fall celebrations: gathering
on being together.
If you are gathering today, this weekend or anytime this fall, I want to wish a happy celebration to you and yours. It’s unsurprising that as the days grow shorter and colder, we find ourselves gathering. The joy of eating together, talking together and laughing together lifts our spirits at any time of year, but especially as we head into the winter months.
I’ll be heading to my sister’s in just a few hours where we’ll be gathering and eating all of the classics, most importantly (in my humble opinion) stuffing. The cranberries are in the fridge, the turkey is brined and ready for the oven, and this year we’re trying out a new pumpkin pie. Cooking up a feast is a whole mountain of work and between that and keeping the peace between three young boys, we’re certain to have some moments of overwhelm and frustration today. And yet, we gather. We buy the groceries, we call the grandparents, we tidy up the house. We stress over which recipe to make and how to Jenga all the food into one oven. We bandage scraped knees, run kitchen burns under the faucet, and deescalate tense dinner conversations. Despite all the reasons it would be easier to just stay home, we put significant time and effort and care into gathering.
Over the years, holiday gatherings have been a stable thread through years of moving, relationships, children in our family being born, and loved ones passing away. Through each year, whether in November or December, at some point I have found myself in a room full of family members and friends, sharing a meal, lingering afterwards for a card game or a chat or a slice of pie. It’s been a consistent connection point over years of life’s changes, and one that is dear to me.
Is there anything more seasonal during this time of year than a cozy, candlelit gathering? I can’t think of anything! If you will be sitting down for a meal today or later this season, I hope your table is full and your gatherings are nourishing. Happy Thanksgiving to you, dear reader!
P.S. There’s still time to throw together this quick and extremely cute appetizer! Wrap one ball of Boursin (or any soft cheese but isn’t Boursin just so delicious?) in plastic wrap and form it into a ball. You can try to be precise here but it will be cute (and tasty!) no matter what. Tie short strands of kitchen twine around the ball, looping under the bottom and tying a tight knot at the top, creating indentations to mimic a pumpkin. Place in the fridge to set. In the meantime, chop up any veggies, including a bell pepper. Neatly cut away the stem and set aside as your pumpkin topper. Whenever you’re ready to snack, carefully untie and unwrap your Boursin pumpkin and gently push your bell pepper stem into the top. Happy snacking!
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