dip.

Hot dinner rolls - right out of the oven. And fresh baked breads cooling on white towels.

Green Jell-O with pear slices and Cool Whip.

Twenty seven different pies! Apple, pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, pecan, boysenberry, mixed berry, cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, minced meat...

There was cookies and candies. Ice cream and cakes.

Juices, sodas, punches, and cider.

And grandma would always start the meal with a prayer of thanks offered up in Norwegian. Quickly followed by someone yelling "dig in!" The sounds of serving utensils clanging on platters. Grunting and pointing. Mmmming and oooohing filled the air. The sound of the football game on the TV radiated from the living room. Man, would we eat.

I remember one year in particular, when I was about ten years old, I ate so much I went into a turkey induced coma, honest. I woke up sometime in January and had missed my whole Christmas vacation! I woke up and all my family was there around me as I laid in bed. I had no idea what had happened - a real Wizard of Oz moment. And as I came to I clearly remember turning toward my Uncle John and saying "Pass the stuffing..."

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!