A Date with Gratitude

I’m sure I have mentioned this along the way, but when I first met my husband, all I knew how to make was quiche. Because I became interested, I started making recipes from magazines and took some cooking classes. Tackling the holidays, however, is a WHOLE  other story!

Over the years, with lots of trials and errors, not to mention many phone calls to my mother or mother in law, I can crank out the holiday bird and, as my granny would say, all the fixins. But, I know how daunting it can be, especially to not have your turkey be DRY!

So I applaud Mandy, our PLANK editor, for her first foray into this … not only for her leap of faith, but also for doing it all so beautifully! Thank goodness she photographed the process and results so we can share the ride. I do think she should have added her friends’ food coma shot!!


A Date with Gratitude

by Mandy Denaux

Last Thursday, I had a first date with Tom. Now before you go and get excited (Mom, if you’re reading this, I’m looking at you), it wasn’t the kind of date you’re thinking. No, I had a date with Tom … my very first turkey.

When I decided to host my first Thanksgiving festivity, it was with the idea that I would not be cooking the turkey – I’m not much of a turkey eater, much less cooker, and the thought of cooking an entire bird was intimidating.

Instead, I placed an order with my local grocer and began plotting all the delicious sides and trimmings. But as the day got closer, the less excited I was about my store-cooked turkey. After all, this was my first time hosting a holiday dinner, and I’d planned everything else so carefully … why would I leave the main dish up to some random cook in the Gelson’s deli? And also, and more importantly, what would my grandmother think?

Happy holidays!

*As previously published on Hybrid Mom

It is so funny how things are now. My kids are coming home from far away places to gather for the holidays…Geez it seems to happen so fast that we as parents are sitting on ‚the other side.‛ Just this week we heard our youngest son got into college … for pete’s sake empty nest is around the corner. What happened to my babies? Of course we all know what blood, sweat and tears goes into raising our children, but hindsight is so blury for me. Now my husband and I are so sentimental about little kids. Last night he invited this adorable family to our house for dinner. Their kids are 3 and 20 months. My two older kids shared the fun with us and we all sat at the table and enjoyed lasagna I made since their mom told me it was one of their favorites. Their three-year-old daughter did a mini concert of Christmas songs for us and we were all in love. What a treat! I thought about how much fun they will have at Christmas! With my ‘old kids’ we have to wake them up Christmas morning or it easily turns into the afternoon before we see them. The years of ‘holding them back’ were so fun! Enjoy those little ones – they will be all grown up before you know it.

To get into the holiday spirit, I made a few pies for my neighbors and I thought I would share a few pictures.

Happy Holidays!!

Holiday traditions

*As previously published on Hybrid Mom

As you may or may not know, my husband and I have raised our children Jewish. I was not raised Jewish and actually had little knowledge of the faith, customs or heritage. Not to mention the FOODS of the holidays. As the years passed I learned a lot alongside our children. I cannot read from the Torah like my kids but I can make a mean brisket and an even better Kugel. I could write about so many things I have learned and enjoyed over the years but the list would be too long. I will say I love that many of the Jewish traditions and holidays are celebrated at home.

There are four families that we are very close to that just one of the two parents is Jewish.