Ah Thanksgiving memories

photo courtesy of seriouseats.com

Cherpumple? In the food world, one can be always assured that there is always something that is further over the top.

Thanksgiving was always a big shindig for my family. As a small child I recall the dinner was held at the largest facility available in town, the community's church building and my earliest memories are of a distant cousin and I tagging all the blackboards throughout. As our immediate family grew too big for that gathering, we began having one of our own, at our own church facility, or the school gymnasium or the town hall. There are always fifty or more and all first cousins--(some once removed.) The tradition continues--fifty-six for dinner this year but, like the last ten years, I won't be part of it. I moved away, way out in the Thanksgiving beyond, and I've been fending for myself.

In previous years I've invited neighbors, friends, or church members to make up the numbers and cut down on left-overs 'til Christmas because I refuse to stop pie baking--a minimum of five separate pies, 'cause I can't bring myself to bake a cherpumple (three pies baked into a cake).

...and I thought my traditions were odd. (More on weird food traditions tomorrow.)