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Friday, November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving in a Nutshell


                Happy belated Thanksgiving! This is going to be a post unlike all the rest. This post is going to, in a way, combine what would normally be three posts. I am going to tell you about my primary theme, my secondary theme, and talk about Thanksgiving. As usual, there is a method to my madness. My first reason is to consolidate posts. Since I haven’t posted all week and the themes are similar, it makes more sense this way. So let’s get the ball rolling. As I am sure you have guessed, the themes this week are both Thanksgiving related. The primary theme this week has been Thanksgiving recipes. Some ladies posted recipes they enjoy every year. Others, like me, posted recipes they thought looked good or would like to try. This was a good theme for the week for many reasons. First, most of the ladies already had their recipes out in order to prepare for Thursday or had to find new ones anyway. This also gave each lady the opportunity to see recipes they may not have come across on their own. Second, it was a bit different from the normal routine of just pictures. And lastly, it was great because it wasn’t a big deal if any of the ladies missed a day. Of course that is never a big deal, but this theme is one that nobody would mind missing. If a person doesn’t like to cook, finding a recipe would be no fun. But because of the holiday, many people couldn’t participate for whatever reason. Thus, it worked out well. And it was great because the secondary theme tied in too.
                Our secondary theme this week was simply Thanksgiving. It was, as usual, pictures. The obvious choice would have been to use pictures of food. I went a different, though just as obvious, route. I started with pumpkins, though in a more Thanksgiving-like setting. I followed that up with a cornucopia and some food. There was also Indian corn and a scarecrow. They all seemed appropriate. Then, on Wednesday, I created collages with cakes and turkeys. I did, admittedly, miss a day due to the holiday. But my other pictures include pilgrims and Indians, a November picture, and Charlie Brown. It appears as though there is a Charlie Brown special for all major holidays. My aunt’s pictures were similar. There aren’t very many options for Thanksgiving. Although in a lot of ways, it is a major holiday, there are some aspects that are more minor. For example, it is rare for cards or gifts to be exchanged. Also there aren’t really any Thanksgiving specific decorations. Anything that could be associated with the holiday could also be used to simply decorate for fall. It is, by no means, a holiday to completely brush off, but there isn’t too much hoopla about it.
                Here is the part where I talk about the holiday itself. As I said, Thanksgiving is a major holiday, but not as big as others. Oddly enough, only minor holidays seem to have parades. There is always a Memorial Day and St. Patrick’s Day parade. Here in NYC there is also a Halloween parade. The reason I bring this up is, of course, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is a huge tradition here in NY and is watched on TV all over the country. Thanksgiving is also great because many people get the day off from work and school. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a day off? For many, it is a holiday with a deeper meaning. It is a time to reflect on their life and be thankful for the things they have seen, done or have. It is also a day for family, lots of food and football. Personally, my Thanksgiving contained none of this. I took an alternate route to avoid the crowds from the parade as I headed in to work. After working all day, and missing the first two football games, I went home to a solitary meal. I had stuffing, salad and some wine while I watched a Jeff Dunham marathon on TV. I got to eat the best part of the holiday meal while relaxing on my couch in my sweatpants. And while I didn’t get any pumpkin pie, I did have pumpkin ice cream for dessert. All in all, although maybe not traditional, my thanksgiving wasn’t bad I hope everybody had a happy thanksgiving of their own.

Here are some of my recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-gingerbread-trifle-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/bacon-cheddar-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/caramelized-butternut-squash-recipe/index.html

And here are some pictures:





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