Holidays Like None Other
It is the time of the year we start to get ready for the upcoming holidays. Next week we start off with Thanksgiving. In recent years, it seems that Halloween is the kick-off to the holiday season.
Winter holidays in 2020 will be “Like None Ever.” The impact of the pandemic/coronavirus can put a damper on what type and who we will be celebrating with this year. Or we can start new traditions and ways of celebrating festivities.
Our November Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday. A national holiday celebrated in the states as well as with Americans worldwide. Canada has its Thanksgiving celebration in October.
The traditional dinner with a large gathering of family and friends is in jeopardy. In many cases, limitations will continue through December festivities.
May I suggest that you do what you are comfortable with? You can take a chance of going all out, spend it with a few or alone. Due to health issues along with my age — I have been in and out of quarantine since March. I will count my blessings by myself this year — so I may be around for Thanksgiving 2021.
I will miss the live lineup of parades televised each year. Virtual programs have kept us in touch, but not quite the same.
Your Thanksgiving dinner can be traditional turkey, stuffing, cranberries, etc. Or you can try something different (if only for this year). Cooking has become the poster child for this time of confinement. Many restaurants and markets have available complete dinners for you to have delivered or pick up.
Did you know how TV dinners got their start? In 1953, C.A. Swanson Company over-purchased tons of turkey for sale during Thanksgiving. One of the salesmen devised buying 5,000 aluminum trays and have an assembly line compile what became the first TV dinners. In the first year (1954), the company sold 10 million turkey dinners.
Turkey always seems to be the featured food. But it is the side dishes (and the qualities of them) that makes the meal so special. Pumpkin pie is the second most important food on the table.
Some households make the same pie recipe year after year. While others are in search of new and different recipes. You can make pies from scratch to an easy recipe, or buy one
at the market. Most like their pie served topped with whipped cream. At times there is more whipped cream than pie on the plate.
I would like to share with you my easy-peasy recipe for Corn Pudding.
EASY CORN CASSEROLE
So good – but lots of Calories & Carbs.
8 oz. Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
15 oz. whole kernel corn (drained)
15 oz. creamed corn (undrained)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup melted butter Optional 2 eggs (beaten) and/or ½ to 1 cup shredded cheese - everything tastes better with cheese
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl – pour into an 8” slightly greased pan or casserole. Bake 45-50 minutes uncovered and top is lightly brown.
EASY CRANBERRY SALSA
The side you either like or dislike! 1 navel orange
12 oz. package fresh cranberries
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 to ¼ tsp. cinnamon ½ medium-large white onion
Grate 2 teaspoon of zest off of navel orange - discard remaining peel and pit. Remove orange seconds. Place all of the ingredients into food processor – pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to container with lid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until flavors blend.
TIP(S) OF THE WEEK
Most Thanksgiving foods come to us by the way of Mexico and Central America through the southwestern part of the country.
Stay safe and wear that mask with social distancing.