Am I the only one who gets that Alanis Morissette song stuck in my head this time of year? (Am I also the only one who still thinks that Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was a solid followup to Jagged Little Pill? Am I the only one who still regularly thinks about and listens to Alanis Morissette on a regular basis? Pretty sure I already know the answer to all those questions, so feel free to pretend I never even asked.)
Speaking of Alanis Morissette, can we talk about how wonderful her updated Ironic was with James Corden? I’m not a huge Corden fan, but it was truly funny, and also, welcome to my life.
Now that we’ve covered our Alanis Morissette quota for the next 15 years…Thanksgiving!
I have a special love for Thanksgiving. So do most people, I guess, my mine is true and special and you just don’t even understand because you’ve never been in love like this. (Welcome to the party, teenage Katey.)
My family actually celebrates Thanksgiving twice a year. That’s how big of a deal it is. And that probably makes more sense when you also know that we do literally NOTHING for Christmas or Easter or any other holiday. Zero family traditions. We care little to none about holidays. And then we go all out for Thanksgiving, twice a year.
That said…I tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to Thanksgiving. Being single and childless renders me zero votes in my family (that sounds dramatic, but I’ve been told that explicitly). Most food preferences get taken into account, but mine almost never do. The dishes I want to make often get vetoed. I generally end up eating turkey, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and bread.
So when I tell people how much I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner for myself, I’m not just putting on a brave face. I actually truly love being able to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 1, because I get to make the meal that I want. I get to experiment with different types of potatoes, and I get to add bacon to everything, and I get to make veggies that no one older than 35 will eat (I’m looking at you, kale chips and roasted brussel sprouts). And I don’t have to bother with cranberry sauce, or stuffing/dressing, or green bean casserole, or any of those other things that only 1 person in the family eats.
(There’s something to be said, I’m sure, about this point of view in terms of “this is why I’m single.” And it’s true, I like things the way I like them, and I like being able to do things my way. That’s one of those things that married/partnered people tend to criticize, but…why shouldn’t I have the Thanksgiving I want? Even if it means having it more or less alone? What’s wrong with prioritizing my wants, even if it means solitude, instead of sacrificing my desires in exchange for company?)
If I’d been thinking far enough ahead, I would have started a run down of my Thanksgiving menu a couple weeks ago, to give you time to be inspired. We’ll give that a shot next year. Instead, you can just drool over the deliciousness of my bacon and bourbon themed Thanksgiving menu for the next couple days, and then implement it this summer when you’re craving turkey and remember what a great idea it is to have Thanksgiving twice a year!
First up…butters, and bacon jam!
The Worsted 