By Barbara Cornell

The “Holidays” are upon us.  Traditions abound.  The more folks I talk to about family traditions, the more variety I discover. But most, those connected with Thanksgiving in particular, have something to do with food, even if it’s not a family dinner but a trip to help out at the local soup kitchen.  There’s something about the bounty of food available to most of us in America that makes us truly thankful.

My childhood memories of Thanksgiving  involve a big, brown turkey, but the sides were almost as important.  What feels “traditional” to me is white bread stuffing, green bean casserole, either sweet potatoes or winter squash topped with mini marshmallows, mashed potatoes and plenty of gravy.  My husband’s family adds “ambrosia”–a wonderful “salad” of fruit, sour cream, and more marshmallows.  And I had an uncle who just had to have his oyster stuffing and sauerkraut, topping a plate already piled high with everything else.  Pies were the dessert of choice—the more choices the merrier, and my father’s answer to the question “Which would you like?” was always “Yes!”  The only way to make the traditional Thanksgiving meal seem healthy is to take a stab at portion control.

Maybe you’d like a sweet, little book to go with your holidays!  I just ran across Pie by Sarah Weeks.  It’s a story aimed at 9-12-year olds, but its themes of generosity and gratitude and kids who behave better than the grownups around them will give even adults a smile.  The bonus is 14 scrumptious pie recipes!

So let us give our thanks to the providers of the foods of the season, to the preparers of the food, and to whatever supreme being you answer to.

Barbara Cornell joined the Howard County Library System in 1993 as Assistant Branch Manager at the new Elkridge Branch.

Since 2000 she has enjoyed a shorter commute to the Glenwood Branch.

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