There’s no place like home for the holidays – and that’s exactly where North Highlanders are heading this week. We talked turkey, traditions and the reason for the season with some fellow North Highlanders:
Matt Klein, COO and CMO – Atlanta
Angela Navarro, Senior Vice President of Operations – Atlanta
Marko Hurst, Master Practitioner – New York
Drew Hawkins, Senior Manager – Atlanta
Where will you be celebrating Thanksgiving this year?
Matt: I’ll be celebrating in Pittsburgh, my hometown, at my parents’ house.
Angela: I am heading to Cape Girardeau, MO, where I grew up and where my entire family lives.
Marko: I’ll be back at home sweet home in Chicago.
Drew: We’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year and have been for the past five years. My wife and I are both only children and our parents live in different states, which used to put stress on which side of the family we’d spend holidays with. We have since mitigated that entire situation by telling family “if you want to see us, come to our house!” Now with two small kids, it’s much easier for us to cook and host than it would be to travel out-of-state.
Will you be doing any of the cooking?
Matt: To my family’s delight, I will not be doing any of the cooking! I will, however, be doing plenty of eating.
Angela: Yes, I will probably help my mother cook homemade chicken and dumplings.
Marko: Yes – we will all have a role as sous chef under my mom.
Drew: My wife and mother-in-law pretty much take over the kitchen the day before Thanksgiving. However, I do contribute quite a bit! I typically bake sourdough bread rolls using a starter recipe my dad’s been using for years (the starter yeast is likely almost 20 years old and still going) and cover them in garlic butter and Italian seasoning. My father-in-law and I also deep fry the turkey every year. Because there’s so much peanut oil used, we use the extra oil to fry potatoes and perform some “will it fry?” type of experiments with whatever we find in the pantry while the turkey rests.
What is your favorite dish? Least favorite?
Matt: Is “everything” a dish? If I had to choose one, I’d go with my grandmother’s stuffing. Least favorite is Jell-O salad.
Angela: I love my mom’s potato casserole! But I cannot eat cranberry sauce!
Marko: My favorite is pumpkin pie. My least favorite is anything my little sister cooks.
Drew: My favorite dish is macaroni and cheese. Least favorite is stuffing.
Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
Matt: Eat. Watch football. Eat. Watch football. Eat. Watch football.
Angela: Each year, we get up early, cook, and after enjoying a great meal together. We will bundle up and spend some time on our family farm riding ATVs, driving the tractor, and reminiscing at the old farm house. We also sit by the fire after dinner and enjoy being together.
Marko: There are three traditions I really enjoy. First, my mom places the same table runner every year on our kitchen table for everyone who stops by to sign their name and date. She then embroiders over the signature. Second, my whole family takes a nice long walk after Thanksgiving dinner. And finally, all the husbands cook their wives and kids a huge breakfast with their favorite foods.
Drew: My favorite tradition now is deep frying the turkey – standing in the cold, drinking a Guinness, while watching the peanut oil bubble. It’s oddly relaxing. My favorite tradition used to be taking a post-meal coma, but that tradition has been put indefinitely on hold since we’ve added two children in the last two years to the mix.
What are you most thankful for this year?
Matt: I’m thankful for the health of my family. It’s my youngest child’s first Thanksgiving (she’s 11 months old) and I’m thankful that my 94-year-old grandmother will be with us.
Angela: I am blessed beyond any measure with health, friends, and family. I am especially grateful to be a mother of two fantastic kids and a wife to my amazing husband!
Marko: After a few medical scares in the family the last few years, I’m thankful that everyone is healthy and happy this year.
Drew: I’m most thankful for our growing family and that we have the space and resources to host our families for holiday festivities.