Bena Mae’s Kitchen: My Family’s “Buy Nothing Day”

This year my family celebrated the day after Thanksgiving by making it a “buy nothing day.” We avoided the mayhem of crowded stores and parking lots, and made it an extended Thanksgiving day by inviting friends in for sharing their leftovers with ours and making the meal a bountiful feast.

After stuffing ourselves to the hilt, as usual, the women cleared the table and put the food away while the men made a dive in front of the television set to spend the rest of the day, intermittently watching football games and nodding off to sleep. It was a typical American scene, established when football games and television met head on to make the day complete for the male population.

Recalling special pleasures of bygone days such as this, the rest of us opted for playing a trivia game, and at my suggestion, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, something we adults had forgotten was so much fun. It was a simple but wonderful way to spend the rest of the day.

Bob, the black lab, was home after spending three days at the vet hospital, making the family complete. He had to re-establish his territorial position with Rocky, the boxer who had assumed he was top dog while Bob was away. After a few nips and growls, the boxer backed off and settled back into being Number Two Dog. Rocky, being my favorite, was awarded by me with tidbits of ham on the sly. We didn’t let anyone see us, though. It was our secret.

The day ended with everyone recalling bittersweet memories of Thanksgivings when we were young, when the schools stressed the importance of this most note-worthy holiday. And we wondered if they still sang “Come Ye Thankful People, Come,” or “We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessings.”

As our guests put on their coats and said their good nights, I couldn’t help thinking what a perfect day it had been, truly a day for making memories.

Hope yours were just as memorable.

This impossible turkey pie is as easy as pie to fix.

Impossible Turkey Pie

2 cups cooked turkey — cubed

4 1/2 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup Green onions — sliced

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Swiss Cheese — shredded

1 1/2 cup Milk

3/4 cup Bisquick

3 Eggs

Heat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 10″ pie plate. Sprinkle turkey, mushrooms, onions, salt, and cheese in pie plate. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth, in blender on high. Pour into pie plate. Bake until golden brown and knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting. Serves 6.