It’s Thanksgiving and We Haven’t Cooked a Turkey for Our Friends and Family in Years

A tale of culinary exploration and the evolution of family

Not a political statement about the 46 million turkeys killed each year for Thanksgiving, but it does make you think. Author illustration, using photo from the Library of Congress.

It wasn’t exactly a writing prompt, but my great friend and only remaining far, Roz, inspired me to write about Thanksgiving after I read her story.

It’s Thanksgiving and I am Not Going to Cook a Turkey for my Loved Ones

When our kids were little, Thanksgiving was a special time for our family.

While my wife is the real chef, I helped out doing prep work and throwing out ideas. Way back in the 90s, we experimented with whole grain granola for the stuffing. Even though I’m not really an arts and crafts guy, I made a watermelon fruit tray that looked like a TV set.

And, unlike the indestructible BeBop Piñata we made for my son’s seventh birthday, people had no trouble digging in.

I’d like to think that the fun we had with the kids preparing a special family meal influenced their budding talents in the kitchen.