American Thanksgiving

We are so fortunate to have not one but two thanksgivings. For most Americans this is the most important holiday in the year. This year we were asked to join a family to be with friends and to have good reason to be thankful.

I was asked to bring the dressing and under ordinary circumstances it would be no problem. However I watched several cooking shows and this day I was impressed with Mr. Food and his idea for perfect dressing. My traditional dressing is very good and has had good reports over fifty years but I wanted to impress so I mixed the old with the new and an hour before leaving I opened the oven to see what looked like oat meal porage. I really went into a mode of controlled damage.

I took out the mess and scooped the contents around and shoved it back in the oven uncovered and hoped it would dry out quickly and I could escape with something edible. In the meantime I showered and shaved , dressed in the appropriate manner and rushed to the kitchen to see the mess in the pan.

I pulled it out and again turned it over and exposed the wet contents and shoved it back in the oven. I don't believe in praying for something like dressing but I hoped for a miraculous conversion of this culinary disaster. Fifteen minutes later I surveyed the contents of the roast pan and what was once a full pan was now a quarter full mess. I dried it out for sure and the result meant I had to transfer it to a smaller dish. I did and now it looked too small for the 21 person, hungry , turkey eating people who would comment on my effort.

I made one more attempt to make this dressing presentable and covered it with tin foil and hoped for the best. I kept well away from the lineup when everyone filled their plates and prepared to sit for this special meal.I ate second to last and when I got to the dressing there was little left. Maybe I escaped that horrible fate of not making a good dressing.

I crept to my place at the table and my long time friend Doreen said, Henry this dressing is wonderful.. I was relieved and Theresa says I worry too much about food preparation. I do as I always wish to make everything good for company and this time I escaped the bullet. From now on I will do everything in my traditional way and be safe rather than sorry.