First Cousins, Once Removed

On Friday, mom had her Thanksgiving dinner with her side of the family and it turned out really well. It was great to see my cousins and their kids (gosh, they grow up so fast). My first-cousins-once-removed were very entertaining and well-behaved kiddos.

Mom and I had placed the extra leaves in the dining room table and everyone actually sat down together to eat. In Texas, football trumps everything so it's very important to plan the big meal in between games if you want everyone sitting at the table together.

A couple of years ago, I'd made an incredible spread for Thanksgiving while visiting here at my mom's. It was a knock-your-socks off buffet. Everyone filled their plates, bypassed the dining room table and plopped down in front of the TV.

I may have created a meal that looked like the cover of Good Housekeeping, but I'd also served it during the 4th quarter of the Dallas Cowboys game. You just don't do that in these here parts.

At the first thanksgiving, the Pilgrims had fought off starvation, pestilence, disease, and annihilation in order to celebrate their first meal.

Try timing the big meal so that it ends up on the table in between football games in Texas. THEN you can talk.