It might be easier to connect to family members thanks to our smart phones, tablets and Skype, but it's also easier to feel a little disconnected when you're finally face-to-face.


This Thanksgiving, we're feeling a little nostalgic for the days where we actually had to pay attention to each other around the dinner table, instead of retreating in the comfort of our Facebook feed while listening to Aunt Agnes retell -- for the fifteenth time -- the thrilling story about the time she accidentally roasted her oven mitt along with the turkey back in '86. Though our families can frustrate us in dozens upon dozens of ways, those "dull" moments are what we end up missing the most as we get older.


Here are a few reminders of what life was like before we had a screen to occupy us at our flimsiest whim.


Heads bowed in prayer, not to surreptitiously check our texts.

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Board games were there to help pass the endless time before dinner. They often ended up in screaming matches, but that's what happens when you introduce "Monopoly" to a bunch of 6-year-olds.

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You didn't take fuzzy close-up pictures of your dinner plate to remember a good meal. No. You appeared in the photo, with the giant turkey, to remember it by.

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Grandpa just sat there and sighed.

Let's make up the story...


A photo like this wouldn't lead to trouble from a meddlesome acquaintance, the way it would if it were taken today and posted on Facebook.

"Thanksgiving, 1950"


Children were seen, not heard...but they were welcome to take on carving duty if they felt like it.

first carving


The picture never came out perfect, but in a way, it was.

Thanksgiving 1975 Brooklyn



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  • Smoked Turkey


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  • Pomegranate Rosemary Roasted Turkey


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  • Emeril's Turkey Roulade With Peach And Sage Gravy


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  • Slow-Roasted Herbed Turkey Breast


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/slow-roasted-herbed-turke_n_1062593.html">Slow-Roasted Herbed Turkey Breast</a> recipe</strong>




  • Michel Nischan’s Roast Turkey With Potato Pan Gravy


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  • Savory Leek Bread Pudding


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.feastingathome.com/2011/12/savory-leek-bread-pudding.html">Savory Leek Bread Pudding recipe from Feasting At Home</a></strong>




  • Pancetta And Sage Stuffing Muffins


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://acozykitchen.com/pancetta-sage-stuffing-muffins/">Pancetta and Sage Stuffing Muffins recipe from A Cozy Kitchen</a></strong>




  • Sausage And Bread Stuffing


    <strong>Get the Recipe for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/sausage-and-bread-stuffin_n_1059606.html" target="_hplink">Sausage and Bread Stuffing</a></strong>




  • Smoky Chorizo Stuffing


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  • Quinoa, Sweet Potato And Dried Cranberry Stuffing


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://withstyleandgraceblog.com/2011/11/16/quinoa-sweet-potato-and-dried-cranberry-stuffing-thanksgiving/">Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Dried Cranberry Stuffing recipe from With Style & Grace</a></strong>




  • Sticky Rice Dressing


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  • Southwest Poblano And Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing


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  • Cream Gravy


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  • Miso Gravy


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  • Mashed Potatoes With Crispy Shallots


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  • Caramelized Scallion Mashed Potatoes


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  • Sweet Potato Casserole


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  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes Brulee


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  • Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes With Toasted Marshmallows


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  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Fresh Figs


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  • Sweet Potato Gratin


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  • Green Bean Casserole


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/11/lightened-up-fresh-green-bean-casserole/" target="_hplink">Green Bean Casserole recipe</a> by How Sweet Eats</strong>




  • Mac And Cheese With Cauliflower


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  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts


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  • Kale & Apple Salad With Pancetta And Candied Pecans


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  • Cauliflower Puree With Toasted Pine Nuts


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  • Pan-Roasted Cauliflower With Pine Nuts And Raisins


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  • Honey Mustard-Glazed Carrot Coins


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  • Classic Creamed Onions


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  • Butternut Squash Wedges With Maple Butter


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  • Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce


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  • Apple Cranberry Chutney


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  • Jellied Cranberry Sauce With Fuji Apple


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  • Old-Fashioned Southern Biscuits


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  • Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie


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  • Deep Dish Apple Cranberry Pie


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  • Nana Frances’s Chocolate Chess Pie


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/24271">Nana Frances’s Chocolate Chess Pie recipe</a> by Ezra Pound Cake</strong>




  • Candy Apple Pie


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/354">Candy Apple Pie recipe</a> by Ezra Pound Cake</strong>




  • Maple Pecan Pie


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/maple-pecan-pie_n_1151672.html">Maple Pecan Pie recipe</a> by Post Punk Kitchen</strong>




  • Chocolate Dipped Pears With Almond Crunch


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.bakersroyale.com/fruit/chocolate-dipped-pears-with-almond-crunch/" target="_hplink">Chocolate Dipped Pears with Almond Crunch recipe</a> by Bakers Royale</strong>




  • Upside Down Saffron Pear Cake


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.themarionhousebook.com/upside-down-saffron-pear-cake/" target="_hplink">Upside Down Saffron Pear Cake recipe</a> by The Marion House Book</strong>




  • Harvest Cake With Grapes And Sangiovese Syrup


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/harvest-cake-with-grapes-_n_1058485.html" target="_hplink">Harvest Cake with Grapes and Sangiovese Syrup</a> recipe</strong>




  • Brown Butter-Cranberry Tart


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  • Apple Bread Pudding


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/apple-bread-pudding_n_1058197.html" target="_hplink">Apple Bread Pudding recipe</a></strong>




  • Maple-Apple Upside-Down Cake


    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/maple-apple-upside-down-c_n_1059599.html" target="_hplink">Maple-Apple Upside-Down Cake</a> recipe</strong>