My husband Alex doesn't like turkey. My kids and grandkids don't like turkey. I don't like "dressing". I don't like mashed potatoes. I don't like pumpkin pie. And I hate green bean casseroles.
Alex is Navajo and he has "issues" with celebrating this particular holiday. Oh he's thankful enough, but the problem is, white guys came and took the Indians land and killed off huge portions of their population. (Sometimes Alex just can't take the tommy hawk out of his pocket.)
So this year, we are drinking margaritas and tequila shots and Corona beers. Then we are dining on home-made tamales, Navajo tacos, rice and beans. (Navajo tacos require Navajo fry bread and I have the recipe for Alex to make. He's the Navajo, not me.)
I have no idea if this dinner will be successful or not. But I look at the bright side, if we drink enough, we won't know one way or the other.
My son and his wife and their 4 kids are not going to join us. They think what we are doing is just too extreme. My daughter and her Persian family love the idea of a turkey-less Thanksgiving, as my daughter shares my view that handling those big naked birds is disgusting. I hate reaching inside the thing to pull out those nasty innards. A cooked turkey does not upset me, but a dead naked turkey turns my stomach.
We will play some Native American flute music by "Tree" Cody, Alex's uncle. I can probably also round up some Mexican music. And we will do the Mexican Hat Dance.
Next year we may have a "Turkey Day". I will find Turkish recipes and traditional Turkish costumes. I have one of those funny little round hats already so I figure I can't go too far wrong.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
Hey Linda! A frilly pinny and high heels? You read my mind. And I salute your pragmatism on the food front. As a Brit, I've sadly never been to Thanksgiving. *lips wobbles for maximum effect* And yes, Alex is the Navajo; well played, ma'am. Indigo
ReplyDeleteWell played, indeed!
ReplyDeleteI wish you were here, Indigo. I think you'd like our fiesta!
I think a little variety is a good thing. I love Navajo fry bread. I lived with a family in Arizona for a couple of years and we had a lot of Navajo friends.
ReplyDeleteI actually like turkey and the trimmings but I certainly would understand if someone else doesn't and I wouldn't have a problem doing a different meal.
I, totally get why Alex isn't thinking this is a great holiday. Have a great day celebrating whatever way makes you happy.
Hi Linda! I love your apron, too! And good for you for not having the "traditional" meal if you don't want to, and especially if you don't even like the food! Your menu sounds yummy!!
ReplyDeleteHola! Alex is a drama king, Cheryl. We've been married since 1989 and this is the first year he's carried on about Thanksgiving. During a discussion at a party the subject of immigration came up and Alex's 2 cents was "Why don't you all go back to where ever you came from?". Nobody who knows Alex takes that militant stuff to heart. He's a goof!
ReplyDeleteI like fry bread too but I've never made it. Alex will do that part. His little Mexican wife will supply everything else.
Have a lovely holiday!
Thanks Becky! Have a lovely holiday!
ReplyDeleteI think your idea is wonderful! Who said you had to have turkey?! I'm not a big fan of it myself, so we always have a ham as well as the bird. And I'm like you, I don't want to touch a raw bird or pretty much any other raw meat. My husband takes care of the turkey and ham and I do all the sides. It works for us. And for some reason, DISQUS hasn't been letting me log in...Meg
ReplyDeleteI'm having an issue where I can't comment on blogs either. Word Press even has a site with my name but it's not my site. Weird goings on, Meg! Have a happy holiday with your lovely family but don't even consider any turkey sushi!
ReplyDeleteA Hopi woman in the office I used to work in did a fry bread taco sale every summer in the park across from the office as a charity fundraiser. Because of issues between the Hopis and Navajos, she just called them "Indian Tacos" rather than the more popular "Navajo Tacos." I was on the fry bread crew, rolling out the dough into circles. I'm white and all the other ladies on that task were HIspanic, and they were merciless making fun of my irregular shaped "Irish fry bread." It's a highlight of every summer at that office!
ReplyDeleteThat's hysterical! I love the "Irish Fry Bread" idea! I actually love fry bread and think Navajo tacos are marvelous. (But I'm also sure Hopi tacos are fantastic too. Alex has an aunt who is Hopi. They are an interesting tribe. We saw a performance at a pow wow that included Hopi dancers. One young man was a blue eyed blond. Very unusual tribe!
ReplyDelete"So this year, we are drinking margaritas and tequila shots and Corona beers. Then we are dining on home-made tamales, Navajo tacos, rice and beans"
ReplyDeleteOh hell yes. Can I please come to YOUR house this year?
Happy Thanksgiving, Linda! XOXOXO
Happy Thanksgiving to you Linda. My son-in-law is the only one in the family who eats meat. So I make a little turkey for him. But I can sure understand Alex not wanting to celebrate in a traditional (U.S.) manner. I like what you're serving. It should be tasty and fun. By the way, you look great in an apron.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome any time/any hour/any day! Jump on a plane and I'll see you late tonight.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy holiday, Mel. Love to you and yours! xxooxx
To each his/her own. I love turkey and all the trimmings at Thanksgiving. Ours was last month. Still eating leftovers. Happy American Thanksgiving, Linda.
ReplyDeleteHey, it's your dinner, I say make what you want! Why have something (turkey) if no one likes it? That's just silly!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fun idea and I love the outfit.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
XOXOXOXO
ReplyDeleteI hope you and yours have a lovely holiday! And thank you!
ReplyDeleteB., I know, right?
ReplyDeleteYou'd like our Mexican food too, John! Happy holiday for you and yours!
ReplyDeleteI'm down with the Navajo-style Thanksgiving! (I side with Alex's sentiment of the white people who came and took everything!! of course, my people migrated here too from eastern Europe and moved in like they owned the place, so who am I to talk.) I only eat the turkey-et al because it's tradition. I think this should be a National movement. Fry bread is fabulous! who wouldn't like that. and I've had homemade Mexican tamales and there isn't much better than that. My niece brings dozens to our Christmas gatherings from Texas. Now my mouth will be watering for fry bread and tamales while I have a turkey thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteYour dinner sounds so much better to me than the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not a fan of turkey, either, except for sandwiches and soup. I'll be cooking a small turkey tomorrow for just three of us and am not looking forward to it at all. It doesn't help that I've been sick since Friday. There will not be much effort going into that dinner, believe me.
ReplyDeleteLove your cute little pink apron.
I think it'll be fun for a change. I'm usually really stressed over getting the turkey cooked right, the dressing and gravy, the mashed potatoes, and so on that I don't really end up enjoying it. This year, it's very casual! I hope you are feeling much better tomorrow Jeanie!
ReplyDeleteMerri, I love fry bread! And tamales! Yum! Turkey just doesn't thrill me particularly if I'm the one cooking it. My kids are grown and I really don't have to do the old "traditions" any more. I hope you and yours have a lovely holiday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving! I hope your untraditional day is filled with lots of laughter and fun. It sounds like it will be a great day. Besides, Thanksgiving isn't about turkey...it's about being with family and friends and being thankful for everything that is good in life. Enjoy and don't worry about nay-sayers. They don't like it, you aren't forcing it on them. They can eat enough turkey for you. I love to change things up and make new traditions. Have a wonderful time and have some wine for me!
ReplyDeleteAlso, do you have any idea (actually, I guess I mean does Alex) how to make fry bread that is gluten free? I absolutely LOVE fry bread and haven't figured out how to make it GF since I found out about my celiac.If I could eat nothing but stuff on fry bread for the rest of my life I would be happy. Huge problem for me though since I can't eat it in it's original state. Let me know...
ReplyDeleteSweetie, this is the first time Alex has ever made fry bread. His mom used "lard" but he's using Canola Oil. I love the stuff too.
ReplyDeleteBridget, I hope you and your beautiful family have a lovely holiday!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I will not be making a turkey EVER. It feels good! I'm so glad we decided to do this!
Bahahahahaha! This is sheer perfection! We're not doing a damn thing so you're way ahead of us & wildly creative. It's really hard to eat turkey when you've met one or two in person anyway.
ReplyDeleteHappy Tamale Day!May I join you next year?
Cheryl, come on over! We'd love to have you and I can promise non-traditional whatever the occasion! You and yours have a lovely weekend! And I'm so proud of you winning that photo contest with that wonderful sunset!
ReplyDeleteYou look great. And yes - your husband has a point. Why would he want to celebrate an event that affected his people so badly.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the day - it sounds fab!
Thanks Fi! We plan to have fun and trust that the dinner will be good. If not, there's always tequila shots! LOL!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving! Sounds like a perfect day. Drink and be merry! You can't go wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like you've figured out the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving. Perfect way to spend any holiday, really. And I love you in that apron. Or at of that apron. Happy Thanksgiving, hon. Give Alex, Sheila, Ari, Harry, Zozo and everyone else a big hug and kiss from me!
ReplyDeleteI can empathize with Alex. I don't do 4th of July, celebrating American freedom when my folk were still enslaved. Anyway, I like how you guys are celebrating. Sounds exotic and different altogether. Hope the dinner turned out well.
ReplyDeleteTotsy, dinner was amazing! I hope you and yours have a lovely holiday weekend!
ReplyDeleteSounds fabulous! Anyway, it's not the menu, but the gathering of loved ones that counts. I love the joy you put into everything you do.
ReplyDeleteAnd you look fabulous in that apron.
Nicky, it was such fun! Zozo was even a good girl! When is Max's birthday? Please let me know so I can send him a little something!
ReplyDeletexxooxx
Thanks Lauren! I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jayne! We had a fantastic evening! I trust you enjoyed it too!
ReplyDeleteWe did. Thank you. Unfortunately, my husband has to work today.Working in retail sucks!
ReplyDeleteHope the dinner turned out lovely! I am thankful for you dear Blogmom :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the weekend..
The Valley gave us a picture perfect day spent with wonderful friends...
ReplyDeleteMy grandson also works in retail and had to go to work this morning. On the other hand, he's really glad he has a job!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am thankful for you, Darling Ginger! We should have a chat soon!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photo of a really beautiful place. I'm happy to say the weather here was marvelous as well.
ReplyDeleteThere's that!
ReplyDeleteLauren
Hah!
ReplyDeleteHa ha my phone ringback tone is the Mexican Hat Dance... people say they call me just to hear it!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line, "I have the recipe for Alex to make. He's the Navajo, not me." HYSTERICAL!
I would love to know how it all turned out... homemade tamales? WOW! That menu sounds so good!
We actually had a fabulous afternoon and evening. And everything (including the Navajo tacos) was delish! I posted photos on FB!
ReplyDeleteDamn! Was my invitation lost in the mail? Your idea of T-day sounds a Hell of a lot more fun than fried turkey with my DH's dysfunctional family. And this year, no one even offered me wine. What's wrong with this picture? It is cover dish - I bring oyster pie, home made rolls, cranberry relish, caramel cake, chocolate cake,collards, and my DH smoked 2 pork loins. My sister in law made a sweet potato casserole. Next year, I will bring one dish and we will all starve. It's not my fault I'm only one who can cook.
ReplyDeleteMax's birthday is in August... remember, you sent him that basket of goodies that he gobbled up before I could grab the camera and take a picture of it!
ReplyDeleteOh Ann, I feel your pain! For 30 years, I hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I had Mom, my two kids, my six grandkids, my 3 sisters and their husbands, and the additional 5 nieces and nephews with their ragtag group of significant others. About 10 years ago, Alex was deployed to the Middle East for a year in the service of the Air Force Reserves. Guess how many invites I got for either holiday? Don't need any fingers to count this one up. None. Not a one. Mom passed the next year, and my holiday plans have undergone a radical update. It's smaller, it's less work, or it's at your house! But if you come to visit, please promise me some oyster pie!
ReplyDeleteShoot! That's right! Remind me though when the time comes! You know I'm old and my memory sucks!
ReplyDeleteI think your Thanksgiving sounded splendid!! And I love your apron! Invite me over for next year's ok??!!
ReplyDeleteIt really was a fun holiday, Katherine. No stress for a change! But a lot of laughs! (And you can come over any time!)
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting and tasty alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It really isn't what you eat, it is being thankful that you have food, friends and family around you. Sorry your kids thought it was extreme. We had an Indian fry bread taco in Cherokee, NC and it was good.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm not really sorry that my son and his wife and 4 kids opted for turkey. There were only 6 of us, and that's less trouble than 12! We had a good time.
ReplyDelete