Pieces of My Thanksgiving Dinner

Antipasto

I linger by the dining room table, eager to take a bite of mozzarella and to scoop up some spinach dip.  I know there will be plenty of more food after the antipasto, but I cannot resist taking another and another spoonful.  The warmth of the cheese crumbles my buttery crackers as I attempt to pile on more dip.

Main Course

Bowls of creamed corn, caramelized carrots, bacon wrapped asparagus, steamed string beans, stuffed mushrooms, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce decorate the table.

I wonder why we keep canned cranberry sauce on the table, when nobody eats it.  Its ridged cylindrical shape, has become an uneaten staple of Thanksgiving.

The turkey is brought in from outside, after being deep fried in a large pot.  It seems deep frying a turkey is the new fad.  Its tenderness requires only a fork and a thick layer of gravy.  I take a bite from each of my sides as I try to pace myself.  I take some bites of the string beans as an attempt to be healthy.  My family then brings out a second turkey, in case one wasn’t enough.

Break

We break with a game of Pictionary.  We know that Pictionary causes yelling.  We know that it makes me competitive.  But we play anyway.  We use a wine cork as an extra piece.  For some reason I keep having to draw images of airplanes.  My boyfriend seems to understand my scribbles.  But we keep rolling ones and fall behind on the board.

Dessert

In addition to pumpkin, apple, and blueberry pie, my mom brings out cupcakes in the shape of a turkey.  We add 22 candles, with one for good luck, and sing my boyfriend a happy birthday.  The candle wax slowly drips as the lighter won’t light the wicks.  Cold milk helps wash down the sweet pie.

Night

10 of us manage to fit on my aunt’s couch.  I have my legs curled up and a pillow behind my head.  We laugh and flip through channels on t.v.  We watch Office Space until my cousin leaves the room.  She says the movie is making her anxious.  But that’s the point.  I talk about my school and skirt around politics.  I think about the last time I got to spend quality time with my family.  Even better, I love that I have my family and my boyfriend in the same room.  As 11:00 approaches, I gather up my coat and scarf as the wind outside hits my face.

Home

Our cars pull up to my house at 12:00 and my dad is the first to wish my boyfriend a happy birthday.  I wish him goodnight and shiver as the warmth of my radiators hit my skin.  After all I ate, I’m still a little hungry.  So, I grab Oreos from the pantry, wash it down with some cold milk and head upstairs to bed.

-Stephanie Montalti