Pies and Jello

I've enjoyed seeing my friends celebrate Thanksgiving with posts expressing gratitude. I'm not sure I'll do that; but I'm celebrating with a heart full of happiness and gratitude.

Far from family, we're going low-key on the celebration this year. Not even cooking with friends; just us and our little family. Still, we're doing a full feasting meal like the apple-pie-loving, fifth-and-more-generation Americans that we are.

I made pies and Jell-o today.

Since before my birth, my family has enjoyed "Ribbon Jell-o" most Thanksgivings and many Christmases. Green Jell-o on the bottom, Lemony-pineapply-cream-cheesy-goodness in the middle, and red Jell-o on top.

I was delighted at my first Thanksgiving with the Reeder family to find the same thing on the table, under the name of "Holiday Salad" and an indispensable staple of the meal.

When I was a kid, my mother would put the extra bits of pie crust dough on a cookie sheet, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar, and bake. We munched on these - and with seven kids you didn't get much more than a tidbit, even with lots of pies.

I didn't have to instruct my daughters or husband on the protocol for this tradition. I put the toasted bits of pie crust on the stove to cool, turned back to my baking, and looked up to see Emma and Lizzy taking the last two scraps a while later.

No matter how far we are from the big family dinner tomorrow, and no matter the faces that we used to see that won't be back again, Thanksgiving makes me feel connected to my family.