Happy Thanksgiving Beautiful People!
My Grandmother’s house
When I think of the holidays, I think back to when I was a little girl spending time with my family. My grandmother was a wonderful cook and she would prepare a full spread with all the goodies. My mother was also a good cook, however, she spoke fondly of my grandmother staying up at night putting the dressing in the oven, taking it out after it was done and then putting the capon and goose in the oven. Although not necessarily at the same time.
What is capon, you say?
Capon 2014
Most of the time when I tell people that my Grandmother prepared capon for Thanksgiving they would not know what I was talking about. My mother prepared the traditional turkey, but a capon was just as familiar and not strange at all.
A capon is a castrated rooster that is fattened to make the meat more tender.
Growing up, I did not know what a capon was. It was not until I became in adult that I learned more about it. I knew the bird was a chicken; but that was all. After I was married, I went to my local Farmer’s Market and saw a fresh capon available. I felt nostalgia inside, thinking back to my childhood. I purchased it and prepared it for my husband who never had capon before. My husband really enjoyed it and when he asked me what type a bird it was. We were wondering, so we some research. When I found out what a capon was, it equipped me with knowledge. It kinda felt like I came to the table thinking I was eating something completely different than what I thought I was eating. It’s my choice if i want to continue to cook capon for Thanksgiving. Really, people don’t realize how their meat comes to the table so it’s smart to be a wise consumer whether chicken, beef, fish, whatever. It’s really something to see that capon is now considered to be a delicacy and has been around since the middle ages.
Will I stop eating meat? No. Will I have capon every Thanksgiving as an adult? No. I have had it twice since my childhood.
Childhood Memories
I had great childhood memories of my Mother, my Dad, and I lived right around the corner from my Grandmother. I spent practically all my Thanksgivings with her. She was a strong woman of faith and I can’t tell you how much wisdom and knowledge that she instilled in her children and in me. She was better than a cook. She was a diva chef who taught me many different recipes and cooking capon was a small facet of that. Thanksgiving also meant picking and cleaning collard greens, picking string beans and peeling potatoes. She would bake at least ten sweet potato pies and give out to her family to take home with them.
I will never forget my Grandmother taking the time to show me how to make biscuits in her kitchen. She worked as a cook in a high school cafeteria and it’s amazing how I will hear students talk about how they remembered Ms. Blue.
1967 Sumner year book
I would remember my mother, grandmother and I would go to the grocery store and the cashier would say look at the three generations.These memories are so precious to me because my Grandmother, my mother, and my Daddy are in heaven. So take hold of those special memories and don’t take your family for granted. If you haven’t told them you love them call them up and tell them.
If you are by yourself on this Thanksgiving Day, remember that you are not alone. God is always with you and He loves you.
Follow!