Thanksgiving

I see it as no coincidence that we chose a Spiral Wines Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for our Thanksgiving table.  From the label:

As humanity’s oldest symbol, the spiral represents eternal change, reminding us that life is not a straight line.  It symbolizes new beginnings, renewal and hope for the future.

Beautiful and so apropos.

Thanksgiving Poem
Visions of roasting root vegetables
and the sweet scent of buttery pie crust
swirled through my mind for a week before Thanksgiving,
our first holiday in this lovely place we’ve chosen to
Make Home.
As a child, I would wander amongst homemade aprons
donned by the ladies of the family.
Giddily anticipating big mounds of mashed potatoes and gravy
and the scrumptious dessert table.
As different as we were, we all came together to eat and celebrate
and share.
I remember the feeling of warmth and companionship.
Here, though, there is no family nearby
to share with.
So we begin a new phase of life,
and a new tradition:
Our family’s Thanksgiving celebration.
And blessed we are this year
with a dear old friend at our table,
her presence bringing those feelings of warmth and companionship.
Our tradition begun, our family strengthened.
A little sugar pumpkin and zucchini bread
baked up the day before.
And crimson red cranberry sauce, always on my family’s table,
cooked and pretty in a glass jar.
Pie crusts made the night before,
and in the morning we sliced many apples
and mixed fillings with the pumpkin and lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Good smells even before baking.
Stuffing (not stuffed into anything) with the star ingredient: fresh sage.
At my request, boiled then roasted new potatoes, red and purple -
the perfect texture.
And the turkey,
a once-a-year treat for us.
Why so many complicated recipes and stress about this meal?
Brining, rubbing complex seasoning mixes under the skin, star anise…
We followed the Diestel family’s guidance, range growing turkeys since 1949,
less than 3 hours east of here:
olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika rubbed on the skin
and add some white wine to the juices for an earthy gravy.
Simple, taste-full, and deeply appreciated.
A gift of life and sustenance and the centerpiece of our
Giving of Thanks.