GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS

A REMEMBERAMBLE 11-21-2025

Friday again. Hello old friend. Fridays and I are old, old friends, we go way back. Well, this morning it is back again to the heart doc's office for bloodwork, and "fasting" blood work it is, so no food or drink since midnight. I will be glad to get done with all of this. We will be having Thanksgiving dinner before you know it, and that is one meal I look forward to all year.

I have several invitations from friends and family, and for the past few years I go with Bryan Sparks and family to his mom and dad's for Thanksgiving dinner, but I am considering cooking a good traditional dinner here at home and inviting the few guys from NBIC who will not or cannot go home for Thanksgiving. I must make up my mind because the turkeys will be all sold out soon.

I have a big aluminum pot with heavy basket used with my outdoor propane cooker that is made for frying turkeys, that we boil peanuts in also. I don't like propane since my accident a few years ago that sent me to Augusta's Still Burn Center. I will be very careful to not have any mishaps. In fact, I might bake a large turkey breast, and broil some chicken pieces rather than a whole turkey.

I might even try once more to make good dressing, which I have never succeeded in doing. The key to good dressing seems to be to keep it simple and add more liquid than you think you should. Yessir, here I am giving advice on making good dressing and I have never done it. That my friends, is called, "human nature." I have some nice rutabagas already, and will cook those.

I will have sweet peas, butterbeans, deviled eggs, potato salad, and a crab/yellow rice casserole. I have some old school, classic brown and serve rolls, they will not survive the day, I promise you that, as I cook them soft and a bit doughy and doused in real butter. I have a few sweet potatoes that I have let dry-down, they would be good too.

Oh, a friend gave me a nice ham, I forgot about that, it is in the freezer. I have a mess of smoked pork neckbones that will be good in a pot of black eyed peas cooked down for hours until they achieve that gravy-like consistency. I have tomatoes and red as well as yellow onions, for slicing. I have some nice smoked pork chops in the freezer, I like those coated with good old-fashioned Shake n Bake and baked in the oven.

Broccoli and cauliflower too, I like it boiled and mashed with mozarella, butter, salt and pepper, and bread crumbs atop. I have several brands of smoked sausage as well as fresh pork sausage, those all go well with thanksgiving dinner. I have a nice canned ham too. I have a dozen kinds of the best syrups for sopping, and pouring over sausage, tell me you like cold syrup on hot sausage, surely I am not the only one.

I know I have a cup of chicken livers in the freezer, and I might make dirty rice, I make it with ground beef, fried and chopped chicken liver, and a spoonful or two of molasses. I of course, have a few cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce in the fridge, and the makings for giblet gravy. Maybe some fried cornbread, dang that sounds real good. I have a huge tub of pimento cheese for sandwiches.

I might make fried chicken so I can make chicken gravy to eat on my potato salad...don't knock it til ya tried it. I have a Cherokee punkin Turtle gave me...(Turtleman Chris Adams)...and a butternut squash, I need to fix those for sure. I have canned green beans, all manner of jellies, jams, preserves, and pickles dear friends have given me, they will need to be on the table as well.

Since I will have lard and buttermilk already on hand, I might make a few pones of hoecake biscuit bread like mama made, it is mighty fine eatin'. A couple of sweet tater pies to round it out, it could wind up being a purty good dinner. Reckon the Pilgrims had bacon at Thanksgiving? I have two packs of thick cut bacon in the freezer and bacon is always a big hit.

Shoot, when I get to rootin' around in that chest freezer next Wednesday "eenern," I am sure I will spot a couple more things to fix, 'cause as mama used to say it's better to have too much than not enough. Beans, that is it, I knew I was forgetting something, I have dried pinto beans, red beans, black beans, ham beans, navy beans, northern beans, lima beans, and some mixed beans.

I won't have to buy beans, after all, I am on a fixed income that is waiting to be fixed. Wow, I just recalled I have some souse in the fridge "summers." Love y'all, and hope this is a fabulous day for each of you.

..... NUMBERS 6: 24-26, KJV

we boyz three, babee conway, lil merle, & me