It's one week until Thanksgiving. That mean the start of the holiday season. Of course, Thanksgiving is one of our really American holidays. We have other important celebrations, but this one features traditional foods.

When I was growing up, our Thanksgiving was a lot different from how some families celebrated the holiday with family and close friends. At our house, we never knew who would join us for dinner. My father was such a firm believer is sharing that he would ask people who he thought might be alone for the holiday to come and have dinner with us. And they did. There were always a few customers who ate at our restaurant who lived alone so, of course, Daddy would make sure they would have a place to be for the holiday. When I look back, I see how good it was for them and even for us to know we were able to share.

My family and I went to the Athletic Dinner last week. Joe Sobus was one of the nominees. It was fun to see people we hadn't seen in years and to get a chance to catch up. A job well done by the organizers and Springside.

I just had a call from a relative in Greece. The first thing she wanted to tell me was how cold it was there and how unusual this is for this time of year. She couldn't believe it. When I told her we also were having cold weather, she wanted to know what's going on. She is in her 90s and said she couldn't remember it ever being this cold at this time of year. I didn't have an answer for her so we spent a few minutes complaining. My cousin Pavlo said his sister called from Greece and in my mom's and his hometown it was 2 below zero and in my dad's it was 7 below zero. Usually the temperature in Greece at this time of year is in the 60s. The olive crop has been destroyed.

My ethnic recipe for today is for Turkey Barbados. It is Caribbean, and it is very good with boiled rice. And this is a tasty way to use your turkey leftovers. Then I have two stuffing recipes. The first is my dad's. The second is from my friend Mary Ann Ginnerty. She says that the turkey wasn't even brought out of the kitchen until everyone had their fill of oyster stuffing.

Today's blooper

I love today's blooper. It was done by a good friend of mine who is a great cook. We were at a party and there was an assortment of cakes on a table. One cake was only about 1 inch high and it was cut into a nice square. The color was attractive so I selected a piece. When I sat down next to my friend, I said I didn't know what kind of cake it was. I had never seen anything like it. I wondered what it was called. She whispered to me that she had made it. I asked what it was called as it tasted very good. She reluctantly told me that is was two boxes of yellow cake mix and six eggs. She had mixed it together and had forgotten to add water, but it looked all right and it was too late to make another one.

This woman is an excellent cook so that is what makes it extra funny. And, it tasted great. People kept coming up and asking her for the recipe.

Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods

Turkey Barbados

Makes 4 servings

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon curry powder

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup rum

2 pounds turkey, no skin or bones (raw turkey may be used)

2/3 cup shredded coconut

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

1 cup chicken or turkey stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt, pepper

6-8 slices pineapple

Few springs parsley

Mix together the flour, ginger, curry. Coat turkey. Heat butter. Fry turkey lightly. Add rum, ignite. When flames die down, remove turkey. Add coconut to pan and brown lightly. Stir in pineapple juice and stock. Boil for five minutes. Reduce heat. Stir in cream and seasonings. Arrange turkey in serving dish and cover with the sauce. Garnish with pineapple and parsley. Serve.

Dad's Stuffing

1 package chicken livers and gizzards cut into pieces

1 onion chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning to taste

2 loaves bread, remove crust and cube

Oil

Saute livers, onion, seasonings. When cooked, add raisins, nuts. Add bread and mix well together. You can stuff the turkey or bake in a greased casserole at 350 degrees if you prefer.

Oyster Stuffing

1 pint raw oysters drained or 2 8-ounce cans (more can be added according to taste)

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

10 cups cubed soft bread

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

Parsley optional

Bake in greased casserole dish for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.