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Home For The Holidays” November 21, 2012 A Lincoln Daily News Magazine Copyright 2012
buy a ham,” I concluded.
But it didn’t stop there.
“
If they don’t like turkey, they won’t like the
noodles. Without the noodles, they won’t want
the taters. Better make macaroni and cheese.
If I make mac and cheese with sweet potatoes,
that’s an orange plate. Ham is light; need a dark.
Better fix baked beans. What if they don’t like
pie? Should I bake a cake? If I bake a cake, what
kind should I bake?”
Really… Who are these people I’m trying to
feed? What do I really know about any of them
that six eggs’ worth of noodles “isn’t enough.”
By the time I made it home, I had groceries
enough to cook a feast for 13… again.
My husband helped me unload
the car, and as I scurried
around the kitchen
putting things away,
what did I realize?
I had forgotten
the eggs!
H e
s a i d
not a
word ,
just put on
his shoes, gave me a
kiss on the cheek and ran to
the store and bought eggs.
When the big day arrived, only about 2 1/2
hours after I’d gone to sleep, I was much calmer.
I had control of the situation and was confident
that there was nothing -- and I do mean nothing
--
anyone could want that I couldn’t provide.
As family started to arrive, the house was
filled with the aromas of good food. Everyone
was happy and friendly and hungry. When
called to the table, many commented that they
were starving, but… they all took a step back
when they saw their Thanksgiving feast.
There was turkey, ham, potatoes, noodles,
mac and cheese, green beans, sweet potatoes,
tossed salad (I could have left that one out),
raw veggies and dips, black and green olives,
homemade rolls, baked beans, deviled eggs,
coleslaw, butter and margarine, tea, coffee,
soda, fruit punch, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and
cherry cheesecake.
As they sat down to eat, I was satisfied, I was
happy, and needless to say, so were they!
I had so many noodles I could put only about
a third of them in the serving dish, but I watched
in amazement as the dish passed didn’t make it
all the way around the table before needing a
refill.
I looked at my husband and he gave me a
wink. I can’t be mad at him for being right when
he gives me a wink.
At the end of the meal, I was simply amazed
by the amount of food that had been consumed,
but I was thankful for it as well.
That first Thanksgiving as an interwoven
family, I learned a lot about my kids, and even
my own family, and I was all the more thankful
for the person I had chosen to share my life with
and the kids he’d brought along as so-called
baggage. I’d recommend baggage like that to
anyone!
So what about the noodles? Well, perhaps the
thing I ammost thankful for is that I found a food
I know they will devour no matter what, and I
learned that “six eggs will never be enough.”
[
Nila Smith]
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