Have you noticed that people don’t just say they are having a turkey on Thanksgiving, they say “We’re having turkey with all the fixins”? Which leads me to wonder, just what are “all the fixins”? Turns out, what goes on the dining table with the turkey depends a lot on where you live and your cultural heritage.

Around the Gulf Coast, it means shrimp etouffe. In New England it means a selection of root vegetables – butternut squash, yams, turnips, onions and mashed potatoes. In the Southwest, jalepenos and avocados often find their way onto the table. For some folks, peas and rice are part of the tradition. For others, it’s linguica, chourico, bratwurst or kielbasa.

Here at Blueberry Pointe, our Thanksgiving “fixins” this year included a traditional French cream of carrot potage flavored with brandy; stuffing with apples, walnuts, cranberries and plump golden raisins; a savory cranberry, pear and apple compote; roasted butternut squash cubes and green bean casserole topped with French fried onions.

Later on, after we were able to move under our own power again, we finished the day off with hot Dutch apple pie a la mode. Oh, my, what a scrumptious assemblage of “fixins” that was!

So, what “fixins” were on the table at your house this year? Share your menu ideas with us or ask us for recipes from our 2013 Thanksgiving feast.