Thanksgiving 1987

Journal Entry

Thanksgiving 1987

Today was our first Thanksgiving celebration as a married couple.  He wanted me to cook a complete meal.  The traditional turkey with the stuffing, the gravy, the mashed potatoes, the green beans, and the pumpkin pie..kind of meal.   UGH!  I grew up focusing on academia and practicing piano.  Who the heck had the time to cultivate domestic duties such as being in the kitchen?  Besides, I had no role model.  My mom was not a good cook.

Grudgingly I agreed.   Where to begin?  Turkey.  Ha!  That’s a good start!!  How big?  What is stuffing?  How do I make it?  Where does it go inside the turkey?  How do I make gravy?  How do I make mashed potatoes?  How do I cook green beans?   So overwhelmed!!!

I just broke down and cried!!   Embarrassingly, this grown woman had a full-blown out temper tantrum!!!

Eventually, with the help of his sister (the one who lived in another state), I was able to piece together our first Thanksgiving meal.  The turkey was a bit dry.  Maybe next time I’ll invest in a thermometer.  The stuffing and the gravy turned out better than I expected.  I don’t think anyone could ever mess up store bought boxed dressings and canned gravy.  My sister-in-law gave me a dynamite recipe for mashed potatoes.  The easiest part was boiling the potatoes!  Next time I’ll peel them.  The green beans were steamed.  That was easy!  Lastly, the grocery store pumpkin pie was an easy and delicious dessert.  Top it off with whip cream and that completed our first Thanksgiving meal!

So, okay.  It wasn’t the most elegant and most tasty meal.  But, I must say that I’m pretty proud of myself for accomplishing such a feat!!  This time next year, I’ll be a more daring and experienced chef.  Wait, the Christmas Holiday is around the corner….