We asked our 77-year-old Dad to describe a typical Cole Family of Irving Thanksgiving meal. He rattled off 13 items within 60 seconds.
Two birds:
One for now and another for turkey sandwiches for the “big game” later.
Five starches:
Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread dressing, rolls, peas (not enough vitamins to be a real veggie)?
One gravy:
A big ladle with bowls on every table.
Two vegetable-starch casseroles:
Broccoli-rice-cheese and, yes, that ever-popular green-bean-mushroom-soup concoction with fried onion strings on top.
Two fruits:
“If you don’t include the Brothers,” he said wryly, “Waldorf salad and cranberry sauce (available with and without skins).”
One dessert:
Pie including pecan, chocolate, pumpkin, and often apple.
He has difficulty remembering some things — like taking his meds, coming up with the words to complete his daily crossword puzzles, or quoting who said what to whom. But the Thanksgiving dinner is still a no-brainer for Dad — mostly because it was a favorite of our Mom’s, whom we miss dearly.
What’s your typical Thanksgiving meal?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
In gratitude,
The Cole Brothers: George, David, Mike, and Darrell