Simple: not hard to do

Real: not fake, false, or artificial

Keep it simple keep it real with Food on Thanksgiving.  In general I try to healthy, real food.  On Thanksgiving, I do eat mostly real (not processed) food.  Turkey, mashed potatoes, and corn are all real (not healthy) and not processed, staples to my Thanksgiving dinner.  If the stuffing or dressing (whatever you call it) is homemade, it is real too.  I like mine from the box (good old Stove Top). If I didn’t see that red box every holiday something would be very wrong.

Ah yes, traditions.  The Stove Top, your favorite side dish, and the people you gather with on that day.  Most of us will gather with family of some sort.  Your parents, your children, your siblings, or maybe those cousins you see once a year.  Some of us will also gather with friends.  I am lucky enough to share Thanksgiving dinner with family and my dear friends.  Last year I even tried to share it with a random person who worked at Wal-Mart (that’s another story).  Some of you will be working those jobs that can’t stop for holidays (police officers, nurses, and unfortunately, now that also means some retail workers).

I love to host the meal at my house. This year I am doing 2, one at noon and one in the evening, and by following my dad’s keep it simple keep it real approach, it will be a piece of cake (or in this case, pie).

Keep it simple: crock pots! If you have one, drop it by my house in the next day because that is how I roll in keeping those simple and unhealthy carbs warm and ready to eat buffet style, from the time I play that Thanksgiving song to wake my sons (Zumba girls you know the one) to the last scrape of that final spoonful of potatoes later that night.

Seriously watch this video of this song by Nicole Westbrook. It’s hilarious! I bought it from iTunes and we did a Zumba warm up to it and I play it the week of Thanksgiving in my home. (Yes, my husband and sons are THRILLED LOL).

o.k. back to the point…..It’s like a crock pot convention in my kitchen on Thanksgiving. The potatoes, corn, stuffing, and noodles have their own crock pot for the day. All I do is make sure I have enough liquid mixed in throughout the day and stir now and then.  I use chicken broth for the noodles and stuffing, milk for the potatoes, and melted butter for the corn.

Keep it real: The Gravy!

Think of your favorite Thanksgiving dish. Is it homemade and real? Probably.  My favorite Thanksgiving dish is one that, as a Hays (my maiden name), I am ashamed to say, I never learned to make.  GRAVY from the turkey drippings. Real homemade gravy to pour over those mashed potatoes.

My aunts and cousins (you guys know who you are) make the best gravy and rolls.  I will reserve those drippings, get out the corn starch and give it a try, but it won’t taste the same but that’s o.k., because it’s the process, the memories, and the real moments of life, that we savor the most.  I mean real, not Martha Stewart real, but every day people real.

Like the “Hays Thanksgiving” real, with my dad and I in the kitchen “bickering” about how hot the water is for the potatoes.  My dad’s famous line “Your fire’s too hot” when I was making everything from corn to potatoes on the stove.  Onlookers or newcomers to the family could have easily misunderstood our kitchen “conversation” as fighting but they would be mistaken.  In my family we talk loudly and directly.  Keep it simple, keep it real.

“Your fire’s too hot”

“Don’t use that spoon”

“Here, you’re spilling everywhere”

“Why aren’t you eating the________” “Whose kid are you?”

My dad and I were never fighting, we were keeping it simple and real with the food on Thanksgiving.

Today’s Take Away…your gentle nudge. Enjoy the simple food on Thanksgiving, the food made with real ingredients by real people and hug them all before you leave. We aren’t guaranteed another Thanksgiving next year with those same people. Also, please share with our blog community and/or Facebook community, some of your favorite Thanksgiving kitchen memories. I love to hear from you!

P.S. Dad, I’m sorry, in advance, for all of the turkey waste. No one can clean up a bird like you! I miss you and am thankful for our simple and real kitchen memories.

Keep it Simple Keep it Real