25 November 2009

thanksgiving prep

somehow pitted black olives have become my sentimental tie to home.

as i am preparing for tomorrow's feast i am discovering a whole new side of myself. and, in classic marta style, i am justifying my new overzealous self to the nth degree. because when you know your far away familiar favorite faces will not be gathering around your table, suddenly the familiar favorite foods that will be spread out on the table take on a much higher trait of significance. really, truly. i promise i am not typically this spastic. yet i've found myself pushing benji in a shopping cart almost every day this week. buying just the right items. including today. yes, i am one of those people running back to the store for one last thing.

last night as i set the ingredients out in their stations on my counter (i told you, i am full of zealousy), i realized that i'd forgotten the cranberry sauce. you know, the kind that comes in a can with ridges on the sides. dan doesn't really like it, but me, i love it at this time of year. any other day of the week, i would've dismissed it. tossing my hands in the air and thinking, not worth the trip, no way am i going back for cranberry sauce. we have lots of food to make up for it.. but then i laid in bed imagining my little leftover turkey roll sandwiches barren without their splash of saucy red.

so. i went back there with gusto; i was determined not to fill my cart with anything else. nothing more. only cranberry sauce. (and maybe a magazine. the one with taylor swift on the cover. just for perusing while the turkey is cooking.) yep, just the essentials. number one, because i have been to the store way too much this week. and number two, this week has totally ruined my new found goal to live more green and non-consumerish. maybe i should hold out on that goal til 2010? so there i am hunting for cranberry sauce. benji was a sport (and didn't even roll his eyes at me) and received a dum dum for being so awesum. he was over the moon about that dum dum.

so there i am pushing my way through the grocery store, with the rest of the world, and suddenly i see the large display of black olives at the end of the aisle. olives. another item we never buy. mainly because dan has never taken a liking to their squeeky texture. a texture that is a step-brother to mushrooms. which is another story. so there i am in my jeans and hoodie and clogs and benji with his root beer dum dum and a huge emotional tidal wave comes crashing down. suddenly i am nine years old at my grandma june's long thanksgiving table with cousin whitney and brooke by my sides and we are eating rolls and olives and pretzel jello salad. and going back for more. suddenly i love olives. suddenly i shamefully wonder if benji has ever even tasted an olive. i have been unknowingly depriving him of the five finger olive trick.

one can of olives + one can of cranberry sauce.
equals one satisfied and sentimental customer.

more details of my idaho thanksgiving feat to come.

15 comments:

Johanna said...

okay for us dum dums what is a dum dum?

Kristen said...

So besides giving the best crafty information and great ideas you are a fabulous fun writer. Love your blog.

talesofahummingbird said...

sounds just like something i would do. or have done. ahem.
yes, benji sure needs to learn how absolutely delightful it is to stick an olive on each fingertip and nibble them off, one by one. you did the right thing, miss mart. super-mom award goes to you for braving the stores the day before thanksgiving to ensure everything was just as it should be at a table for three. your turkey is going to smell delish tomorrow!

Abbie said...

You had me all sentimental with this one! Just the other day, I mentioned to my husband that we HAD to have pitted black olives and little pickles for snacking on while the turkey cooks. Then, I mentioned the cranberry sauce in a can (with ridges intact) that we HAD to have because it all reminded me of home... and my friend whose family is coming for dinner said we HAD to have homemade cranberry sauce. It's funny how we all have those foods that remind us of togetherness during the holidays.

Hil said...

love it. funny how one simple item of food can bring on such nostalgia. hope your thanksgiving goes well (i'm sure it will, you are a fabulous cook). be glad you are one of the crazies taking to the road with everyone else in the world!

Miranda said...

okay I'm in love with this post. I know EXACTLY what you are saying.

theambershow said...

Oh, the cranberry sauce with ridges in the mold. Love it. We don't eat it at my husband's parent's house, but I bought a can just for us.

I have a grandma June, too, and she taught me the five olive finger trick when I was small.


Happy Thanksgiving, Marta!

marta said...

am so glad i am not alone in this thanksgiving food and nostalgia. thank you for the kind words. and johanna.. you make me laugh.. dum dums are small lollipops that come in a variety of flavors. they are cheap and sweet. i happen to have a collection in my car because the local bank tellers always send one out when they see a kid in your car at the drive thru. you really should experience one someday. you can order them here. so glad you asked!

happy thanksgiving.

Krista said...

i too just ran back to the store not more than an hour ago for the EXACT same item ...

my fam is in south carolina and i'm in ut. my roommate's family eats the "real" cranberries, but me? i need the jellied, makes-a-suction-noise-when-it-comes-out-of-the-can, stuff. :)

happy thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

We miss you, Dan and sweet Benji today. Can't wait to read about your Thanksgiving feast! Love, Ariane

Julia said...

Sounds wonderful Marta - I wish we ha Thanksgiving over here in the UK! I have so many things for which I'm thankful.
Hope you all day a lovely day!

Katie {My Paisley Apron} said...

Love this post!!

Eleanor said...

I understand entirely your cranberry sauce (in the can, of course) dilemma. This made me laugh because I was in the exact same situation, and the results were similar (save for the olives, replace with caramel topping.)

I hope your festivities were delicious!

leni said...

i'm a little late when it comes to reading this post. i hope that you photograph benji when he learns the five finger olive trick!

summer said...

marta, wow. this has to be in my top five of favorite m.writes posts. i was nearly bowled over by all the sweet sentiments that came rushing back to me as i read this. also, i love when you tell shopping stories.

thanks for the nostalgia of olives and can-shaped cranberry sauce. (my favorite kind)

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