Well the countdown clock has started. My husband picked up our Thanksgiving turkey from the market yesterday. We like to get one that is all natural and a hen. We are not having many guests this year. That is fine with me. My kids will be here and a brother-in-law.

We have a funny tradition that has developed over the years. Seems like every year we take a picture of the turkey after it comes out of the oven with me standing by it. I told my husband’s Aunt Audrey, who is more like a sister friend, that I should have a Turkey Album to have a record of all the turkeys over the years. The only way you can tell the difference between the photos is that I am getting older.

I always want to make the Thanksgiving Dinner here at our house. I think it is because I like my own cooking. I like the way my own food tastes. So we usually have it here. My daughter likes to cook with me now as well.

When I was younger, I would usually be the one to do it all. The chopping of the vegetables for the dressing, the sautéing of the vegetables and giblets and making the side dishes. Over the years more and more I have let others bring some of the food and let my daughter and husband help with any preparation that goes on here.

I still make the stuffing and stuff the turkey, get it in the oven and watch over it. Last year I made the candied yams. I use fresh yams. My daughter helped with side dishes like the mashed potatoes and a vegetable. My husband chopped all the vegetables for my stuffing and made the fresh cranberry sauce. Our cranberry sauce recipe is a variation on Aunt Audrey’s recipe. She now lives in Australia and has not been able to join us every year like she used to. She always brought her delicious fresh cranberry sauce.  My daughter will sometimes make a pie. Otherwise my brother-in-law will buy the pies. I usually buy my bread rolls from a nice bakery.

It is much easier and more fun to make it a family effort. Looking forward to a relaxing and peaceful day. Many things to be thankful for. My family and our health are two big ones.

Thinking about some fellow bloggers that  are having some hard times right now and sending love their way. Celebrating a holiday like Thanksgiving is not just for people who have Norman Rockwell type families if there really are any families like that. I read an article on Next Avenue by a blogger who is estranged from some of his family and he talks about how we can create our own families. I think this is very true we can chose to celebrate with our friends.

While we are celebrating with the people we love we can be thankful for them while remembering there are people who are not so lucky.

I wish everyone to have peace and love on Thanksgiving.

|Nano Poblano|  Happy Thanksgiving to The Peppers and all my blogger friends!