If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know that it’s sort of become a tradition that my husband and I spend our Thanksgiving in California.
After I moved to North Dakota, we both decided it is too hard to try and split Holidays. So we told both of our families, Thanksgiving will be spent in California and Christmas will be spent in North Dakota.
As usual, we made our annual trek to California this year for Thanksgiving and spent a week with my parents and family enjoying fall in California. Luckily this year, my parents will get to experience their FIRST North Dakota winter and spending the Holidays with the Rohrichs! I CANNOT WAIT!
If any of you know my dad, you will know the production that is the Dewey Family Thanksgiving. It has been featured on this blog four years running. You can find 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 by clicking the links. If you’re just joining me, let me give you some background into the Dewey Family Thanksgiving…
Thanksgiving usually begins the night before with Dad cooking turkey parts for stock and gravy. It is this intense process where he saves the drippings, the fat, and of course the stock. Everything is from scratch… I’ve honestly never known anything besides homemade gravy and stuffing. I know, I’m spoiled. But honestly some of my best Thanksgiving memories involve spending the morning and afternoon in the kitchen with my Dad.
And this year, we made more memories as my poor Mom was sick, I spent the entire day in the kitchen with Dad. I also made my first ever PRETTY PIE (my pies always turn out ugly), it was a Cranberry Apple pie with a leaf crust! I also made a bacon spinach salad, the Pioneer Woman sweet potato casserole, from scratch green bean casserole, homemade cranberry sauce and the mashed potatoes. I also made homemade rolls the day before as well. Dad took care of the rest.
It was super cute to see how proud my Dad was of my homemade rolls and pie. He even had to announce it before we said grace. I just love that man! If any one of you wonder where I get my love of food, cooking, and entertaining from, it is my father!
So here’s our California Thanksgiving wrap up…
Apologies to my dear Mom, I did not take any photos of her amazing tablescapes! One day I long to have Martha Stewart worthy tablescapes like she does!
My secret trick to the best mashed potatoes…? Whip them in your KitchenAid mixer!!
Another tradition of our Thanksgiving (and while everyone is together) is taking family photos… Living 1,500 miles away from your family really makes you appreciate having photographs as memories of the time you spend together.
