Come and Celebrate Thanksgiving on the Bayou

Last year my husband, kids and myself visited my cousin Stacy and her family in Louisiana during the Holiday season, and they invited us all over to spend Thanksgiving Day on the Bayou where they live.

I soon realized that things were a lot different in terms of how they celebrate their Thanksgiving's down south in this part of the country.

Nestled in a little house just off of the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway is where my cousin has lived for the past fifteen years. I had only been down once before for a visit, so this made it extra special to travel there and share the day with everyone I hadn't seen in so long.

The area is rich in Cajun and Creole culture. As you drive through the winding country roads there are several huge Southern style mansions scattered about. This reminds me of the days of Scarlet O'Hara in her Gone with the Wind days.

When we arrived I noticed that there tables set up outside under a huge oak tree. There were layers of gray Spanish moss hanging from the trees. I have never had Thanksgiving dinner outdoors before, so this was a first for me.

The table was set with mismatched china and paper plates, nothing fancy by any means but there was plenty of good food.

When we gathered around the table to eat, it was definitely a Thanksgiving table unlike any other I've been at before.

We started the meal off with a prayer and the family held hands and then we all shared small thoughts of as to what we were thankful for this year. I thought this was a nice gesture and it was really nice to be spending the holidays with my family that has been so far away.

They had two turkeys and they were both deep fried. They had Crawfish fritters that they also cooked with the turkeys. They had potatoes and gravy, the gravy was very spicy but it tasted fabulous.

There was also some Perdu, which is a kind of bread that was absolutely delicious. There was a variety of vegetables from corn bisque to Okra.

The desert table was fabulous. My cousin had made a homemade Pecan Pie, with the largest pecans I have ever laid eyes on.

Of course they had the traditional pumpkin pie. It had a tangy ingredient in it and when I asked her what the secret was she stated it was hot sauce. Something I never would have thought of adding to my pie.

It was nice to sit outside and be surrounded by nature. I glanced over while I was eating and noticed that there was fish and gators popping up out of the water from time to time. This was an experience I had never had the pleasure of being involved in before.

We ended the day with a lazy pontoon ride down the bayou. It was the perfect wrap up to a fabulous holiday.

This type of outdoor celebration is quite common and is an avid tradition of the southern culture and many still have their get togethers that way to this day.

I will never forget last Thanksgiving and being able to experience the different ways that all regions of the states celebrate the holidays, it was truly a great gift.