A way to celebrate this Thanksgiving
Nebraska Extension Press release Nov. 6, 2020
- This year, your Thanksgiving celebration may look different from years past. You may not be with Mom who normally has prepared the turkey for your Thanksgiving Dinner. You may be uncertain how to make Grandma’s traditional stuffing recipe. But, there are things you can do to celebrate this holiday.
Most importantly, take time to be thankful. We all have people and blessings in our lives that are sometimes taken for granted. This is a great time to make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Your list might start with all the Thanksgiving Dinners that have been prepared for you. Each day start a new list of ten different items you are grateful for. You can encourage your family to do the same.
If the thought of preparing a Thanksgiving Dinner seems unachievable for you, use your resourcefulness to create a Thanksgiving meal that will comfort and nourish those around you this year. Maybe purchase a turkey breast rather than the whole turkey. By preparing it with spices and roasting it in the oven until the thickest part of the breast registers 165° with a thermometer, you can create a very delightful meal. The leftovers can be made into turkey sandwiches or a casserole, or can be frozen and eaten throughout the following weeks. If you are going for an even simpler turkey meal, ground turkey can be made into burgers, stir fry, Shepard’s Pie, lasagna, meatloaf, or spa
BROKEN BOW
ghetti to name a few options.
Roasted vegetables make a great side dish to any meal. Take potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, asparagus, or whatever vegetables you have on hand and transform them by lightly drizzling with olive oil and roasting them in an oven until they are tender. For additional inspiration to create delicious food and learn more about food safety, visit: food.unl.edu
No pie plate? No pie crust? No problem. Pumpkin pie filling bakes up beautifully without a crust and makes the whole house smell like Thanksgiving. You can use this recipe from the label on Libby’s pumpkin purée and adjust the spices to taste.
Mix together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 large eggs, 15-ounce can pumpkin purée, and 12-ounce can evaporated milk until thoroughly combined. Pour into a greased baking dish to a depth of about one and a half inches and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve with whipped cream or thawed frozen whipped topping.
Your celebration may be different this year, but sometimes trying new things allows you to find freedom and a new way to enjoy a tradition. It might be more pleasurable and stress free than what you did in the past. Think about this year as an opportunity and seeing it with a positive mindset may help you to enjoy what you have.