Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday; not for the history of the holiday or what it consists of, but because I love the time that my family gets to spend together. Our Thanksgiving is usually spent with my family in Kansas. They just recently bought a farm and now have pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, barn cats, and lots and lots of dogs. When we’re with them the house is always loud and crazy, especially in the kitchen.
For our Thanksgiving meal, we usually have turkey, gravy, stuffing along with some other family favorites like my Aunt Amber’s fresh green bean casserole. However, it’s the days surrounding Thanksgiving that I look forward to most. My Aunt Robyn and I cook my favorite meal together: chicken and dumplings. I usually oversee the making of the homemade dumplings while she cuts and seasons the chicken.
"Even when I was little, I always helped make the batter and dredge the dumplings."
I helped drop them ever-so-slowly into the pot making sure none of them stuck together to create goop-soup instead. The little cousins get to help make the homemade jalapeño cornbread—stirring and adding ingredients until it gets put in its cast-iron skillet to cook.
The kitchen is never quiet. There was always some CD I hadn’t heard of, a Disney soundtrack, or the Muppet’s Christmas playing while we cook. There’s always lots of dancing and singing. Flour gets thrown, water splashed, and towels whipped. The dogs run through playing and barking while trying to sneak pieces of food from the little cousins. It’s a chaotic kitchen but that’s why there are so many memories.
Although my Thanksgiving was nothing like that this year, I sat back and thought about how thankful I am that I have a family that loves to play games, cook together, and that sometimes laughs a little too loud. I am thankful for what my holidays normally consist of and hope for a little more normalcy next year.
~~ Clarissa Miller, Class of '24
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