It's Your Family - Love 'Em Anyway

 

It’s that time of year where everybody – I mean e’rbody – gets anxious about the family holiday get together.  Even for those who do love each and every one of their family members, the cooking, cleaning, baking, packing, weather watching, traveling can still make you a bit stressed.  So – cue “We Are Family” and read on for a few tips in getting ready for dinner with your favorite people.

Endure the craziness.  You probably think you are the only one with that cousin that everybody is keeping an eye on, with that aunt that folks are just nervously waiting to see what she’s going to say.  But we’ve all got our own form of family craziness. Embrace it.

Everybody needs love.  You may be tempted to not invite that uncle because he doesn’t know which is the proper dinner fork versus salad fork or the cousin that is, uhh, just coming home (and not from college) or the sibling who ticked you off at the 4^th of July picnic and you haven’t spoken to since.  You may be justified in your indignation and annoyance. But they’re family. Love them.

Give warnings on the food you bring. The pecan pie is obvious, but the ground almond and peanut butter cookies, might need a sign for the nut-allergy sufferer. Save yourself from making the 911 call and someone from a trip to ER.  Be considerate.

Know your family. If your people like Kraft mac & cheese, don’t show up with Gruyere and brie with truffle oil macaroni.  Or vice versa.  Each year, my made fresh that morning cranberry sauce sits next to the cylindrical, ridged cranberry jelly on the holiday table. Don’t be mad.

Know your own limitations. If you know that you can’t boil water, don’t volunteer to bring the sweet potato casserole.  You can be in charge of the beverages. Be sure to bring enough for everybody. Be generous.

Don’t forget your friends without family.  Perhaps their family is far away and its so expensive to go home, or perhaps their loved ones have passed and they are alone.  Maybe they’ve had a falling out with their family and can’t go home this year.  Invite them to join you. Yes, warn them that the crazy family is coming, but do invite them.  Be thoughtful.

Pour yourself a drink.  (Actually, you might want to start with that.)  But do drink responsibly. And don't drive while intoxicated, high, or texting.  We want you to be around for the next family gathering. Be safe.

Enjoy your family and have a safe, happy holiday season!

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On The Thanksgiving Menu

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year. Although Christmas is my favorite holiday, I often draw the Thanksgiving card in the holiday dinner rotation because my sis-in-law goes shopping on Black Friday and she needs to be ready (see this post on how to get prepped).  I never go shopping on Black Friday. Well, one year I did go to Toys R’ Us at midnight, not really sure what I was going for, but just to see what all the excitement was about. Plus, I’m much more likely to stay up and go shopping at midnight, rather than get up and go out on Friday morning.  Anyway. I’m hosting Thanksgiving.  So, that leaves a lot of the cooking to me.

Every time I host dinner, I go through the menu like its brain surgery, as if it doesn’t change and I’m forgetting some major important thing. Hubby asks about the turkey about a dozen times, so I won’t forget that.  Here’s our menu – you let me know if I’m missing something important (I’m sure I am):

• Turkey 
• Ham
• Fish (probably salmon, maybe catfish, depends how I feel)
• Sweet potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese
• Sauerkraut (I once heard that this was a Baltimore thing, anyone outside of the city have sauerkraut for Thanksgiving?)
• Collard greens
• String beans
• Deviled eggs (what’s a family gathering without deviled eggs)
• Cranberry sauce. Funny thing, I never ever ate cranberry sauce from the can, then one year, I saw a recipe for fresh cranberry sauce. This sounds crazy, but I was shocked – I had no idea there was such a thing. I made it to see if perhaps I liked it better than the canned option. Ta-da – I did! And now it’s a holiday staple.  See below for a quick recipe if you’ve never made it before.
• Rolls

Most of this I will do early Thursday morning.  But the baking (the best part of the menu) I’ve already started.  For the dessert table I’ve got these sugary options:

• Red velvet cake
• Pecan pie
• Sweet potato pie
• Carrot cake
• Apple pie – mainly because I want to try the lattice pie crust from HowIPinchAPenny.com.
• Banana pudding - which my father-in-law will make, nobody else would dare to

A mix of apples for the pie

I also made Red Velvet Bottom cupcakes – they’re like Black Bottoms, but with Red Velvet cake.  Their great because you don't have to worry about the frosting. I bake 'em, set them on the table and distract the family from my cake.  I’ll be referring to my notes from the bakery to make it pretty.

I may make Latkes for breakfast because it’s Hannakkuh. Although I’m not Jewish, it seems like a good excuse to make them.  And I saw a yummy suggestion to have chocolate drizzled popcorn as the pre-meal snack. 

Okay, I think that’s everything.  What are you having for dinner?

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar (feel free to reduce, per your taste)

1 cup juice – apple, cranberry, cran-apple, cran-orange, orange juice diluted with water – whatever

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stirring occasionally, let boil until cranberries burst. Simmer for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat.  Let sit a few more minutes.  Pour into a cooling dish – this can be the bowl you want to serve it in (one less dish to wash) or another bowl if you aren’t going to serve it all at once.  Put in refrigerator to cool and set, at least an hour.

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#GivingTuesday - What Shall I Give?

I caught on to the idea of #GivingTuesday too late last year - maybe on Monday, still full on sweet potato pie and lazy from hanging around the house all weekend.

Having missed it in it's inaugural year, I was excited a couple weeks ago when I got an invitation to be a social media ambassador for this movement to encourage people to give back to their community.  After we enjoy the turkey, spend all our money on Black Friday, over the weekend, and on Cyber Monday, what's there to do next?  Give!  Now that I'm in it, I'll be honest with you and say I need to think of what my giving will be.

Don't get me wrong. I volunteer and donate to my community all year long. Whether through the PTA or my church or alumni association or sorority, or just helping the kids gather cans for the local canned food drive, I try to do my part.  But for this #GivingTuesday, it should be something specific, right? Something on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

While I think, you can check out more about it on the website - #GivingTuesday. If you decide to participate, let me know in the comments below.  Or if you have a suggestion for me, tell me that below, too!

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Baker for a day

In another life, I would've gone to cooking school and specialized in baking. I'd also probably weight about 350 lbs., so I guess it's a good thing, I'm living this life.

However, the sweet tooth is still there (I think my dentist has even identified it) and baking and eating sweets is still a favorite pastime. The eve of Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my best baking days. The big family dinners allow an excuse to offer multiple desserts to accommodate for everyone's favorite. I line the ingredients on the counter, pull out all the pans and mixing bowls, the measuring cups and spoons, make myself a drink (today its pomegranate martini) and pretend for the day that I'm in a bakery.

On this year's dessert menu:
Sweet potato pie
Chocolate pecan pie
Apple pie
Red Velvet Cake
Carrot Cake

What am I missing?