Outwitting Thanksgiving in a Pandemic

Can you believe we’re still dealing with a pandemic? What will outwitting Thanksgiving in a pandemic look like? This will be interesting!

It never occurred to me that the pandemic would impact our Thanksgiving family gatherings in March. I thought Covid-19 would be long gone by now. But it is still lingering. Not only has Covid not made its graceful exit, but it may be gearing up for a second round. How much more of this do we have to take? I wish I knew.

What I do know is that we are still going to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Covid is not taking that away from us!

Whenever I think of Thanksgiving, I get a warm feeling in my belly. I can picture my mom crumbing a loaf of bread the night before and leaving it in a pot to get stale overnight—one of the “secrets” to her homemade stuffing.

My Mom always set a proper table with two forks, a knife, and a spoon. We used our best Irish-linen tablecloths and napkins, too. We always had a bowl of nuts with a nutcracker strategically placed on the coffee table in the living room. To this day, I don’t think I ever saw anyone eat a nut at our house!

Making The Kennedy Cheese Roll-Ups

We were famous for our cheese roll-up appetizers. They are basically spiral slices of grilled cheese. They are quite the production to put together. First, you need a Pullman white loaf of bread from the bakery that is sliced the length of the bread. Not an easy find!

Next, you grate Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar cheese on the smallest grate. Cut the crust off the bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Sprinkle cheese all over the bread and roll everything up into a log. Hence the name, cheese roll-ups. The last step is to wrap individual logs in plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer. This makes it much easier to slice the day you plan on serving them.

On the day of your event, logs should be thawed for about ten minutes before slicing and then broiled until melted and bubbly. We literally used to fight over these! They were quite tasty. (Please let me know if you try them.)

There was always a big crowd for dinner. My mom made sure we ate early in the day because she wanted to have a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry for Supper later that night. Never mind that most of us were still in food comas; we still ate our sandwiches!

Did anyone else eat Supper?

Later, when I was married and living in Chicago, we typically spent the Thanksgiving holiday with friends. We couldn’t afford to fly home for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Many times we were “adopted” by my friend Debra and her family. Such great memories!

This year is going to be totally different. Our daughter, Erin, is not coming home for Thanksgiving. She will celebrate with the staff at Nazareth Farm in West Virginia, where she works. It will be our first Thanksgiving without her. It makes me sad, but I understand.

Knowing that people will be missing and gatherings may be smaller this year, what can we do to have a memorable Thanksgiving still?

Six Ways to a Safe Celebration

• Since we know Covid is airborne, wearing a mask when visiting with friends and family would be prudent. I know, I know, no one wants to wear a mask. So, maybe we make it fun and have a “best mask” contest? You can match your mask to your outfit, make a turkey mask, or wear a mask that makes a political statement. There are lots of options. The prize can be the coveted drumstick from the turkey.
• You can begin the Thanksgiving celebration with an outside cocktail hour. How about serving hot toddies, mulled cider, or hot chocolate around a fire pit? (Assuming it is not raining or snowing where you are.)
• Setting up a scavenger hunt would be fun. Or playing some sort of lawn game. It will get everyone outside for a bit, and I am sure there will be lots of laughs.
• Dinner can be a buffet. This way, people can spread out, and you won’t all be cramped at one big table. Not ideal, but it could keep you healthy.
• After dinner, everyone can head outside for a nice long walk. It will help you digest all the delicious food you just ate and get some fresh air in your lungs.
• Finally, you can start a new tradition by ending the meal with the best turkey dessert contest. Go on Pinterest and find all the clever turkey-decorated desserts. There are lots of them! 2020 just doesn’t call for the traditional apple or pumpkin pie. Right?

Of course, it would also be nice to set up a Zoom call if everyone cannot make this family gathering. It might be fun to parade across the screen in your masks and appoint someone to judge who wins the best mask contest.

The important thing to remember is to share the holiday with family and friends, whether in person or on Zoom. Have you thought about what you might do differently for this year’s Thanksgiving holiday? Please let me know in the comments below.

Happy Turkey Day to all!