Thanksgiving traditions come in all shapes and sizes. From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to breaking the wishbone to getting together with those wacky yet lovable relatives, traditions vary from family to family, and that includes the families of our staff members!

We polled our staff to find out what makes their Thanksgiving traditions special. We think you’ll enjoy learning we all have our quirks and that’s what makes family, family.

Unusual Thanksgiving Traditions

Can you imagine a Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce? Well, we have one staff member who is allergic so it cannot be served at her family’s table – and she’s still invited. Now that’s sacrifice! We guess blood really is thicker than cranberry sauce.

How about this for a lively conversation starter…at one staff member’s home, the host prepares cards with random questions for each person who enters the door. During the meal, everyone gets a chance to read and answer their question. This sounds like a good way to cull out those family secrets and a fun new tradition to introduce!

Favorite Foods & Recipes

Homemade pies have to be among the most favored treat – we bow down to those who tempt and taunt us every year with the anticipation of indulging in their wicked skills!

A few staff members shared some additional favorites for you to try:

Deviled Brussel Sprouts – This one is off the cuff, for the epicurious chef to try their own hand. Sauté onions in butter and add halved Brussels sprouts to sauté until appropriately cooked. Add a little flour and heavy cream until thickened, then add dry or Dijon mustard and stir over heat until combined.

Favorite Thanksgiving Memories

From open table dinner invitations to listening to Alice’s Restaurant, playing cards and board games, watching football between helpings and post-meal holiday shopping, it seems our memories all have their unique variations, yet share a common denominator – the family bond. The laughter, the jest of sibling rivalry and appreciation for togetherness is what makes for our favorite memories.

Among some of the more memorable moments are the kitchen disasters. Only at Thanksgiving can we turn the tension of dropped precious pies and exploding stuffing plates left on the burner too long into raucous laughter.

But the one disaster we must flag for the hall of fame is where the son-in-law attends his first Thanksgiving with his new in-laws. Their family serves both ham and turkey for Thanksgiving and as he bit into the holiday ham, he found it to be very tough. He didn’t dare insult  his mother-in-law’s cooking, so he dutifully continued to choke it down without complaint. Eventually his mother-in-law realized her mistake and burst into laughter as she confessed she forgot to remove the plastic wrap before cooking! Talk about family initiation!

What We’re Thankful For

It’s unanimous – we’re thankful for our families and for our extended KDA family. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to work together, share our lives and serve our patients together. We count each of you among our blessings at Thanksgiving, and always.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Your Friends at KDA

PS – All names and faces have been changed to protect the innocent.