My Southern Thanksgiving Necessities
It's almost turkey day and if you've had to travel anywhere by plane, train or car with your family or five pound dog (who absolutely hated his first flight and had an attitude with you for an entire 12+ hours afterwards, true story), then you definitely don't want to have to worry about having a "half done" Thanksgiving. Of course, you should be thankful to be home amongst your loved ones but let's be real. If you're like me, you absolutely went through all of the fuss because of the promises of at least two days of unjudged, gluttonous eating at a good ole southern Thanksgiving! Everyone has their favorite menu items during the holidays, here are 5 things that I need for a complete Thanksgiving meal.
1) Turkey and stuffing
OK, these are practically a given and clearly two different things but they go together like a peanut butter and jelly. These are the two main staples upon which the Thanksgiving foundation is built! On Thanksgiving, turkey is king! Dramatic? I think not! If I were wrong then why are you being forced to pretend your pre-k/elementary age student's hand turkey drawing/paintings are the cutest thing you've EVER seen for the millionth time in your life. Yeah...I thought so!
2) Macaroni and cheese
I mean, almost as important as the turkey and stuffing is the mac and cheese. No, I don't mean the blue box, instant mac or the Food Network version with those pesky vegetables! I mean, good ole, cheesy, baked, golden goodness! The kind that God himself has looked down upon and provided his blessing. If there is no mac and cheese, then the chef/host doesn't love you. Yeah...I said it.
3) Greens
Of course there has to be at least one vegetable on the list. What do you take me for, uncultured swine? I might not be but my greens most likely have some cooked in! Collard, cabbage, mustard greens, kale (if you must), it doesn't matter they need to be on the table. I prefer collard greens with a good heap of some homemade chow chow straight from an elder lady's mason jar. *Whew* if you don't know what chow chow is, I could almost write a separate post about this good old country fixin. Long story short, it’s a sweet and spicy relish that couples great with greens. Do yourself a favor and try some (homemade if possible), you'll thank me later!
4) Yams
The cinnamony, sweet goodness of yams cannot be denied. If you know a sweet southern lady that can "put her foot" in them then you already know what's up! Yams are a plus because they are almost a dessert but they aren't so you don't have to feel that extra guilt. So pile some on your plate and don’t be afraid to let their sweetness mix with your savory sides!
5) Desserts
Sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, red velvet cake, chocolate cake, peach cobbler, apple cobbler... Do I need to continue? There is nothing better than wrapping up a Thanksgiving meal with a sweet treat. Seriously, one Thanksgiving there was no dessert and the meal never felt complete so, for goodness sake don't skimp on dessert!
Honorable mention: Sweet Tea
What better to wash down the shame of your gluttony with a nice, cold glass of sweet tea? Not that up north stuff that “passes” for tea either. I'm talking about tea so sweet it could almost double as the syrup for your yams. OK, maybe that's too far but you get the gist!
Honorable Honorable mention: wifi
Now I know you're side eyeing me but think about it. At this point there have been early black Friday deals happening online all day. After getting your tummy full to the brim, you don't want to go out in the world and fight over spots in line. Get out those phones, tablets and laptops, jump on the WiFi and shop until your battery drops! Trust me, the online sales are just as good and you can do that with your adjustable waist sweatpants on without judgment. Ladies, don't forget that Lulus already has items on sale for up to 70% off! Click on the link to shop for Christmas and New Years! Code "take15" gives you free shipping and $15 off orders over $150!
In all seriousness, take the time this Thanksgiving to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. Any day that we have life, health and strength is a blessed day so feel free to leave comments about what you’re thankful for as well as your favorite Thanksgiving dishes! I'd love to hear from you!
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