Thanksgiving Word of the Day: Tradition

Main Entry: tra·di·tion
1 : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

On the advent of Thanksgiving, I've been thinking about all the holiday traditions I have to forego due to the fact that I live approximately 2500 miles from my family and $700 plane tickets prohibit me from going home twice in (basically) one month. In the four years I've lived here, I've only gone home once, so I've learned to supress my desire for tradition. However, there is one tradition my family has developed over the four years that continues even when (and especially because) I can't go home.

Every year growing up, my aunt Wendy would make sweet rolls for our Thanksgiving dinner. After the first taste, we were all overwhelmingly addicted, which led to us saying such things as "Aunt Wendy better bring the rolls or we're not letting her in the house," and "I'll die without the rolls!". She never failed us. The famous rolls were always plentiful.

Then came the time for us all to leave home and face the cold, harsh real world devoid of Aunt Wendy's Rolls -- a legend, practically a myth. The first year was harsh. The withdrawals were fierce. The second year, bitterness and anger set in. By the third year we were staging a revolt. Aunt Wendy could at least send us rolls in the mail. There's a FedEx in Walla Walla. And a UPS. There's really no excuse!

In order to stave off civil unrest in the family, Aunt Wendy promptly did the only thing she could. She sent us the...recipe. "Wait," I said upon opening the envelope, "What am I supposed to do with this? This isn't edible."

Thus began the tradition of the girls making their own Thanksgiving rolls. But oh no, the story does not end there. I know you wish it would. But alas...

The first year I made rolls, the effort was harrowing, if not poignant. They looked like this when I pulled them out of the oven:


The second year the Grocers Association of America led a campaign to discontinue active yeast sales in stores and my rolls took on the nature of a clump of dirt.

But now...in the third year, I am glad to report that I have finally managed not to destroy the rolls. Aunt Wendy would be proud, though I'm afraid she wouldn't endorse the use of her name in conjunction with my rolls.

So now... I give you the amazing, miraculous, delicious (I hope) Thanksgiving rolls: