My Would-Be Thanksgiving

I can still taste last year's Thanksgiving dinner. And I don't want it again this year.

Don't get me wrong. Thanksgiving dinner was plenty delicious last year, as always. As always. That's the thing.

We have the same thing every year. The same delicious line-up every year. And I guess now that I've had it about 30 times, I'm getting sick of it. It's only to be expected, right? Except for some reason, my dad isn't sick of it. And he's had it twice as many times. Hmm.

My mom and I are always finding great new recipes. We pin them. We save them. We make mental notes. We discuss.

So this year, by god, we thought we'd actually make some new things for Thanksgiving.

And we didn't want to simply add these things onto the usual suspects. We wanted to make them instead of the usual recipes.

Well, apparently that is just asking too much.

We knew we couldn't get too crazy on the boys (my dad, my brother, Zach). Turkey and gravy, a must.   Better keep stuffing on the menu. Cranberry sauce, a keeper. And potatoes of some sort would be included, make no mistake.

So, this was what we proposed:

Turkey & Gravy
Bon Appetit's Simple is Best Dressing
Martha's Sweet Potato and Sage-Butter Casserole
Bon Appetit's Slow Roasted Green Beans with Sage
Bon Appetit's Parker House Rolls
Bon Appetit's Cranberry-Orange Relish with Mint
Martha's Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Citrus Glaze

ERRRRRRRR, back the car up. What?!

"Thanksgiving is all about tradition," said my dad. This came after I calmly and patiently explained that my mom and I were hoping to try some new recipes this year and streamline. He put his foot down when it came to the corn pudding we always have. And the pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving just couldn't happen without those. In his mind, anyway.

"No mashed potatoes?" asked Zach sadly. "But I really love all three pies," he continued. (Apple, pumpkin, French silk)

My brother made sure to tweet me his must-have when he caught wind of this shake-up: creamed spinach.

Blurg. That sure doesn't leave much room for anything new. Those boring ritual-ridden boys.

My mom's approach has been to offer to make these must-haves at other points during that week when we're all together. That doesn't seem very streamlined to me.

My approach to date? To tell them "too bad, so sad." After all, my mom and I are the ones cooking. And I'm certain those boys will not be deprived of good food.

What we'll actually do? TBD.

I have a feeling I'll soften a bit. But I'm not giving up my Pinterest board either.

I have a feeling this year's Thanksgiving will not be streamlined. There are worse things, right?