Food for Thought and Memories

Is there anything more comforting, satisfying or life affirming than a home cooked meal?  My answer would be no.  When I think back to the most cherished memories of my childhood it usually, not always but usually involves food.  I believe all major holidays involve a copious amounts of food of varying varieties for a reason.  We come together as a family around a dinner table to share and celebrate but also to remember. For me nothing personifies this spirit more than Thanksgiving.  Think about it, what other holiday epitomizes the sheer celebration of food, family, friends without a gift giving opportunity in sight.  I know that Thanksgiving is to give thanks for our country's heritage and a peaceful coexistence between the Native Americans and the visitors from across the Atlantic Ocean but in my family it was a time of reunion around some of the best dishes I could ever imagine.  My mind goes back to my childhood with my mother, grandmother and any aunts that happened by all working together in my mothers rather large kitchen making the turkey and dressing (my grandmothers responsibility because no one stood or to this day stands a chance against her particular recipe for dressing and turkey), mashed potatoes, various salads, vegetables and my mothers amazing yeast rolls.  Of course, no meal is complete without dessert which involved several pies, pecan, chocolate and pumpkin naturally.   Now this was a time when segregation of the genders was considered a good thing so what were the men and the wee little ones doing while the women were working the kitchen?  The men would gather around to talk about their childhoods and various stories of how things were going and about people who had passed on the previous year.  Us kids would be outside, weather permitting, playing football usually or just standing around talking about school and what not.  Once the meal was ready we would all mill around to our appointed positions.  Kids would sit around the breakfast bar complete with television which would be turned off due to my mothers insistence on not watching television while eating.  The grown ups would position themselves around the dining room table which was a grand, solid wood antique with matching chairs.  The food would be brought out and placed on the big table and everybody would wait for the Thanksgiving prayer of thanks and the grown ups would sometimes go around saying what they were thankful for but mainly we would just eat.   Sometimes, well most of the time, some of the food would wind up on the kids table but mainly those of us old enough would go to the big table and put together our plate of food.  Such a good time.   Now, there was no rhyme or reason as to who would show up for Thanksgiving but as memory serves, we always had a full house.  Yes, no family gathering is ever quite complete without good food.  So, eat up and let your mind wander back to those special memories of your families gatherings and the good food you shared.  Tonight I fixed my beef stroganoff with rice which I used to make for my wife and schnauzers which was always fun because those dogs really loved their beef.  Hopefully this will provoke memories of your own with your family.