Growing Food and Kids

I’m still alive, although you’d never know it based on my conspicuous absence from this blog over the past few weeks. What can I say? We picked our last tomatoes in October and then I took a break from thinking about gardening for awhile. We do have a small fall garden underway, mainly just cabbage and greens, but I’ve been so busy with kids, work and life that posting to this blog got lost in the shuffle. 

Now here we are, less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving! And for the first time ever, I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my own home. No more getting to drive in for the day bringing just a sweet potato casserole. No, this year, I’m responsible for the whole meal. Yikes! While I volunteered for the job, and am excited about the challenge, I have to admit it’s a little intimidating.

At least my mom won’t be here. She’ll be out west visiting my younger brother and his family. And while I’d love to spend Thanksgiving with her, I’m sure she’s the reason I’m intimidated. I’ve spent most of my Thanksgivings with my feet under her table, feasting on a lavish spread that I could never hope to replicate. Not just turkey and dressing (we don’t do “stuffing” in Alabama), but also ham, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, squash casserole, okra and tomatoes, green beans, congealed salads, homemade rolls, and sweet tea to wash it all down. And for dessert, there’s  pumpkin pie, apple pie, maybe a carrot cake, and turkey-shaped sugar cookies. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things.

There’s a lot to be said for tradition, but as I plan our menu over the next week, I’m trying to put a new twist on some of the old favorites. For instance, nobody in our family really likes pumpkin pie, but we usually have it just for tradition’s sake. I’m thinking this year I might take the liberty of serving pumpkin bread instead, since I know we like it and it makes a good appetizer. I’ll share the recipe tomorrow.

What are you serving or bringing to Thanksgiving dinner this year? How do you incorporate foods from your garden or farmer’s market? Any new twists on old favorites?