Holiday traditions

We descend from several pilgrims who were at the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth in the fall of 1621, and have had the meal every year since. Try to keep it simple, and use American Indian foods.

Our family tradition is making gingerbread houses after our Thanksgiving meal. We keep it simple by using graham crackers and homemade royal icing. We also use leftover half & half or cream cartons for the frames. Everyone brings a different type of candy or two to share and we have a blast! It's fun to see all the different creations!

In my family, we always bake about twice as many pies as we'll need for dessert, so we can all have pie for breakfast on Thanksgiving morn. An old Boston tradition, I'm told, and a great one. Hot coffee with apple, pumpkin, or even spicy mince pie - quick, easy, self-serve and yummy!

Our family is a mix of just about everything. We come from Japanese, Norwegian, Filipino, Hispanic, and African-American backgrounds. To celebrate, we have the traditional turkey and other side dishes, mixed with lumpia, sushi, and many other diverse dishes!

I always cook a turkey breast for my husband, but being vegetarian I always cook Rising Moon Organics Garlic Gorgonzola Ravioli. I then make dishes we can both eat: Sweet Potato casserole, Mashed Potatoes with Vegetable broth, and steamed corn on the cob. Finish the meal with Apple and Pumpkin Pie (with butter and natural ingredients!) and even a Veggie can enjoy a great Thanksgiving meal!

We have a new and growing family and every year we go to my husband's uncle and aunt's home for Thanksgiving. I have been given the assignment of making rolls from scratch every year now. Especially since uncle Fred likes a little bread with his butter! I love him!

In Hawai'i, we all share recipes and add our own variations. And so we've carried our traditions to the Mainland. I love making Chinese Shoyu chicken. And then there's Fujimoto's grandmother's Japanese Chinese almond cookies with the secret ingredient of peanut butter.

My family is originally from New Mexico. Thanksgiving includes traditional foods such as carne adobada, posole, and chili colorado, as well as the usual turkey and trimmings.