Thanksgiving leftovers always abound

Hi neighbors. I trust we have all loosened our belts and ingested large numbers of carbs, sugars, salts and calories in general. Hopefully there were plenty of family members about to share the food and the guilt of overindulgence.

Now that the company has gone home, the stuffed feeling has left us and settled into references to turkey leftovers only. We will have to eat turkey and candied sweet potatoes for another day at least.

Turkey and dressing casseroles abound.

I learned a secret early on when I started being a housewife, working mother, family cook and bottle washer. Most items from large meals can be frozen either as a single dish, or as homemade dinners containing various item servings.

Believe me, turkey, dressing, noodles, baked beans, green bean casserole, and even slivers of pie, will all taste much better three weeks following Thanksgiving. No fuss, no mess, just oven bake or microwave till warm enough to eat.

Don't forget to pull all of that turkey off the bone ASAP. I always have the ladies at the table help me clean the turkey between the meal and the next round of coffee and desserts. I've found it is rather like the times I remember when all the aunts sat around the table at my grandmothers and did the same.

Giving the hands something to do does not interfere with the gossip and recipe exchanges are usually the topics of conversation.

These are always good times for me. Catching up on family news, sharing concerns or bragging rights on our children, grandchildren and spouses.

Once the turkey is plucked clean, it is added to already filled plates for those who couldn't attend the meal, covered with aluminum foil and delivered by those old enough to drive, yet young enough to like doing so for any reason.

Whoever is charged to do so, will circulate during and after the meal to take photos of people with their mouths full; eyes closed, pushing or arguing with peers, and in poor lighting. Ah, the memories! Don't forget to take some actual formal-like, family group photos before the meal. These are the ones people put in their albums. The other ones sometimes end up on Facebook.

Which reminds me, keep in mind that this day and age, anyone with a video camera or cell phone that records videos, can catch you doing the most embarrassing things (wiping whipped topping off of your nose for instance) and post it to YouTube for all the world to see.

Within two hours of finishing off the meal, the women will be using the dining room table to play rummy, the men folk will be whereever the biggest television is watching sports, the bigger children will be whereever another television connected to a gaming console is playing a game, and the younger children (toddlers to kindergarten age) are moving between the three areas demanding attention, their own television for a age appropriate movie, or food they wouldn't eat while the meal was being served.

Why are we even talking leftovers? Depending on the size of the crowd, you might be lucky to still have carpet on the floor and paper on the walls!

I invited Flossie as usual, but she was going to her one living aunt's house for Thanksgiving. She just got back today and looked completely like a person in shock.

"And I thought I didn't have any living relatives left but Gertie!" she sobbed. As she sank into the couch, she took the offered cup of coffee with shaking hands.

"My Aunt Gertie has a one-bedroom apartment, with a tiny kitchenette and a breadbox sized bathroom.

She had 30 visitors! These were all strangers to me. As they poured in, I filled my plate and hid in the bathroom."

I laughed then asked, "Why the bathroom? Why not the closet?"

She stirred her creamed and sugared coffee more slowly. As a big grin lit up her face she explained. "Because no one wants to pay for admission to a closet. I figured they owed me for making my quiet, thankful day into a circus."

"Oh, Flossie. Next year you should come and have Thanksgiving with me again. I insist."

She laughed, "Well, OK, particularly since my aunt told me not to come back there. I don't know what she was so mad about, I offered to split the bathroom income half and half with her."

Until the next time friends, remember, Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for all we have, and all the people we love. Not so much for leftovers.