This is the most dramatic podcast ever and iHeartRadio podcast. Chris Harrison and Lauren Zema coming to you from the home office in Austin, Texas. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I hope you are together with those that you love, and I certainly am LZ your mom, my mom, the kids are here, your brother's coming in, so we are hosting this year. First of all, Happy Thanksgiving.
Babe, Happy Thanksgiving. I'm so grateful for you.
This is our first round of holidays as a married couple.
Not much has changed, but well, no, you know what, something has changed.
What's that?
I think maybe this year, maybe it was last year, was the first time or will be the first time that we've spent both major holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas together.
Yeah, we made a concerted effort early on to just support each other of go be with your family. You do your thing, I'll do my thing. We will try to be together as much as possible. We've definitely learned we don't want to be apart.
So well, you know, we don't want to be apart. But I will also say, I just think, like with a lot of families, you know you're dealing with. I think people tend to live all over the country more now than they did decades ago. Our families are spread
out all over in different cities. You know. We have divorce in our family, Like there are different things where you end up having to split time and share time, and so I think it's so important to have a soft heart with that and to be empathetic and to not make demands of the people you love, Like as long as you're seeing effort from those people that they want to see or that they're trying to or they're saying, well,
let's do Christmas on this day. But it's hard. It's hard to not be with the ones you love on holidays.
And we did that and I definitely was like, I don't want to do that again. Where you and I were apart, you don't ever well, I mean, if we look, if we have to, I agree with what you just said. We all got to just do the best we can. Yeah, when you have kids and families, like you said, in the family dynamics.
Grew up, they're dating people, they have partners, you know.
And in this day and age, there's divorce in your everybody and including having grace for our own kids. Of everyone's just going to do the best they can and you try to remove the guilt. And I guess that gets me to my point of what's so wonderful about Thanksgiving is it's the holiday where you really choose. You know, Christmas is it's family. You know, it's it's such a religious holiday. Typically it's that's with your family, period, full stop.
Thanksgiving has always been kind of that. Yes, it's definitely with family, but it's also your friends, the people you choose to have a holiday with.
Oh, I think this is a very La thing. You're heading on. LA is the city of friendsgivings. Did you ever notice that?
Yeah, well I did a few of those.
I think it's because it's a very transient place. Like a lot of people are moving to LA to pursue their dreams away from their family please. And then it's like on this one end of the country and a lot of people are struggling artists, like with not that much money. So I noticed when I was in LA in my twenties, so many people stay in LA for Thanksgiving, do friends givings, and then like save their money to go home for Christmas.
And I tried to bring as many orphans, you know, La orphans, you call them as I could into my home because I was very traditionalist. You know, I would fry the turkey and do the thing. And you know, look, if you want to come, bring a dish if you can, if not, just come and enjoy. Because you know, one thing is you just don't want people to feel alone in these holiday seasons, and try to be cognizant of that.
If you have friends or people that are alone, try to give them a little extra attention or a call, or invite them over, or take them some leftovers, even just say hey, we made you a plate, and try to make people feel a little seen and loved on this holiday. But I'm excited for Thanksgiving, and I hope everybody listening is getting a chance to settle in and hopefully if you're traveling, you've made a twere you're getting because I know travel is crazy this week. But I'm
excited for Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. Is there something in particular you love the most other than the obvious of families going to be here. Is there something you look forward to on Thanksgiving?
I've actually, very consciously in the last few years tried to mentally drill in on being so grateful at Thanksgiving and really thinking about truly what I'm thankful for, because you know, when you're little, it's like the turkey and I don't know what thinks. There's the playful side of Thanksgiving and when you're a kid, you don't have the capacity to be super grateful. And then in the past couple of years, I know, you know, there's been some
controversy around it as a holiday. So to me, I've just tried to focus on the meaning of Thanksgiving, like what are you grateful for? Especially because I think with Christmas there's a lot more pomp and circumstance, like gifts and decorations, and Thanksgiving we just basically got food right
and people we love. So I think that like this year, my brother wasn't necessarily like he was super busy with work, and I'm like, dude, just come, you know, Like, to me, it's so important, and it probably comes from a grief place of knowing my dad's not with us anymore. The older I get, the more I just think, let's just try to move mountains to be together. And I think, especially when you live apart these little weekends, it's kind of like this concentrated experience where you can pack a
lot of gratefulness and quality time together. So I'm thankful for that, and then I'm reminding myself to be thankful and that's what I'm looking forward to about Thanksgiving.
What were your thanksgivings growing up? What was that?
Always either at our house or my grandmother's house. She lived forty minutes away, so we kind of exchanged, like who was hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas?
And is just like ten twenty thirty Yeah, like.
Twenty twenty five people. Yeah, I mean it was like that was one thing. A lot of my family still lived in Chicago, so we were able to be together for a lot, which I had great times with my cousins, Like we were all, you know, kids running around and and I'm definitely grateful this year for my sister being a new mom. It's like starting a new generation and it'll be fun in the next couple of years and we have holidays with little kids running around.
It's going to get bigger and bigger.
Yeah, what about you? What were your Thanksgivings on?
Mine were kind of sports for a while growing up.
With sports was not a thing for us.
Yeah, there was there was the like a football game or so no, no no. For me, it was there was a Thanksgiving soccer tournament every year in Houston, and so we would go to the soccer tournament and you know the turkey trot whatever you call them, and then we would go I luckily I have relatives. My dad's sister lived in Houston, so we would then go to their house for Thanksgiving and kind of knock it all out.
So we did that for a lot of years, and then after that it was kind of a hodgepodge of being back home, you know, in college and all that. So I love Thanksgiving. I think what I relish the most is the days leading up to it. The first like Wednesday, you know, Tuesday, really Wednesday and Thursday, of getting everything prepped. I enjoy going to the store. I know it can be crazy going to the grocery store.
You're so right about this. I think that the cooking together is more fun than the eating together.
Yeah, hanging out in the kitchen. Your mom's going to be there, I'll be there, Taylor, our daughter is going to be there. Your brother's girlfriend, Casey's an amazing baker and cooking.
Thank god Taylor and Casey are around to join on the baker some sus chef. Your mom's going to cook as well.
My mom's coming in, So that to me to have music going, have a game on in the background, have the football game on. Oh you know, you'll be in charge of opening wine and champagne and shakouderie. But we like just all hanging out in that area, laughing, talking, you know, debating whatever it is. That is everything to me as much as diving in and actually eating on Thursdays.
I think you're totally right. And isn't it funny because you actually spend so much more time on the prep than the meal. Like I said, you do all this work and then sit down to eat, and you forty minutes later you're done and okay, now we're all cleaning up.
Yeah, then you're just excited about the leftovers.
Well, you just sit on a really good metaphor? Is it allegory?
Oh?
I got to READO my English education. But point of that Thanksgiving shows us and the prep and all that reminds us that you got to enjoy the journey. You know, sometimes the destination you get there, but like the journeys where you actually make the memories and you're totally right
now that I stop and think about it. My great memories of especially recent years when I can remember more from instead of being so young, but is helping my mom in the kitchen and just hanging out and laughing with her, because there's something very human about a joint project and goal that you're working towards, like the creation of the food, and doing that together is really bonding.
But that's changed, right, I mean, I remember when I was a kid, and I don't know if it was different for you, but when I was a kid, I dreamt of pecan pie and turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes.
It was just waiting all day smelling it, and you'd sneak in and you know, the adults were in there and I wasn't involved in the prep, and that the moment of walking in just seeing this buffet because we didn't eat like that all year, and so you know, if you're your grandparents or whatever, just seeing all that food, you're like, oh my gosh, that just bounty you're about to dive into, and then two seconds later you're stuffed.
But it's definitely changed now. I relish everyone coming home and the big hugs and the music and the laughter and the house being full and the noise is what I relish the most.
But that's another good point. Probably when we're younger, we so focus on the end results, yeah, and the toy we get for Christmas, and then when we're older we realize the fun is in like putting the dollhouse together, kids' faces.
Yeah, yeah, okay, But with that said, let's go shallow. When you see the lineup on Thursday, what's that one thing you're like that's my go to? Like? Is there a thing where you're like? Is it turkey as it yams? Is it the green bean casserout?
We're the only ones who do this?
Well.
You and I feel differently. I love turkey, you're not. I like turkey, turkey fair. Your mom makes an amazing turkey, so I'm excited about that. And I fried a turkey for a long time, which I did love a fried turkey.
By the way, the Emerald Lagassi fried turkey recipe that's been around for forever is spectacular. I used it for for forever.
Why have you not made me this very because we got to buy a friar, gotta get against and it's dangerous.
You do it right. It's really not for you know, probably a decade.
It's my grandfather used to fry a turkey. He got really into it for a while, and I just remember, like my mom would tell him, Dad, take that out on the deck and do it away from the kids, and we'd like watch him through the glass window of frying the turkey because we weren't allowed to beating ny.
But yeah, okay, a couple of things. A check the water, you know, put it in the trash bag.
And it wasn't a man who loved.
So you definitely set you know, so you can set the oil level. Uh, and then obviously don't let the turkey be frozen at all when you put it in the fryer.
Bad hot tip. Literally.
But it's also just difficult because even if you do it perfectly, it's messy and you have just a ton of peanut oil or whatever that whatever oil you're using. You have this vat of oil that you have to dispose of. So it's just it's not a clean thing to do. Like, it's just a bit of a pain, but man, it's good. Once you have one like that, it's hard to go.
I did they were great? I think he stopped doing it just because it was so much work. Exactly what you're saying. My mom got me really into and I don't know if other people do this, but at Thanksgiving we have turkey with champagne, and like the flavor combination of turkey and gravy with champagne is so good.
Like the way you're moving your shoulders round.
I'm getting excited about it. And we you know, it's like there's also something so special about holiday food because it's one c year, you know, when I'm never eating turkey other than at Thanksgiving, so it really makes it.
I'm a side fan, you know. I love to make a tender loin, So I'm going to make us a tender loin on the green Ada.
If anyone else is doing this beautiful.
I love it.
I love a tender You make a great tenderline. I've just never had the tender line of Thanksgiving until you.
So instead of turkey and ham, we do turkey and tenderloin. But I like, I'm excited for a little bit of everything, like the green bean casserole, the candy jams. I'm not gonna eat a lot of them, but you got to have some mashed potatoes. I love your mom's gravy all you know, I love all of that and a little bit.
Of dessert for sure. The sides are a major.
So I'm a big sides person because it's I think it's the one meal where I'm just so excited about the sides.
It is. I know some people, Oh, in the you call it yams, It's called sweet potato casting.
The same thing. But what about the cranberry sauce.
I need it out of the can me too.
Yeah, I know, I need to see the ribbed can.
Yeah, I don't want the real ones. It's probably the only thing in my life where I want the less natural, more processed version.
I know, and I know we could just google this now, but does anybody understand why the label is always upside down on the cranberry sauce cans?
Never even noticed that. Yeah, obviously I don't do the grocery.
Shopping, but oftentimes it's upside down. I've always wondered why that is.
It's just a reminder to be grateful.
Yeah, thanks, But yeah, I'm glad that we agree on that because I need a couple of slices and it's and then later I'll put that on.
Yeah, more than if anyone giving us that answer, I would be interested to know. And I'm circling back to what we said a minute ago. But if we are the only ones who, up until so recently, because we've been together for six years, but would separate on holidays like this, does, I think it's a rare thing. I guess my mindset with it was always, well, we're together pretty much the rest of the year, right, and I just don't ever want either of us to like not
be able to see our family. So in years past, what we've done is, you know, you might go see your dad a Thanksgiving and so I'll go be with my mom, and but then like we'd have the kids for Christmas, so we're going to come together. Maybe your mom would come to that and we would just kind of be like we would separate so that we could see all the people we love. So I'm interested if anybody else does that or if we're weird.
There's no and just no, there's no right way to do it. Yeah, there's no. However, you're pulling it off and making it work. God bless you for it.
Well, some people get mad about it, like some people when you do you know, a, oh, we're doing our Christmas on this day. Some people get offended about that and they're like, no, it's not that doesn't count. I'm a big I'm okay with it not being on the actual date, like let's just get together. But you know, and I want to give a shout out, like a lot of this probably comes from a grief place for me. I know that, like losing my dad and then growing older.
It's just driven home from more the importance of appreciating family and being together. And a shout out to anybody who is missing someone this holiday season. I know that, you know it's like this time of joy and gratefulness, but sometimes it feels like a little a little stab of pain when you think about the people you don't have. So just sending love to you and know that our thoughts are with you.
And I echo that as we head into the holiday season, obviously it kicks off for Thanksgiving. Wherever you are, Elsie
and I are thinking about you. We love you. We love doing this podcast, and especially it always hits home as we head into the holidays to be grateful, and one of the things we're grateful for is that we've had this conduit to you guys to be able to talk to chat and The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever has been a lot of things, a lot of great interviews, a lot of great talks, a lot of great questions from you guys. But at this time of year we
give thanks. And one of the things that Elsie and I will definitely give thanks for is you always you for allowing us to do what we love and now we get to do it together. So Happy Thanksgiving everybody.
We love you, We're grateful for you, and we hope that you are with people who appreciate you and that you can send love to them and give it back, because I really think at the end of the day, that's what life is all about, the people in our lives. We love you, guys, Thank you so so much, and Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks for listening. Follow us on Instagram at the Most Dramatic Pod Ever and make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. I'll talk to you next time.