As I prepare for Thanksgiving I can’t help but remember all of the great Thanksgivings celebrated in the Norrell household. My mom made stuffing/dressing from scratch, and my job was to toast the bread and then tear the toast into small pieces for the dressing. I would watch her sauté the onions and celery and in those days she would stuff the turkey with the dressing. It seems like we always had a very large turkey but there was only four of us. Me, my sister and mom and dad. She put the turkey in a dark blue and white speckled roasting pan early in the day and it cooked for hours. The house used to smell so good. While the turkey was roasting my mother would make side dishes like sweet potatoes, green beans, deviled eggs and she always prepared a Jello mold. She loved those Jello molds. When my mother passed away and I was cleaning out her house I found her Jello recipe book. I think the book was a promotional item. I love things like that. When I think about my parents and the things they used to do the light bulb comes on and I realize how much I was influenced by them. Back to that Thanksgiving dinner, my mom always forgot something for the meal and would send my dad or my older sister in search of rolls, cranberry sauce or something to complete the meal. Once the turkey was done my mom used the drippings to make the gravy. Both my mother and father were great cooks. My dad was great at preparing leftovers. There would be so much turkey left over it seems like we were eating it for weeks. Dad would make turkey salad, turkey omelets and whatever else he could dream up. I miss my mom and dad and those great dinners. My menu this year will mirror my mom’s. I’m forever thankful for my upbringing and lessons learned from my parents. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
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