My Thanksgiving Traditions

I'm all about 'tradition.' That's probably one of the reasons why I love sororities: our rich history and traditions! For Thanksgiving, we always gather at my husband Bob and I’s home in Florida. Mother comes in from North Carolina, my daughter Mary Leah flies in from Los Angeles and Linda Dinus, past AXiD National President, and her husband Ron come in from Bellingham, Washington.

Wednesday is the traditional 'make the pies' day. Mother makes the homemade crusts, Mary Leah makes the fillings, pumpkin and pecan, and I supervise!

On Thanksgiving morning we gather for brunch with special breakfast casseroles like grits and greens, and we always have sausage rolls. Then we watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and with high anticipation, we wait for "the real Santa Claus" to appear at the end of the parade. All the while, the smells of Thanksgiving permeate the air ... turkey roasting, yeast rolls baking, the stuffing and my 'special' cranberry sauce, check out the recipe below. When we gather at the table, there's always a special Thanksgiving reflection that my husband Bob gives.

All in all, it’s a wonderful weekend shared with some of my favorite people. Thanks for letting me share my Thanksgiving with you. I hope yours is filled with fun. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Sauce

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup port
4 cups cranberries
1/4 cup orange liquor

Stir together sugar, port and 3/4 cup water in heavy 3 qt. saucepan until blended. Add cranberries: bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until cranberry skins begin to split. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes. Stir in orange liqueur. Cover and chill 8 hours before serving. (Stores up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.)