When I was courting the woman who is now my wife, we spent a few Thanksgiving together at her Mom’s house. It’s funny when you only know one way for the traditions in your life. Then you show up somewhere else, and your traditions mean nothing. So when in Rome, do as the Romans did. And yet Rome doesn’t feel right, does it?

Thwuuump. Schlerup. Wiiilllllllip.

As I tried to think of how to type the sound of canned cranberry sauce coming out of the can, those are the sounds I made.
I love canned cranberry sauce. It’s perfect for adding to the Thanksgiving feast. It’s easy and sweet, and because of the perfect circle, you can add it to your food efficiently.

So, of course, that’s not what my Mother in Law serves. She makes cranberry sauce from scratch! I mean, who does that? Real cranberries turned into a sauce. It doesn’t look right; it’s the wrong texture, tart, and made from natural fruit. What the heck?!?!?

21 years later, I like cranberry sauce from scratch. It’s not the can – but it’s darn good in its own right.

We all have sacred cows when it comes to our family traditions, especially when it comes to food.

The interwebs define a sacred cow as something which cannot be tampered with or criticized for fear of public outcry. A person, institution, or belief system, which should be accorded respect or reverence for no reason other than the demands of established social etiquette or popular opinion, should not be touched, handled, or examined too closely.

Sacred cows in our traditions, family, food, and holidays are to be cherished. Our sacred cows in our businesses are not. Read the definition above again. Are there any sacred cows that need to be handled, examined, questioned, or pruned in ’23?

Just because you are here…other things that are totally wrong about Thanksgiving food: Ham. There it is. I said it. No ham, people. Just stop it.