Grateful for Bad Stuff

Sorry for the late post today, gang! Had a computer issue, which is (hopefully) resolved.

It might be predictable, given that Thursday is Thanksgiving, but gratitude is on my mind. I’m grateful for my family, my crazy dog, my friends and the health and happiness we enjoy. But I’m also grateful I know how to do more than boil water in the kitchen. My friends tease me that I must be part Italian, since I not only love to cook, I tend to take pictures of anything that looks especially great.

Lately on Thanksgiving these skills have come in handy, since there are those in my family who seem determined for everybody else to try the fabulous new dish they experimented with last Tuesday. Unfortunately, these dishes tend to be lousy. “And it’s so healthy!” are the cries of delight from the wanna-be Emeril. Give me a frickin’ break.

It’s Thanksgiving! Who wants healthy?!? Give me tradition! Give me fat!

Let’s boil some potatoes, add a vat of butter, some salt and gravy and get busy with the good stuff. Let’s do stuffing with more gravy and casseroles with soups, mayo and butter. Let’s enjoy yeast rolls and desserts with real sugar. Want a fruit? Open that can of jellied cranberry sauce and dump on a spoonful.

I don’t want salads with pomegranate seeds or dressings with no fat or sugar. Green beans with balsamic vinegar might be original, but it tastes horrible. Yes, you can tell the difference between brownies made with Splenda and applesauce instead of oil and sugar. Frankly, unless I’m having the big meal with Mario Batali running the kitchen, I’m giving anything “new, healthy and original” a wide birth.

I’ll climb back on the anti-cholesterol wagon Friday. Or maybe Monday.

Does anybody in your Thanksgiving crowd bring a horrible dish? Or, on the positive side, who makes the best thing you eat on the big day?

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