Merrill's Cranberry Relish | Holly's Cranberry Cup Salad
Pumpkin Jell-O | Nan's Famous Yams | Bowan's Pumpkin Pie
We ate two Thanksgiving dinners and two
Christmas dinners for a very long time...
By Cynthia Bowan
First of all, I would like to thank those of you who were kind enough to send me get well wishes. I am on the mend, and things are much better.
When I was growing up, and later on, when married with children, holidays were crazy, wonderful, exhausting and enjoyable.
Anytime you get an extended family together, you will have confusion, noise, disagreements, laughter, reminiscing and joy. And so it has been most of my life, until last year.
My in-laws and my Momma have passed away, so our families are fractured somewhat. Children and grandchildren are scattered, so pulling everyone home at the same time almost takes an act of Congress. It basically started with birthdays last year, and then spread to Thanksgiving.
We have five children; only our middle one, Holly, is at home. As I write this, Doug is still in Greensboro, NC. Mark David, our #2, and his family live in the Victorian town of Franklin, PA, about 2 hr. away. We are also bless with grandsons Will (8), Micah (6) and we are expecting Joshua in February!
Holly is here, but her heart is across the river with Aaron who has moved to an apartment there from the South Hills, much closer to her, but not that close. <g>. Jon is now a Navy corpsman, and stationed at a Marine Corps air base in AZ. And Bethany, who turned 20 this summer, is in the Marines and stationed in CA.
None of them will be here for Thanksgiving, so my husband and I will go to Doug's. Christmas is another story. Doug will come home and so will Mark and crew. This will be the first Christmas we will not all be together.
When Merrill and I were dating, and later, first married, we ate two Thanksgiving dinners and two Christmas dinners for a very long time. His parents and mine lived just a few miles apart. So if we dared to visit one home without going to the other, someone certainly saw us, and we would be reproached within a short time...
I can remember back to Thanksgiving dinners when my grandparents lived in Ambridge. My Dad always worked on a holiday, but Momma would bundle us up, and my sister Susan and I, and later our brother Joe, would walk over to the big house early in the morning. Sometimes we would also go over the night before.
Grandma would make her stuffing the night before, sautéing onion and celery in a lot of butter, adding giblets, mushrooms and Bell's seasoning. Bread cubes were tossed into the huge cast iron skillet. When it was seasoned right, she would cover the pan and put it out on the little back porch to cool.
I can remember sneaking out the front door of the house with Susan one time, running around the side of the house, and each of us taking a small handful from the skillet...
Once the stuffing was cooled down, Grandma would stuff the bird, which was always a huge one, well over 22-23 lb. and more. She would rub more butter on the skin, place strips of bacon over the wings, legs and breast, and it would go into the oven at a temperature in the low 200's. The turkey roasted slowly all night, with wonderful fragrances filling the entire house.
And none of us ever got food poisoning, either...
Momma and Grandma worked in that kitchen for what seemed like hours. They made rolls, pumpkin and mincemeat pies, Jell-O mold, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, relish tray, cranberry sauce, and more.
We sat down to eat when my Dad walked in the door. Once in a while, there would be extra company. The one year, Grandma had made oyster stuffing for the neck cavity of the bird, and regular for the larger portion. She made me promise not to say anything, because the other people made no bones about hating mushrooms and instant coffee.
Grandma served that turkey, and they cleaned their plates. She also made instant coffee in her coffee pot, and that disappeared with the pies. No one complained. I kept her secret all these years; the other couple also have passed away, so I guess no one would be hurt if I tell this now. <grin>
When my grandparents moved to California, and Momma started her own Thanksgiving, we had pretty much the same meal, but she had different types of Jell-O salads (according to the latest recipe, I think) and two kinds of cranberry sauce on the table - one with berries and one jellied. My Momma also made these awesome mashed sweet potato balls, which had a large marshmallow in the center, were rolled in crushed corn flakes, and baked.
My mother-in-law made a Jell-O salad with raspberry gelatin, cranberry sauce and chopped nuts and celery. She also baked marvelous rolls and tiny nut horn cookies.
And once I started my own, I made changes for my family and my tastes. We have had the traditional turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, the broccoli casserole (from the Jan. 2001 article here), pumpkin Jell-O, the old green bean casserole with mushroom soup and fried onion topping, two kinds of cranberry dressing (one my hubby's own recipe, and one jellied, bought), Holly's favorite salad, and my sister-in-law, Nan's, Sweet Potatoes with Kahlua. Pumpkin pie, of course...
One year, when Mark was in culinary school, we had a boned turkey. The entire carcass was boned, stuffed and reformed, so that when it was sliced, you got white meat, dark meat and stuffing on your plate. That was the first and last time we did that one!
Last year at Doug's, it was just the three of us. So we had a turkey breast and some of the traditional foods. I have not even begun to decide this year's menu. Chances are good that our Indian friends will be joining us, so I will need a substantial vegetarian main course as well as the turkey. This will be a challenge, but one I need since I will be missing the rest of my family.
But the point is, no matter where you are in life, or where you are spending the holiday, or with whom, the point is to be thankful. We all need to remember the loved ones in our lives, those gone and those still here, and we need to count our blessings.
May you Enjoy! these family favorite recipes, and CYH - consider yourself hugged!
Merrill's Cranberry Relish
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 lemon
1 can sour pie cherries, drained
sugar to suit (at least 1/2 c.)
1 c. chopped walnuts
Wash and pick over cranberries. Place in saucepan and add cherries. Cut rind from lemon, making sure you do not get the white part. (Or, use a zester and take rind off in small strips.) Add lemon to berries with sugar, and just enough water to barely cover. Slowly bring to a boil, and cook until berries begin to pop rapidly.
Remove from heat, check for sweetness and adjust. Allow to cool before adding walnuts, or they will get soft. (I do not add nuts until just before serving.) May serve at room temperature or refrigerate. Leftovers are great in cranberry or raspberry Jell-O... (but I leave the walnuts out, because no one in my family likes "soggy" walnuts.)
Holly's Cranberry Cup Salad
1 large can mandarin oranges
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 large apple
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 c. colored miniature marshmallows
1 c. sugar
1 sm. Cool Whip, defrosted
Using a food processor makes this up very quickly!!! Chop nuts, then apple (unpeeled and cored) and finally, the cranberries. Place in large bowl. Drain oranges and pineapple. Mix all ingredients except Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, drain well. Fold in Cool Whip, place
in a nice bowl (glass if possible) and serve. OR: Do NOT add Cool Whip, serve as is for a relish.
OR: Add Cool Whip, pile mixture into pie shells, and serve as dessert.
Pumpkin Jell-O
1 c. canned pumpkin (not pie mix)
3 oz. pkg. lemon Jell-O
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 T. sugar
1 c. hot water
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 sm. Cool Whip
Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add sugar and spice. Add pumpkin, mixing well. Chill until slightly thickened. Fold in Cool Whip and nuts. Pour into mold or clean bowl, and refrigerate until firm.
Nan's Famous Yams
4-5 lg. sweet potatoes or yams
3/4 c. water
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. Kahlua
Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into 1/4" slices. Place in large pot, cover with water, and cook until tender but not mushy. Drain well, place in casserole dish. Melt butter in small pan, add sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour over potatoes. Bake at 350F, 15-20 minutes. Then pour Kahlua over and bake for 10 more minutes.
Bowan's Pumpkin Pie
Two 9-inch crusts
2 eggs
1 lg. can pumpkin (not pie mix)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 can evaporated milk
Beat eggs slightly in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shells. Bake at 425F for 15 min. Lower temperature to 375F., and bake 30 min. Don't overcook, custard will set as it cools. Cool completely on rack. Garnish with whipped topping if desired.
Variation: Cream 3 T. butter, 2/3 c. brown sugar (packed), and then stir in 2/3 c. firmly chopped pecans (this is for 1 pie - I generally do one with praline and one plain.) Bake pies at the 375F lower temperature for 20 min., Remove one (or both if you double the topping recipe), spoon topping around the edges, and bake for 10 more minutes. Spoon this around the edges of the pie.
By Cynthia Bowan
Return to Index
Merrill's Cranberry Relish | Holly's Cranberry Cup Salad
Pumpkin Jell-O | Nan's Famous Yams | Bowan's Pumpkin Pie
|
