Giving Thanks

For me, Thanksgiving triggers one word: kitchen. I grew up in a home where a home-cooked Thanksgiving feast was a foregone conclusion. I still have vivid memories of the way my mother used to literally write out a schedule for her Thanksgiving preparations, complete with corresponding grocery lists (multiple shopping trips were a necessity) and a timeline for preparing the turkey, side dishes, and desserts so that everything would be ready in time for dinner on the fourth Thursday in November.

As an adult, I've celebrated Thanksgiving in a variety of ways... there was the year I'd just had my wisdom teeth out and had to stick to soft foods and liquids on Turkey Day... the year I went to Newport, RI and took advantage of one of the buffets being served at a nearby hotel... the years I've gone to the homes of friends or family... the years I've hosted and cooked the whole dinner myself (and found myself writing out a schedule much like my mother does)... and quiet years when I've spent the holiday by myself. Thanksgiving 2011 will be a quiet, home-alone-with-the-cats holiday for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm looking forward to the downtime and the pleasure of simply being able to do whatever I feel like doing.

But regardless of how I spend Thanksgiving, the association with "kitchen" is still strong. Although I don't always have a lot of time for cooking or baking, it remains one of my favorite pastimes and I seem to have cultivated a love over the years for all kinds of vintage housewares and kitchen-related items. A few months ago, while browsing at Goodwill, I came across an old Corningware pie pan in the famous Cornflower pattern and I had to have it. (Not only do pies turn out better when baked in a ceramic or glass pan in my experience, Corningware just can't be beat as far as quality and durability. For $2.00, that pie pan was truly a steal!) I love retro china patterns, too. I was the lucky recipient of a late great-aunt's wedding china in the discontinued "Rutledge" pattern by Lenox, and my maternal grandmother used to sell Frankoma pottery in her flower shop. (There are boxes of Frankoma dishes in the Mayan-Aztec pattern sitting in my parents' garage just waiting for me!)

And then there is Tupperware.... glorious Tupperware. And Bakelite. And Whirley cow creamers. And highball glasses and martini shakers and swizzle sticks. And bundt pans and jell-o molds. All of these things set my heart a-flutter. I not only love finding great old housewares and ceramics at bargain prices, but I especially love finding something old and usable, like that Corningware pie pan. Good quality kitchenware never goes out of style!

I still remember when I got my first apartment, my mother gave me a few of her kitchen hand-me-downs: some Pyrex measuring cups, old measuring spoons, Tupperware, tongs, and other random things, most of which I've held onto as the years have passed. All of these implements still serve the purpose for which they were intended, and although newer, better, and non-stick-ier items are hitting the marketplace all the time, I cherish my vintage tools for one simple reason: they belong to Mom. Although we live on opposite sides of the country and see each other perhaps once a year (with phone and email to bridge the gap), having her stuff in my kitchen keeps her closer to me, and I treasure that.

Here's to a joyous Thanksgiving full of goodness from the kitchen and the love of family and friends! (And a special birthday shout-out to my amazing mother, B., who has a birthday this Friday. Miss you, Mommy!)