Holidays...

The holiday’s are coming, and while I really do love the holiday season, it’s changed significantly for me due to:

·       The change in marital status (although truth be told, I haven’t celebrated with the ex since 2009),

·       The boy being a man and on his own,

·        The sister and dysfunctional relationship we’ve always had, and

·       The fact that I’m really not as close to my Mother as I could be.

Last year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my BFF and her family, which was an honor and I’m completely thankful for.  I had a houseguest, and later on that weekend ended up cooking a full turkey dinner for us. He later passed away in February of this year, so I’m a little tweaked out about this Thanksgiving.  Kinda scared…weird, huh?

The other thing I’m really missing is….no laughing…Pecan Pie!  My Mother-In-Law would ask me every year, what kind of pie would I like for the holidays…and I always said Pecan.  She’s a southern cook and could make that pie like no one’s business! It’s funny, but when she passed away, I couldn’t mourn her properly because of the marriage separation, the ex on crutches, and me having to bear the brunt of the funeral planning, etc.   It wasn’t until the Holiday Season of 2010…I was driving home from work, when I realized that I’d never again taste the pie she always made me with such love. I broke down and started sobbing. The realization finally hit that she was gone forever, and it hurt.

But the bottom line is, I love to cook.  This year, I know my friend’s son will be with his Dad, so she really doesn’t have any plans.  I’m thinking that I’ll cook the main stuff, and she can do appetizers, etc.  I’d love it if my guy could be there, but I doubt he can. So maybe I should look for all the people who don’t have someone to share the holiday with, and just open up the house. I’m sure my Mom will be with my sister, as she should be.  My niece should have as much family around her as possible.

I think this is a menu that I could just have fun with.  And…I think I’m finally ready to try to make a Pecan Pie. Yeah, I know it won’t be as good as the original, but it’s something I must do.  And I know that I’ll be thinking of her when I do it, so that will bring her back to me during the holidays.  And maybe…instead of a Turkey, I’ll do a Goose, or maybe the ultimate…TURDUCKEN!!!  You know, where you stuff a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey…mmmmm.  That may attract every man within a 10 mile radius…might not be a good thing.  We’ll give that one some thought.