The Thanksgiving Guest & the Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving in Mississippi was not what I expected. Not only did J and I spend it with our daughter and #3 son, but we were blessed to have been able to act as surrogate holiday parents to five of their friends who were unable to make it home. These kids made such an effort to make the day special. They had the house decorated, a tv was tuned to football in one room, and music was playing in other rooms -- music that was enjoyed by all ages. Candles glowed from tables and shelves (I know A and her roommates did this to hide any stray scent of the litter boxes for the four cats), cranberry juice, wine, and three kinds of beer were chilled, waiting to be sipped as we finished dinner preparations. I had made munchies to stave off appetites and -- who knew that sausage balls were a favorite of almost all there?

The kids had picked up a smoked turkey and it had been warmed and was resting under its foil tent, leaving the oven free for the casseroles. Desserts had been prepared the night before (by the kids!), and as the casseroles and veggies I'd brought warmed, my son was busy making the most delicious home-made rolls -- where did he learn to do this?!?! I must admit it -- they had things well-timed and under control, yet they indulged me by asking my advice on things (advice that I know they didn't really need). When did this happen -- these children of mine becoming all mature and capable and considerate?

The main worry I had was the green bean casserole. A special roommate had requested it. A roommate I know to be having a hell of a first semester in graduate school. I imagined she had asked because it was a special dish at her home so I wanted it to be perfect for her -- a comforting taste of home, this green bean casserole. When my daughter told me of her roommate's request I'd thought about calling her mom for the recipe so it would be as close to her memories as possible. You see, I've never made green bean casserole before.

I know it's a classic holiday dish, but....not in my family. We make a similar dish, but with green (English) peas, not green beans. Every time I'd call to ask if they were still getting the turkey (I just couldn't believe my good fortune), my daughter would remind me of the green bean casserole. I'd found several interesting looking recipes but she made it clear that her roommate would like the one you see on tv, the one with the crunchies on top.

Easy enough. The recipe was on cans of green beans, cans of cream of mushroom soup, and cans of crunchies -- aka Fried Onion Rings. But......I still agonized over wanting it to taste as A's roommate remembered it. Did her mom add cheese? Did her mom add soy sauce? Did her mom......

I don't know why I do things like that. I don't know why I couldn't just find the recipe and make the frickin' green bean casserole without creating all this drama for myself by crafting this elaborate story and then -- embellishing it!

In the end, the green bean casserole was made and carried to MS where it was re-warmed and served without any fanfare -- along with the turkey and all the other dishes. By the time we ate, I was so involved with everything that was going on, that I wasn't even thinking about the green bean casserole.

It wasn't until J and I were leaving and A's roommate gave me a hug and thanked me for making her the green bean casserole that I remembered how much I had wanted her to enjoy it. I hugged her back, told her I was happy to have made it for her, and that I was glad she had enjoyed it even though I knew it wasn't her mom's.

She smiled and said, "Oh, my mom doesn't make green bean casserole. It's just something I've always wanted."

And you know what else? J told me more than once how much he's always loved green bean casserole! All these years we've been together and he's never once asked for green bean casserole. Frickin' green bean casserole!

Thanksgiving in Mississippi was not what I expected; it turned out to be more lovely than I could have imagined.