Happy Turkey Day to all of you. I hope you are enjoying time with loved ones and savoring a nice meal today. It is our sons first Thanksgiving and, as all parents know, seeing the joy in your children's eyes as they experience the magic of the holiday season is a very special sight to behold.
Recently I listened to a podcast from Focus on the Family that discussed the burden of the holiday season masking the true blessing and meaning. With all of its busyness and rushing, the speaker was suggesting that we slow down and, dare I say, enjoy ourselves. *gasp* And might we do well to reflect upon what the reason for the season is truly about.
She provided some helpful suggestions to enable us to be able to relax and create memories rather than scurrying about trying to please everyone. One of those suggestions was to discuss traditions with your family. She posed the question "What traditions are you celebrating that no longer serve you or your family?" In essence, are you just going through the motions and working to create something that no one really cares about? Or perhaps more importantly, are you trying to impress the wrong people?
Are you devoting wasted time and energy to take the perfect Facebook photo? ~Impressing the wrong people.
Are you waking up early to cook dishes that your family doesn't care for simply because they're traditional? ~No one values
Finding the Value
We have always cooked a fairly large spread for Thanksgiving. At first we were discussing just purchasing one of those ready-made meal kits this year from Cracker Barrel. It's a challenge to whip up dinner right now with a little crawler in the house much less cook an enormous Thanksgiving dinner. Those kits are definitely pricier than cooking it yourself but would it be worth the extra cost to skip the extra work?
After discussing what was important to each of us to celebrate Thanksgiving, we decided that the actual cooking process felt like a tradition we weren't willing to part with. So, we decided to cook our usual Thanksgiving dinner but this year we would pair it down a bit.
Ma put the crust in the pie pan and
covered the bottom with brown sugar and spices."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter
The Menu
After having a candid discussion of our favorite, and not so favorite, Thanksgiving dishes (bye yams 👋) we were able to easily pair down our meal to what we really enjoy instead of following blind traditions of what we felt like should be included.
We all agreed that first on the list should be the turkey, of course! My husband loves green bean casserole, my daughter's favorite is cranberry sauce and I enjoy baking my classic pumpkin and pecan pies from scratch. None of us are crazy about stuffing but thought cutting it from the meal just felt plain wrong, haha! We also agreed on a few other essentials like rolls, creamed corn and mashed potatoes.
*Always one for finding a good deal, I just so happened to have scored a frozen turkey on sale for .49 cents a pound at Winn Dixie. I paid a grand total of $6.80 for our 14lb Turkey!
Today I'm sharing my homemade rolls recipe with you. I use my bread machine to knead the dough and then I bake it in the oven. Recipe below.
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance."
-Isaiah 55:2 (NKJV)
"We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown." -Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Homemade Butter Rolls Recipe
All ingredients at room temperature (70-80 degrees), except milk. Makes 12 rolls.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 and 3/4 cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1/4 cup water, 1 egg, 3/4-7/8 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter
Directions: 1. Measure all ingredients into bread machine pan. 2. Select the setting for dough and press start. 3. Once complete, remove dough with wooden spoon or rubber spatula and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. 4. Knead by hand 3-4 times to release the air. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, shape into balls and place in greased muffin cups. Cover with cloth, let rise for 1 hour (it should double in size). 5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Later today we will decorate our Christmas tree. It's nice to spend time at home enjoying the little moments. I'm looking forward to a satisfying cat nap with a belly full of turkey and a pleasant evening decorating the tree whilst listening to Christmas music with my family. Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
"O, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
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