Thanksgiving’s traditional celebrations for 2020 will surely be modified in most homes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep in mind how it was in the past and how you are looking forward to big turkey day in 2021.
To enlighten your 2020 Thanksgiving, here is a story of a Mathews County family that begins with a turkey even before Thanksgiving Day. Lou Ann Hudgins Diggs at age 16 was asked by her mother to prepare the frozen turkey they had just bought from the A&P store in Mathews.
“I took Mama to work and as I drove off I thought she said to take the turkey home and boil it. So I put it in a large pan and boiled it until noon. I called Mama to ask what to do next. When I told her what I had done, well, I can’t tell you everything she said except to ‘just throw it in the cornfield.’ When I took the top off the pot I instantly knew Mama was right. Knowing that turkey was a big deal at that time for my family, l took the bird to my aunt Erma Webb (Mama’s sister) asking if she could help me. She didn’t know what to say asking where were the giblets, neck and liver. I replied there were none. Sticking her hands in the turkey she found the missing parts but they were unrecognizable.
“I said, ‘Mama is going to kill me.’ With that, Aunt Erma put the turkey in the oven and roasted it for about an hour. We tried to eat it for Sunday dinner. The slices curled right up on the ends. Don’t remember what happened after that meal but I suspect it found the cornfield.”
Aunt Erma became a hero to Lou Ann as she was to her own family.
Erma passed away in June this year but the memories of her special cooking and Thanksgiving feasts are remembered and practiced by her family and friends. Daughter Jill Webb recalls, “If someone had something special they liked for Thanksgiving, she would always have it. She never had enough room in the refrigerator for leftovers. When we started bringing food for Thanksgiving, I brought Bob Evans mashed potatoes doctored. It was three years before I told Mama as I was afraid she would be mad.” It was for Jill that Erma performed another turkey rescue. “I called Mom four times to know what to do with my turkey I was trying to cook.”
Daughter Joy says her mother always cooked too much. “She had to have something for everyone. Her Thanksgiving table was filled and sometimes side dishes had to be at another table included turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and then the side dishes which always included Jell-O, apples, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, pickled peaches, pickle spears, breads and three or four different pies. She prepared it all herself. Mama’s table was huge and could accommodate us all even after the family grew to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One Thanksgiving Daddy decided Mama worked too hard so to Williamsburg we all went. Mama put her foot down to not doing that again.”
The grandchildren also have fond memories. Kara Royall remembers how “Nannie” always had a little dish of bread and butter spears set near her. “I particularly liked pickle.” Grandson Tim Drummond said, “Always plenty to eat but I remember looking forward to Thanksgiving at Grandmother’s as a time when you got to start talking about what you wanted for Christmas. Out came the Sears catalog.”
Thanksgiving memories are created in various ways. Not only how your turkey was cooked, what cooking failure you might have experienced, but also by a table laden with exceptionally delicious foods and the camaraderie of family and friends. There will this year probably be a much smaller group surrounding our tables of thanks, a table where there is always a space for one more. And it will become a Thanksgiving memory.
TURKEY COOKING IN 2020
Lou Ann Diggs
“Needless to say I have cooked many turkeys since my first experience, both store-bought and wild. My mother loved to tell the story of my first turkey cooking. I like to chop celery and onions and put into the cavity of the turkey and of course salt and pepper. Then I rub some oil over the breast before putting it in the oven. If I cook a wild turkey I put it in a Crock Pot. Pour a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of water mixed together over the turkey. I usually cook several hours (most of the day) on low. My husband especially enjoys this method.”
ERMA GAIL’S TURKEY DRESSING
By Jill Webb
“I tried to remember how Mama told me how to make turkey dressing… I’m not sure it is complete or correct. I made it a couple of times but that was a long time ago.”
Seasoned breadcrumbs
Butter
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
Sage
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Chicken gizzards, boiled and diced real small so certain people didn’t know they were in here; same with the onion
Turkey stock or
Water from the gizzards
Sauté the onions and celery in butter until tender. Stir in sage and thyme to taste. Stir in the gizzards and bread crumbs. Add turkey stock or gizzard water until slightly moist or the texture you prefer.
CROCK POT MACARONI AND CHEESE
Joy Drummond
“My mother cooked her macaroni and cheese in the oven. She tried this recipe once and did not like the results. I use this for every family gathering and it’s very popular. I actually got it from Ruby Ingram at Salem Church.”
8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 large can evaporated milk
1½ c. regular milk
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. margarine
2 c. grated sharp cheese (I always add just lots of cheese)
1 c. grated mild cheese
2 eggs, beaten
Dash of cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
Mix and save a little cheese to sprinkle on top. Cook 2-3 hours in the crock pot on low. Do not stir and do not peek. You may double but not the liquid.
ERMA WEBB’S BANANA BREAD
Robin Sadler
“During COVID-19 I made this 2 or 3 times a month for friends and family.”
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
Dash vanilla
1½ c. flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Dash of salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
Nuts if desiredSoften butter, add sugar, beat in eggs. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Beat again. Fold in bananas. Bake in loaf pan at 325°F. for approximately 1 hour. This is a very moist bread. This can be changed up by adding raisins, nuts, or ¾ c. peanut butter.
PINEAPPLE CHEESE SPREAD
Erma Webb
2 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese blocks (remove packaging, place on a safe dish and microwave 10 to 15 seconds)
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
2 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
2 Tbs. very finely chopped onion
Gently mix all ingredients together. Serve with a variety of crackers. Provide spreaders. Refrigerate remaining spread covered in the refrigerator.
DUTCH APPLE PIE
Tori Drummond
5½ c. cored, peeled and sliced cooking apples
1 Tbs. lemon juice
½ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar, packed
3 Tbs. flour
1/3 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Topping
¾ c. flour
¼ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. butter, room temperature
1 pie crust, homemade or bought
Preheat oven to 375°F. Fit pie crust into pie plate. In a large bowl, mix sliced apples, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pile into crust.
Topping
In a medium bowl, with a pastry blender or a fork, mix both sugars and butter until coarsely crumbled. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake for 50 minutes.
JIM’S APPLES
Erma always had this dish for her son-in-law Jim Drummond.
Get two jars of apples from Cracker Barrel (only will these do). Pour into a dish. Add a dash of butter and cinnamon. Place in the oven to warm.
COPPER PENNIES
Cindy Register, a friend of the family
5 c. carrots, sliced and cooked, drained (boiled on stove top until tender about 8-10 minutes)
Or
4 to 5 cans of sliced carrots, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 10-oz. can of condensed tomato soup
½ c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. vinegar
Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Mix cooled carrots, onion and green pepper together. Mix remaining ingredients until blended and pour over the vegetables. Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
RAISIN BRAN/
APPLESAUCE MUFFINS
Virginia Hughes (Erma’s sister}
1¼ c. flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
2 c. raisin bran cereal
1 c. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ c. applesauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbs. melted margarine
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix cereal and milk in a medium bowl and let stand 3 minutes. Stir in egg, applesauce, sugar and margarine. Add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. Fill ½ full. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown.