A Little Holiday Tradition

Both Greg and I grew up with the tradition of getting one new ornament each winter - which means that we both have rather eclectic collections to someday bring to the table (so far the collections are still with our folks, but we hope to have enough storage to remedy that in the next year or so).  When we got married, it only seemed like the obvious choice to continue buying one ornament per winter, whether something to indicate how the year went, where we spent our holidays, or simply one we thought was interesting.

Tags still on - never been put up. Soon to change!

Year 1 - the mermaid. California. Christmas Eve on the beach.
Year 2 - the owl. Colorado. The year of Harry Potter (I finished reading the series and we watched all the movies for the first time).
Year 3 - the cat. Colorado. Sure, it looks nothing like Momo, but it's all about him.
Year 4 - the angel. Colorado. Honestly, we walked past it and both stopped. It just felt right.

Since this year they are finally coming out of their tissue paper homes, I picked up a gold permanent marker and labeled each of them as discretely as possible with the year they represent. I would have loved to include more, but there wasn't always room. I should have looked for a finer tipped marker - or asked someone with better handwriting to handle that part of the project.

Still, I hope the writing is permanent enough to last - and legible enough to work. Someday that information probably won't be quite so easily recalled and I hope that at least a little information will help me remember all the things these little ornaments represent for each year.

The Recipe

I come from a big, loud, close family. We're talking at least three family reunions a year, each a potluck picnic, and most of them with more than 50% overlap despite a different last name before "family reunion." Christmases and Thanksgivings were usually huge dinners - complete with about 50 guests each.

In all these reunions and holiday dinners, there is a single meal that stands out above the rest. This meal is a direct link to my ancestors, not only the ones I've met and eaten it with, but the ones who came long before my time.

Potatoes and Dumplings

Green beans; peas in cream; salad

Bread with butter and strawberry freezer jam

Wonderberry pie with homemade vanilla ice cream

I have eaten this growing up at nearly every family member's dinner table - my parents, my grandparents, my aunts. In college, my brother regularly made Potatoes and Dumplings on the weekends. And now, my husband and I eat it at our table too.

If I only pass on one recipe to somedaykid, this is it.

There's nothing measured about this recipe. I suppose that might be frustrating for someone trying to follow the recipe, but it makes me think about the families who passed this recipe down, adapting it to how ever many people were eating that night or throwing ingredients around as thirteen siblings raced in and out of the kitchen.

Potatoes and Dumplings
1 potato per person
1/2 cup flour per person
1 egg per person
Butter*
salt

Peel potatoes and cut them into bite size pieces. Put the potatoes in a large pot with salted water. The water should cover the potatoes by a couple inches. Cook at a slow boil.

Place the butter in a skillet and slowly brown. Keep an eye on this - it's easy to miss the moment and end up with burnt butter.

Combine flour, eggs and salt (go easy, it's always easy to add more to the finished plates) until you have a sticky dough.

Not a great picture, but something like this.

Test potato 'doneness.' My brother prefers his a little firm, able to maintain the shape. I like mine to cook a little longer so some of them will fall apart into a more mashed potato consistency.

When the potatoes are done to your preference, begin dropping small spoon fulls of dough on top of the boiling water. The dough will rise when it's cooked. This doesn't take long, and most of the dumplings will already be floating by the time you get the last ones dropped in. To be safe, give it a little more time for those last few - we're talking a minute or less.

Drain off the water. Place the potatoes and dumplings in your serving bowl. Pour the browned butter over the top. Stir to mix and coat everything in butter. Now's the perfect time to test a bite (some potato, some dumpling) to see if you were right on the salt or if it needs more. We usually end up adding more at this point, but I'd rather add more after the cooking than wish the dumplings weren't so salty!

Enjoy!

This is the meal that takes me back to my childhood, my family, my roots. This is what I crave when things are rough, or when I want to celebrate. This is my comfort food.

My husband, who grew up with salsa and sauces, used to look down his nose when I described a meal that's basically potatoes with salt and butter. Until he tried it. Now, he's the one requesting it.





*How much butter to use is up to you. My guidelines is 5 potatoes: 3/4 stick butter, 7 potatoes: 1 stick butter, etc. And despite the 1 potato per person rule, I've never made a batch smaller than 5 potatoes, even for two people...

2012 Holiday Digs

I dug out the winter decoration bin over the weekend and got to some decorating.

I'm still on the search for the tree I want. I was beginning to think it's the kind of thing that exists only in my mind - until I saw one last night at the hardware store. Unfortunately, it wasn't for sale (it was only a display for selling things) but at least I know it exists!

But, until I get my hands on the right kind of tree, I've got to be a bit more creative.

This is pretty much the center of our holiday decorations this year. Once upon a time - before my husband and I were engaged - we walked past a free desk outside someone's house. The desk was already split into two parts - one set of drawers, and one set of drawers with the top still attached. So we carried it the four blocks home, into the garage, and straight onto a tarp for painting. With the addition of two little legs and some cream colored paint, the part with the top went on to become a desk (usually called "Momo's Desk" and used either for a sleeping cat or any time I need to use the old Singer sewing machine). The smaller piece got a bold paint, some new handles, but has always been sitting around waiting for a top to be found for it.

I'm still looking for a top, but for the holidays, this cutting board is working fairly well.

On top of the cutting board sits a few ornaments (mostly serving as cat deterrent) and our major Christmas decoration.

With the exception of that large red bag, all the presents we have to give away fit inside the two drawers. Which keeps them out of sight, out of reach of most of the cat hair, and the little jingle bells on the handles keep us honest when it comes to snooping.

Sure, it doesn't give me a way to display our ornaments, but it's simple, fun, free, and I like keeping the bags and temptation out of sight. Whether I find a tree or not, I think I might continue to use this idea of drawers as a base.

Thanksgiving Night

I know I spent time earlier this week talking about things I want to do on Thanksgiving, and how I want to avoid turning on the tv. It's still true.

But that's Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Night is about unwinding and watching a movie as a family.

Home movies or slides would be great, and happen sometimes if we're still at someone else's place, but these days Thanksgiving Night tends to be just the two of us either at home or in a hotel room.

Since at this point our family is two adults, the movies so far have been Chocolat, I was a Male War Bride, Court Jester, Hobson's Choice, and The Glass Slipper. None of which have anything to do with Thanksgiving. They've just become associated with the holiday in my mind.

Just apples, grilled cheese, a burning candle, some warm socks, and a little bit of time to unwind.


I'm an introvert, so having some less busy or chaotic time is a necessity, even if it isn't as 'me' time as sitting alone with a notebook and pen or a hot bath. While movie suggestions are great, what I'd really love to have are tips on how to stay sane/get alone time while traveling and seeing family. So far, the best thing I've got is insisting that we stay at a hotel, but that's not always possible. 

Thanksgiving Food

The Main Event: Turkey/Vegi-loaf/Other?

I’m not big on turkey. If someone else makes it, I’ll eat it. But only twice a year: Easter and Thanksgiving. Okay, maybe a third time: Morning-After-Thanksgiving-Turkey-Gravy (which is also the only time I eat gravy).

Thanksgiving with my in-laws means a vegetarian ‘turkey’ loaf. Which most of the gathering prefer to turkey. Unfortunately, it’s somewhat expensive and not something I can find at any of the stores where I shop, so picking up that tradition when it's just the two of us won't be practical.

If I’m ever responsible for my own Thanksgiving dinner, I’ve got a few recipes bookmarked (this was before Pinterest) for the occasion. Most of them feature rubs, marinades, or curry. I haven’t tried any of them yet, but if I’m ever supposed to cook a turkey, it’s not going to be anything like my grandmother’s turkey.

The Sides: Green Bean Casserole, Spicy Applesauce Jello, Spinach Dip, Cheddar-Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My husband loves green bean casserole. Well, more than anything I think he likes the onion bits on top. It’s completely traditional here, it’s on the list no matter where we go, and we’ll most likely be keeping it. Unless we can find something else that fulfils his desire for the crispy onion bits without the cream of whatever soup – I should add that to my list of recipes to look for.

The applesauce Jello is something my mom made for us, and it’s become one of my top two it-isn’t-Thanksgiving-without-this dishes. 1 bag cinnamon imperial candy (red hots) melted in hot applesauce, mixed in with a red Jello. Makes me hungry for it just writing that out. This tradition is staying with us.

Mashed potatoes are a winner with my husband just about any time, but I rarely think to make them. Something about our potatoes tending to grow before I think about them. Anyway, the first time I made mashed potatoes for him, I randomly threw in sharp cheddar, a little Ranch powder, and some garlic powder. He couldn’t stop talking about how these potatoes were just like the ones his grandmother used to make for Thanksgiving. Bonus? They don’t require gravy.

One thing about having sooo many people gathered together for Thanksgiving? Breakfast starts at 4 when the first person gets up to do chores, ends at 10 when the last person is forced out of bed, and then cooking for lunch starts. Which means lunch (our Thanksgiving Dinner time) might not start until two. Which is where spinach dip comes in handy. Someone always brings a double batch, or more, and some bread (French or sourdough). Somehow, these end up on the table from the moment breakfast is cleared until well after dinner, and anyone who is beginning to long for lunch can swing through the kitchen and grab some – assuming they can get through the mob of people who never left the kitchen! It’s only the recipe on the back of the Knorr soup mix, but it’s special to me. It’s also something I would only make if we’re having a lot of people over. I can’t be trusted with that stuff in the house, and I should not eat even a single batch by myself.

In talking about what else means Thanksgiving, we both remember sweet potato or yam casserole (the orangey dish with marshmallows on top). But for both of us liking sweet potatoes, neither one of us like that. There’s no point in making a dish we won’t eat just so we can feel nostalgic, but I would like to have some kind of replacement for it. Sweet potato chips (crisps) probably aren’t the best answer…

Desserts

I can’t tell you how shocked I was on my first Thanksgiving with my then boyfriend’s family when we were sent to Village Inn to pick up the seven pies they ordered for Thanksgiving dinner. I was so accustomed to eating with ten great-aunts who each show up with a homemade pie or two that it had never occurred to me that not everyone had that option. Even in later years when someone on that side does make a pie or two, there’s always at least a French Silk and a pumpkin from Village Inn.

Even with two pie crust making experiences under my belt, and one whole pie baking experience, I’m not sure where we’ll fall. I am a big fan of pumpkin pie, and apple pie, and imagining Thanksgiving without either seems wrong. But do I want to make two pies? Debatable. I’d probably rather make a berry cobbler, pumpkin ice cream, or three ingredient pumpkin spice cookies.

Other: The Morning After

When you’re having a huge sleepover for Thanksgiving, breakfast the next day is equally important. And leftovers usually play a huge part in that – at least in my family. Biscuits, turkey gravy, and whatever leftovers you can find are usually the sum of things. Oh, and coffee, for those who do that. As someone who doesn’t care for turkey, or gravy, this isn’t quite something I’d want to continue, but I like the idea of finding ways to use the leftovers in a ‘new’ way right away.

What foods say Thanksgiving at your holiday gatherings? Any ideas for things I can try instead of green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, or turkey? 

Thanksgiving Activities

For some people, Thanksgiving Day is about football, or yard work, or hunting. Growing up, I was young enough it was about watching the first run through of “Home Alone” on the upstairs tv – which only got three channels, and the rest were football.

As fun as that was, that’s not quite what I have in mind for our family.

For other people, Thanksgiving Day is about beginning the process of Christmas decorating, breaking out the Christmas movies, and beginning the season of Christmas music.

That’s not my plan either.

But I don’t know what I want to do.

I’ve debated making it the day we work on the family photo album. On one hand, that seems like sedentary work. On the other hand, it also seems like a good way to remember the last year, or the year so far, and all the things we have to be thankful for.

We’ve talked about trying to do something like May Day – secretly leaving a little basket of treats, or seasonal décor, or something to bring a smile to the face, on the door knob of our neighbors. That sounds like a lot of prep work, and certainly isn’t practical when we don’t have a neighborhood or many family or friends in town.

Another thought has been to keep a change jar throughout the year and use Thanksgiving as a time to deliver it to a charity, program, or (secretly) to a family who could use an extra pre-Christmas pick me up.

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? I’d love some more suggestions for things we can do than avoid collapsing in front of hulu or the television (one of my weaknesses). 

Thanksgiving Traditions?

We’re still trying to figure out what kind of traditions we want to have as a family – what pieces of our families’ traditions we want to keep, adapt, or do away with.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was a huge holiday for my family. I’m talking 3-7 days of the whole family (sometimes over 100 people) getting together at a farm in the middle of nowhere. Both the best (staying up late, sneaking into the kitchen, watching cable tv) and worst (overworked plumbing, strange food, sleeping on the floor) of sleepovers, plus a healthy helping of gathering eggs, milking cows and goats, riding quads, running around in mud, and (for those interested) hunting, baking, cooking, and fixing said overworked plumbing.

For my husband, Thanksgiving was also a family event. But for them, that looked a lot more like a semi-formal or formal sit down dinner than his grandmother had prepared. Pearls and dress clothes and all. 

Thanksgiving with either my family or his family no longer means either of those things, but those are the things we remember, and the things we want to borrow from for our own traditions (and to pass on to futurekid).

I'm big on Thanksgiving - it's actually my favorite holiday, by far - so if you've got special Thanksgiving traditions or recipes, I'd love to hear them.



And yes, this mostly means I'll be talking about traditions and food this week.