This week Kellie and Claire talk all about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. They share some fun memories of childhood Thanksgivings gone by and current insights on Thanksgiving as military service families. They talk turkey, travel, traditions and they share thoughts on Black Friday and other marketing initiatives. Think of this episode like your favorite sweet potato casserole: filling, savory, and sweet--topped off with a little something extra!
Advice Not Given
- Kellie shares about her Thanksgiving memories growing up and the main memory is all of the fun she had outdoors in the crisp fall air; she also remembers traveling to see extended family in the next state over. Food, cousins, fun! Kellie divulges that her mom’s delicious mashed potato recipe is actually boxed, instant potatoes and how as a kid she offended her grandmother in sharing that news
- Claire’s childhood Thanksgivings included seeing both her dad and mom’s extended families. So. Many. People. But so much fun. Kids were always banished to the basement or screen porch to eat, followed by cousin touch football and mischief. This was Claire’s tradition until only about eight years ago when they have been too far to travel home for Thanksgiving
- Is there an unwritten code of Thanksgiving behavior--where to go and where to be? Which places do you eat food? It can be tricky navigating everyone else’s expectations for you!
- Claire explains the difference between stuffing and dressing to Kellie and they debate whether the difference is regional or personal
- Kellie talks about how getting married complicated the Thanksgiving travels. Everyone. Everywhere. All spread out. It’s not possible to be everywhere for everyone
- Kellie shares about her first married Thanksgiving and her major turkey debacle. It looked nice and crispy on the outside but it was raw on the inside. (The thing that pops out of a turkey to let you know that is is “done” is actually called the Pop Out Timer.)
- Claire started cooking the full Thanksgiving meal once they entered military service; she spent time on the phone with her grandmother and had her teach her how to make the dressing of her childhood; she also shares how in the past few years, Ryan has been spatchcocking their Thanksgiving turkey which allows it to cook fully in under 45 minutes, frees up the oven for other cooking, and mostly just tastes amazing
- As the years have gone on, Kellie talks about how now it has gotten harder and harder to coordinate holidays and travel with extended family. Now they do more Friendsgivings than anything. Now Thanksgiving is one of those “it just depends” kind of holidays; it’s less of a tradition and more of a “whatever works” thing now
- Claire feels like now there isn’t a very predictable tradition, no rules, no expectations--some of their military Thanksgivings have been the most memorable of all--she also shares about how sometimes they will eat their main Thanksgiving meal on the day of, but then they have Leftovers Parties the day after where everyone brings all of their leftovers
- We dish all about Black Friday… Claire doesn’t usually go, but if she does it is only for people watching purposes. She even made a funny Black Friday Bingo a f
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