Mom, ca. 1967

I was born on the day after Thanksgiving.  My mother swore my arrival was the direct result of the goose she ate for Thanksgiving.  Her own mother, my future grandmother, had come from Iowa several days earlier to help with the birth of her first grandchild.  And for some inexplicable reason, she decided that goose had to be on the menu for Thanksgiving.

Apparently, this particular goose was so rich and fatty that after ingesting a good portion of it, my mother claimed something just had to give.  That something turned out to be me.  Even blessed events, it seems, needn't always be awaited slowly and with patience.  Sometimes they can be speeded up with the right type of elixir.

Yesterday's Thanksgiving elixirs for my own family created a feast of catching catching up, sharing, laughter, and community, all brought together through amazingly simple blends of Indigenous, European, African, and Asian ingredients.  And just like the food on the table, our own family reflects many different cultures, too.  European, Asian, African, and Indigenous.  Ancestors brought together through need, greed, love, and struggle.  May our Thanksgiving feast continue everyday as we celebrate the roots of our families and of our country as a whole!

A Quick Recap of Yesterday's Feast

Indigenous Foods: Turkey, Green Beans, Potatoes, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Pecans, Chocolate

European Foods: Cheeses, Bread, Apples, White Chocolate, Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Wine

Asian Foods: Sugar, Tea

African Foods: Coffee