A Southern-Style Thanksgiving in the Ozarks

I found this in my photo file from Thanksgiving 2015, when life and holidays were normal.

The Plan for the Day

My kids say I go about planning Thanksgiving like it was the D-Day invasion. They say I worry too much. I tell them somebody has to. In recent years I’ve kept a notebook of attendees, menu, recipes, grocery list, and who’s bringing what.

The book is much smaller this year. Unfortunately, this is not yet a traditional Thanksgiving. Our annual gathering will be much diminished and all must be vaccinated and take a COVID test before T-Day.

This saddens me, but hopefully life and celebration will return to normal next year.

A Buffet of Memories

Once upon a time, in pre-COVID days.

My Thanksgiving buffet is always an old-fashion Southern-style meal. Dishes are much like my mother used to make. That is, except for the spoon bread.

I love the eggy, puffy dish, but it has to be the last thing in the oven and the first dish to serve. You might say it’s temperamental; not a good buffet item. So I’ve replaced it with garlic-cheese grits.

The menu will change somewhat as the time approaches, because Thanksgiving is not written in stone. Here it is so far:

Turkey Purchase

Russ got our turkeys from Haar’s Farms in Illinois. One is organic and the other a heritage bird. They come fresh; no thawing needed. (Having to deal with an icy bird in the pre-dawn hours is a pain in the neck.)

A turkey that’s been brined and barded. Good eating. When I stuff the turkey, I’m reminded of what one magazine pundit concluded, “The dressing—isn’t that what a Thanksgiving meal is all about?”

Austin roasting butternut squash. He cooks so effortlessly and well.

Sharing the Fun

Don’t think for a minute that I’m cooking all this myself. Attendees and family are deeply involved. I’m only doing the turkey dressing and homemade applesauce.

Robin and Deb butter a pair of birds several years ago.

Count on a Kitchen Snafus or Two

I mentioned earlier that my range has let me down right as we enter the Thanksgiving season. The large burner malfunctions and the oven is 43 degrees higher than indicated on the dial. You need a calculator just to cook the bird and pies at the right temperature.

I tried to get a replacement before T-Day, but delivery was not available until next month at the earliest. Fingers crossed on this one.