Turkey and Tradition

I host Thanksgiving dinner at our home about 95% of the time. I will be doing this again in a couple of days. This year, for the first time, I considered being a little non-traditional. Then I chickened out and went with the status quo. Here's the story.

About a month ago, I told my husband, "I'm thinking of doing something a little different for Thanksgiving this year that even I think is a little heretic."

A look of caution came over his face like he was picturing Deborah Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond preparing her Thanksgiving bass. "O-kaaay." he said.

I figured I better explain quickly. "When I buy our ham for Christmas they always offer a boneless turkey breast. I was thinking that since I am the only one in the family who likes dark meat, and turkeys are such a mess, that I would try getting a turkey breast this year that we could just take out and slice with no fuss."

He had no objections other than comparing the cost, and honestly I think he was relieved that I wasn't proposing fish for dinner. So I spent more time in thought about it.

Fifteen years ago, this would have been an absolute no-no. I was still a relatively new wife who felt the need to have perfectly impressive holiday dinners.

I'm over that now. I love getting the extended family together for holidays, but it is for the sake of spending time together. I'm beyond the perfectionism and really don't care anymore who is impressed. What people think really isn't part of the equation.

Except for my kids. Oh, there's the problem.

My kids love tradition. They remember everything that we do at exactly the right time of year and it is very important to them. I remembered all of the times that I stood beside my grandmother watching her cook a stuffed turkey and make "real" gravy.

I thought of my daughter growing up not knowing how to do this.

Then I chickened out of the idea and decided to get a regular Butterball. I may regret it Thursday morning, but the decision is made.

That's not to say that I won't consider it again next year. I do have to tackle the issue of stuffing vs. dressing (which is a whole other issue and story that I think I will save for tomorrow).

But for this year we're going to stick with tradition.

What about you? What is your tradition for Thanksgiving? Have you ever tried something different?