MaryAnne from Scottsdale Sent this:  It is an old fashioned Italian Thanksgiving – I put 5 pounds on just looking at it…YUM!
ITALIAN THANKSGIVING
When I was a kid growing up, Thanksgiving was a day to reflect on what we had to be thankful for and to see my family together.
After this peaceful moment, of no one screaming at each other, it was time to eat!  ANDIAMO!
Now Italians do it all little bit different than the rest, but what else is new.
First we started with:
ANTIPASTO
then LASAGNA  or
MANICOTTI (depending on what you had last year) with
MEAT IN THE GRAVY
then SOUP
Now we get to the Meal:
TURKEY
STUFFING
ROASTED POTATOES
BROCCOLI RABE
and / or ESCAROLE
ROASTED RED PEPPERS
SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
SAUTEED STRINGBEANS (picked from the vine in the backyard garden)
THE BREAD (that nonna made)
and GOD FORBID YOU FORGET THE SALAD!!!
(picked from the backyard garden with homemade wine vinegar)
To wash it all down, we had:
HOMEMADE WINE
and 7 UP (IN THE GLASS BOTTLE)
Then after the men had a 2 hour nap and the woman cleaned all the dishes, we had:
CHESTNUTS
MIXED NUTS
FRESH FRUIT
DRIED FIGS
and FINOCCHIO
Then we started the dessert:
ITALIAN COOKIES
SFOGLIATELLE
CANNOLIS’
and ITALIAN PASTRY (just in case we missed something)
During this feast we enjoyed a nice EXPRESSO with
MARIE BRIZARD ANISETTE or
ROMANA SAMBUCA
Then after that we needed a little something for DIGESTIVO
We went straight for the BRIOSCHI!!!