Top 10 Texas Thanksgiving Traditions

How many of these top 10 Texas Thanksgiving traditions do you follow?

I’m sure you have your own favorite Thanksgiving menu that you serve every year and loads of memories to go with it. This year, I’m changing things by making a Thanksgiving rosemary wreath. But first, let’s talk about the top 10 Texas Thanksgiving traditions that Texans live by!

See below my recipe for a Thanksgiving Wreath using fresh Rosemary sprigs.

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Top 10 Texas Thanksgiving Traditions

We all have traditions, especially during a holiday. I’m curious to know what are your Texas Thanksgiving traditions. Are they similar to the ones below or way off?

Whether it’s your first Thanksgiving to celebrate or your 20th and beyond, Texas traditions are deep in the Lone Star State, and pecan pie and pumpkin pie are the centers of it all. Well, it is for my family. Whatever the case, it’s a national holiday we all celebrate (usually) with family members and sometimes friends. What’s yours?

My Family’s Thanksgiving Tradition

Our annual tradition for Thanksgiving for many years was taking a road trip to my great-aunt’s home in Houston. Every year, as a family, we would drive down to her house, spend a couple of nights, and help her prepare for the day of Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving dinner table was set with her best china. I don’t think she ever used it but once a year.

Then, that Friday, we would all go to the mall and take pictures with Santa Claus. Oh, how I love the Christmas shopping season – then and now!

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10 Traditions For A Texas Thanksgiving

A Texas Thanksgiving Traditional Menu

I’m sure you have your own favorite Thanksgiving menu that you serve every year and loads of memories to go with it. This year, I’m changing things by making a Thanksgiving rosemary wreath. I made it years ago, and it went over very well, so I will make it again as one of the many appetizers served.

Reminiscing about Thanksgiving’s past is my favorite thing to do as we gather around the table to eat our meal. We talked about how funny my dad was when he would ask one of us to “pull his finger,” and I’m sure you know what happens after that. We would fall for it every time! And when he and my cousin would shake our hands and say, “how you doing?” Those were the best of times.

My dad is gone now, and he is missed, especially because he was the one who always said the blessing.

We always serve a medley of olives, tomatoes, & marinated mozzarella cheese in a bowl drenched in extra virgin olive oil. But I’m making the dish more festive by making it into a Thanksgiving Rosemary Wreath. See below.

Before I share how I made the rosemary wreath, I’d like to share what’s on our favorite Thanksgiving meal.

Cooking is a family affair in our house. Whether we spend it at my MIL’s house or how we used to celebrate with my relatives in Houston. This is our usual Thanksgiving meal.

A Traditional Texas Thanksgiving Meal

• Smoke turkey
• Honey-baked ham
• Cornbread dressing (my mom would always use too much sage)
• Green beans or the traditional green bean casserole (all depends on who’s making it)
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potatoes or as a sweet potato casserole (again, it depends on who makes it)
• Broccoli cheese caserole
• Mashed potatoes
• Rolls (lots of rolls)
• Sweet Tea
• Cranberry sauce
• Pumpkin pie
• Apple pie
• Pecan pie

And we always have Thanksgiving day meals for weeks because we make so much.

So much time has passed since we all gathered at my great-aunt’s house in Houston. Now, when the fourth Thursday of November rolls around, we celebrate the holiday AND my grandson’s birthday on the 29th. Our traditional ways are a little different now, but what remains the same is that big fat turkey!

Here is an easy idea for a beautiful Thanksgiving dish using fresh rosemary.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone from my Texas home to yours (wherever you reside).

My Thanksgiving Rosemary Wreath

First, I grow rosemary in my garden, so that’s what I use. You’ll need many sprigs of fresh rosemary about 6-8 inches long. Arrange the rosemary springs in a circle for the wreath (on a platter), bending the springs as needed.

Mix a small amount of basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper in extra-virgin olive oil.

Arrange these foods on top of the rosemary wreath:

• Mozzarella balls (marinated in the above for 20 minutes)
• Kalamata Olives
• Cherry tomatoes (marinated in the olive oil mixture if desired)
• Serve with crackers in a bowl and place in the middle of the wreath

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