I had written about Thanksgiving but I couldn’t fit in a few stories. You know, the ones that went wrong or the ones that got away! First up is Went Wrong.
I was maybe 12 or so and Mom had gone to the store. She couldn’t find white raisins, also known as Golden raisins. This was very upsetting to her. Yet she couldn’t make the stuffing without raisins so she grabbed a box of raisins (so she thought!). She proceeded to make her stuffing , stuffed the capon and then did all the other dishes.
Currants
We took the capon out and everything looked good. it looked a little darker but we didn’t think much about it. Then mom put it on the platter and she cut into it and then she gasped.
We were quite surprised to find it had changed colors! It looked almost black! It probably was a dark purple. That is when she discovered she had bought currants, not raisins! Now we understood why the color was so dark. We didn’t realize that currants would do that!
You didn’t throw food out in those days because of color changes! Mom took a bite and said it tasted pretty much the same. We looked at her doubtfully but we took a bite and learned it had some change in taste but basically the same. Except for the color! The gravy helped cover some of that up ! The stuffing was even darker! I have a vague memory of eating it with skeptical lips. You know what those are, right? The lip is curled up on one side?
My dad came for a visit that day and I made a plate of food for him. He didn’t skip a beat. He loved my mom’s cooking, just not my mom! Well, I didn’t really know other than my mom was furious with him. Dad was a very loving man. I was just happy he was there. He came over for a visit on holidays until he remarried. Then that stopped. Years later I learned the truth and I understood.
It doesn’t really matter why. It all happened as it was meant to happen. It was part of my journey and I’m grateful for all of it. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it were different.
We survived that Thanksgiving and that mistake never occurred again!
Did you ever have anything happen along these lines, mishaps that you remember? How did your Thanksgiving survive that?
This is a test.
Skeptical lips! I LOVE that – literally made me laugh out loud!
Imagine if we never made a mistake? How boring would that be? The currant episode in your life helped you to acquire the ability to change, substitute and try different things when cooking!
This is a wonderful post Julieanne! I felt I was a fly on the wall. I didn’t realize the currants would change the color – interesting. It seems like all holidays there is some event that is “part” of the festivities. For several years in my family it was the inevitable grease fire in the oven at Thanksgiving (with the smoke alarm blaring, windows open and the fans on high to get the smoke out, the questions of ‘something burning?”) An extra box of salt was always on my shopping list so I had enough to pour on the fire! Another was running out of stock, so the substitute is always wine (better than water, right?)
Great memories Julieanne! Thanks for sharing them ♥
You knew exactly what I meant, right? The phrase just popped into my head. I’m glad it made you laugh. I love that I can make people laugh with the written word. I don’t think I”ve had a fire, but I’ve had clogged sinks a half hour before everyone is to arrive, and dishes that didn’t cook right. Yes, it’s all part of the memories. I seem to forgotten most of them, just the clogged sink, the blackish turkey or capon. I do remember the worst turkey ever, tough almost inedible. Luckily it was just Ron and I, phew! Dodged that one! Hahaha