Thanksgiving 2012

Last year I posted a special post during the Thanksgiving about having dinner with my family Thanksgiving 2011.  This year I wanted to do something different and got my chance when I ate dinner with my boyfriend's family instead of my own.  This gives me a chance to compare my family's Thanksgiving with someone else's for this year.  And check out the next post I publish, where I'll have a recipe for my family's classic Thanksgiving stuffing!

Similarities start with my family eating at the around the same time of day (which is between 3 and 4pm).  The boys watch football, while the girls do kitchen work.  The man of the house, in this case my "brother-in-law" (they're not actually my in-laws as I'm not married, but it's the easiest way to put it so that's usually what I call my boyfriend's sister and her husband), carved the turkey, just like my dad does.  We have some similar dishes, such as turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pies, and a broccoli cheese casserole (although there were slight variations that made it different from what I'm used to). There were about the same amount of people at this Thanksgiving that would be at my own family's (we usually have between 9 and 12 people, and there were 11 in attendance here).  Both houses decorate nicely in an autumn style with Thanksgiving themed tablecloths and centerpieces.

Now for the differences.  Whereas my family generally always has corn, my in-laws served peas.  They also served a rutabaga dish (in which I gathered gets very mixed reviews within the family).  I had never had rutabaga before and being a fairly adventurous eater I tried it in spite of several people stating it tasted like dirt.  To me, it was a fairly normal dish, it tasted like a cross between squash and potatoes.  It was not terrible, but it wasn't something I'd go out of my way to make either.  I would say it was an acceptable dish, especially since rutabaga's are a root vegetable which are a typical seasonal fall item.  They did not serve a squash, and my mom normally makes either a butternut or acorn squash dish (and I just compared it as this family making rutabaga where my family would make butternut/acorn squash). 
My family generally eats at a table and passes the dishes along.  At my in-laws the food is displayed buffet-style and you get in line and take what you want and then sit either outside or inside.  I like both styles, having a sit-down dinner is nice, but I also like dining outside when the weather's nice so my in-laws style worked for me too. 
After dinner, the whole family (except for the two youngest boys) played board games and for me that was really fun.  I love board games, and I love activities that can bring the whole family together to have fun.  In my families house, after dinner people usually sit in the living room and talk and/or watch football, which can be nice but I love games so when I get around to hosting a Thanksgiving that's what I would prefer to do.
There was a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, and I was not uncomfortable at all eating a dinner with a family other than my own.  This has not always been the case when I've dated someone and gone to their house for a holiday meal, so I felt blessed this year to be at a place where I felt warm and welcome and part of the family.
In honor of the Thanksigiving holiday, to end this post I thought I'd give you a list of what I'm thankful for this season.  Don't forget to check out the stuffing recipe to follow in the next post!
1. I'm thankful to have a good job now.  After being unemployed for about a year (and going through basically the hell that is having no money) I could not be more thankful to have a place to get up and go everyday where I feel like I'm making a contribution to my company, society, and my financial well-being.
2. I'm thankful to be dating the person I am.  We have gone through some rough times in the year we've been together, but we still do everything in our power to make it through the hard times and get to where we will be financially comfortable.  He always convinces me to be positive and that we'll make it, no matter what's thrown at us.  It's comforting to be with someone who tells me he loves me, works towards our future, and includes me with his family and friends.
3. I'm thankful to have a handful of really good friends who have been there for me and helped me out when I've had hard times in the last year.  There is nothing like having people to count on when you need them, and I hope that I do the same for them.  It always takes a few bad seeds to show you who your real friends are and I'm glad I know who my real ones are.
4. I'm grateful I have a hobby (shooting darts competitively) that allows me to keep developing my talent and allows me to meet new people and have a good time.
5. I'm grateful I have a hobby (this food blog!) that allows me to be creative, intellectual, and try new foods and express my love for all things culinary.
6. I'm thankful to have a roof over my head and a vehicle to get around.  At different points in the past year I lost both briefly and now know how important these two things are.
7. I'm happy that the majority of my family/friends are happy and healthy as this has not always been the case and I want the people I love to be well.
I'm sure there are more things I could add to my list but these were the most important things and the first things that came to mind.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!