Megan Again: Eat More Pie

By Megan Wirts

​This week most of us will sit around the table and remember all the things we are thankful for in our lives. We will spend time with our families and friends, maybe watch a little football, all while feasting on mounds of mashed potatoes, turkey and pumpkin pie. Mmm…pie…or cheesecake if you belong to my family.

Which means that I, along with many others I’m sure, have been holed up in my kitchen, baking my life away to prepare for the big Thanksgiving Day meal. To some this might sound like straight up torture, but I love it so freaking much! Baking is one of my favorite things to do and when I get to bake enormous amounts of cheesecakes, cookies and pies and see other people enjoy them, I get almost giddy with excitement. I love to see people take that first bite of something and then they give you that, “Are you kidding me?! You made this?! This is delicious!” look. It’s the best.
According to everything I see in the media, it would seem that the turkey is the star of the show. Everyone is obsessed with cooking that turkey. Are you going to deep fry it, brine it, baste it, put it in a bag, stuff it or not stuff it? There are so many options, recipes and opinions about the best way to cook a turkey. It can be incredibly stressful. You don’t want it to be too dry and you really don’t want it to be undercooked and poison your entire family. Unless, of course, that is your evil plan all along. But that’s an entirely different Thanksgiving story.
I’ll be completely honest though, I couldn’t care less about that bird. The turkey is not what does it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I will throw a piece of juicy turkey breast on my plate, but it must be drowning in gravy and covered in mashed potatoes. It’s the sides and the desserts that make my mouth water and wish it could be Thanksgiving all year long. That and all the gratitude, feelings of joy, being with family and being thankful, of course. I mean, that’s the most important part, but the food is so good!
Thinking about how little I care about the turkey on “Turkey Day”, I decided to do a very non-scientific poll on my Facebook page to see if I was alone. I asked my friends what their favorite part of Thanksgiving is. Is it the turkey or is it the plethora of side dishes and desserts? Surprisingly, not many of them mentioned the turkey. Stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy were the most popular answers. As well as spending time with family and watching football. Sorry, Mr. Turkey, the day really isn’t about you. I even have some friends that are not serving turkey at all! *GASP* Isn’t that blasphemous!? Absolutely not! Bring on more stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes! Plus, without turkey there is way more room for dessert! Did I mention how much I love pie? Especially pumpkin pie, covered in piles of whipped cream. I love that creamy, custardy, spicy deliciousness. Who needs a turkey when there are so many more options to stuff your face with?
So, don’t stress about the bird. If it comes out burnt to a crisp or is still frozen in the middle because somebody forgot to thaw it, everything will be just fine. Just eat more pie.
Enjoy your day of feasting, family and football!! Happy Thanksgiving N3 Family!!

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