I know, I know. Everyone’s sharing their thoughts about Thanksgiving this time of year. Food and family and football. Fall decorations. Sweater weather. Cozying up to the fire with a belly full of butter-and-cream-laced dishes no one would consider eating any other time of year.

So yeah. Here’s another one. Mine differs in that it’s probably going to be eighty degrees outside and the guests that have graced my table over the years have dwindled down to my immediate family and my children’s friends who come to share dinner with us because we typically eat Thanksgiving on Friday when it’s over for most people. This year, due to my daughter’s work schedule and my son and his girlfriend’s love of Black Friday sales, we’re actually “doing” Thanksgiving on Saturday.

Which is my point, I guess. Thanksgiving is a special event at our house, even though we’ve pretty much abandoned the practice of sitting down with the hoards on Thursday. We used to take that Normal Rockwell Turkey Picture at 3:00 p.m. on the dot, on the actual day, when we were a young family with high chairs and smiling grandparents and the energy and class to do it up right.

Now we get our turkey (deep-fried) from Dickey’s because they won’t burn our house down and it’s a better bird than anything I ever made. We stick to some of the sides that have been handed down from generations of (can I say it here?) pretty lousy Campbell’s soup and white bread inspired cooks, and then I make my own cranberry sauce and dressing. My own creamed corn (with real cream) and lightened up versions of actual and not canned yams and fresh green beans with roasted mushrooms maybe a few of those little onion things sprinkled on top.

We make our own holiday, and we make spectacular memories. And we leave the stress of following tradition and getting things exactly perfect to Martha and Gwyneth and those other lifestyle divas because we don’t have a lifestyle. We have a life.

I’m so grateful for my family, whom I adore. For their wonderful chosen ones, and their friends. I’m grateful for the abundance we enjoy. I’m grateful for work and for the time to play. I’m grateful for my friends, and those wise people I turn to as mentors. And I pray that each and every one of you can have a happy, healthy and sane holiday season, free of care, worry, illness and stress…

Love,

ZAM

P.S. Here’s my totally stress-free and positively sinful creamed corn recipe. You’re welcome.

Creamed Corn

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

8 oz. whipping cream

8 oz. milk

1 t. salt

6 T. sugar

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

2 20oz pkgs frozen corn kernels

1. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk together butter and flour until butter is melted and flour is cooked, one minute.

2. Gradually add in cream and milk, as if making a sauce.

3. add salt, sugar and cayenne.

4. Add corn, (at this point, it still can be frozen. It will freeze the sauce and this is no big deal) simply heat and stir until it melts, and then keep stirring while bringing it to a boil. Turn heat down and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or so until it’s thickened. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Makes enough for a crowd.