We are Pie people more than cake people. Don't get me wrong we do love homemade yellow cake with milk chocolate icing, but not birthday cake or wedding cake or red velvet cake. Especially not red velvet cake. Yuck! My grandmother's coconut cake was great and her butter cake was really really great but the gift belonging to those recipes seems to have vanished when she went to live with the angels who sprinkled her with angel dust in her last days. But pies and cobblers are where our hearts live and beat.
Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for us...it features pie. It's when the rest of the world recognizes pie for it's greatness. I'm not sure what dessert goes with New Year's but Valentine's day is a definite cake day, chocolate with pink icing. Easter is coconut cake, oh yea, that's a good one, as I mentioned coconut cake is good. Coconut cake after it's been in the freezer for a month...that is the best! Such good memories for me. Independance day we love as cherry, blueberry and apple pie take center stage!My mama spices up other special summer days with her peach cobbler. I don't think Halloween gets its own dessert just candy. And Christmas is cake, fruit cake to be specific, ummmmm not too good. So July 4th and Thanksgiving us pie lovers live it up!
I used to be the pie maker and they were good, but I have passed the pie pans to my duaghter and she is awesome! Yesterday I mentioned that we don't really mess with Thanksgiving menus. We like the tradition and that applies to the desserts too,with one exception. In my years of being the pie maker we finished our feasts with Pumpkin and Pecan pies and an occasional Sweet Potato pie. But since my middle daughter has taken over the pie making she has added Coconut pie. Her Coconut pie is the best, bar none, in the world! It is so good that her sister, my youngest daughter, shunned a wedding cake for her October Wedding in favor of Coconut pie and Pumpkin pie made by middle daughter.
We may add a crustless pumpkin pie this year for certain health considerations but I will be looking forward to Coconut Pie. Rumor has it that the health conscious are considering just a sliver of middle daughter's Pumpkin and Coconut pies!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Traditions
Thanksgiving is on everyone’s mind. Television programming features regular reminders that it’s green bean casserole time again! Magazines are full of glossy pictures featuring a golden bird and side dishes that make even a full stomach rumble with hunger. My family and I pour over these magazines on the hunt for clever ways to set the table, crafts for the kids and other tid bits that will make our day together special.
I always pay special attention to the varied ways to prepare the feast day standards such as sweet potatoes, dressings, and salads. I do this not because I plan on surprising my family with sweet potato cranberry spiced soufflé or walnut stuffing with golden raisins and pimento, but to laugh at the weirdoes who would dare mess with tradition! Every year I am amazed at the myriad of ways to prepare Thanksgiving Dinner. Who are these people? I may live a sheltered life, but I have really never met anyone who doesn’t make the same thing year after year. How could you betray the memory of your grandmother by not making her cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving?
Oh sure we talk about it, we speculate on making things low calorie, more modern or even accommodating a new son-in-law’s possible Thanksgiving traditions. We even carried out a few flirtations with the new. There was the year we were all watching our weight so we made mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, it fooled no one and it was never repeated. Another year we went to a step-parent’s house and had an entire meal of new. That day has been recorded in family lore as the worst Thanksgiving ever. The evil step-mother tried to impress with a fancy affair, no turkey, just goose. Goose stuffed with dates, sausage and some unidentified gray stuff…best guess was mushrooms. Least I mis-lead you, we do indeed experiment, love new recipes and try all sorts of craziness found in the pages of Martha Stewart. We have enjoyed many meals of “recipe firsts.” Some of them even becoming part of our regular repertoire of dinner fare. We do not however mess with Thanksgiving!
We may add a son in law family favorite to make them feel like part of the family, we may invite someone to bring their Thanksgiving specialty but we do not mess with the perfection that has become our Thanksgiving Day feast.
Original Menu in bold, additions in italics:
Roasted Turkey, we have to have this because we love it and we need the juices to make the dressing.
Deep Fried Turkey, Deep fryers became the rage about ten years ago and the boys in the family thought the idea of frying a turkey ranked in the supreme category. We did love it, but as previously stated we could not do away with the Roasted Turkey.
Grilled Turkey Breast: due to a constant shortage of left over white mean, again the men wanted to man up and use fire to cook the bird. Results were delicious, it was a keeper.
Giblet Gravy: a southern tradition
Smooth Gravy: a son in law addition
Cornbread Dressing: Handed down for at least 4 generations, it’s not going anywhere! * note at least one son- in –law grew up eating stuffing. It is not on the menu, never has been never will be, it’s gross.
Mashed Potatoes: duh!
Sweet Potato Souffle: Handed down for 4 generations, even people who don’t eat sweet potatoes eat this and love it
Green Bean Casserole: This is a testament to a much beloved son in law, he loves it, and no one else does. Two generations have now made this so that said son in law will have a smile on his face!
Green Stuff: Otherwise known as Watergate salad. We are thinking about adding Pink stuff this year in honor of the newest son in law in the family.
Relish Tray: duh!
Maybe tomorrow we will address the desserts!
I always pay special attention to the varied ways to prepare the feast day standards such as sweet potatoes, dressings, and salads. I do this not because I plan on surprising my family with sweet potato cranberry spiced soufflé or walnut stuffing with golden raisins and pimento, but to laugh at the weirdoes who would dare mess with tradition! Every year I am amazed at the myriad of ways to prepare Thanksgiving Dinner. Who are these people? I may live a sheltered life, but I have really never met anyone who doesn’t make the same thing year after year. How could you betray the memory of your grandmother by not making her cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving?
Oh sure we talk about it, we speculate on making things low calorie, more modern or even accommodating a new son-in-law’s possible Thanksgiving traditions. We even carried out a few flirtations with the new. There was the year we were all watching our weight so we made mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, it fooled no one and it was never repeated. Another year we went to a step-parent’s house and had an entire meal of new. That day has been recorded in family lore as the worst Thanksgiving ever. The evil step-mother tried to impress with a fancy affair, no turkey, just goose. Goose stuffed with dates, sausage and some unidentified gray stuff…best guess was mushrooms. Least I mis-lead you, we do indeed experiment, love new recipes and try all sorts of craziness found in the pages of Martha Stewart. We have enjoyed many meals of “recipe firsts.” Some of them even becoming part of our regular repertoire of dinner fare. We do not however mess with Thanksgiving!
We may add a son in law family favorite to make them feel like part of the family, we may invite someone to bring their Thanksgiving specialty but we do not mess with the perfection that has become our Thanksgiving Day feast.
Original Menu in bold, additions in italics:
Roasted Turkey, we have to have this because we love it and we need the juices to make the dressing.
Deep Fried Turkey, Deep fryers became the rage about ten years ago and the boys in the family thought the idea of frying a turkey ranked in the supreme category. We did love it, but as previously stated we could not do away with the Roasted Turkey.
Grilled Turkey Breast: due to a constant shortage of left over white mean, again the men wanted to man up and use fire to cook the bird. Results were delicious, it was a keeper.
Giblet Gravy: a southern tradition
Smooth Gravy: a son in law addition
Cornbread Dressing: Handed down for at least 4 generations, it’s not going anywhere! * note at least one son- in –law grew up eating stuffing. It is not on the menu, never has been never will be, it’s gross.
Mashed Potatoes: duh!
Sweet Potato Souffle: Handed down for 4 generations, even people who don’t eat sweet potatoes eat this and love it
Green Bean Casserole: This is a testament to a much beloved son in law, he loves it, and no one else does. Two generations have now made this so that said son in law will have a smile on his face!
Green Stuff: Otherwise known as Watergate salad. We are thinking about adding Pink stuff this year in honor of the newest son in law in the family.
Relish Tray: duh!
Maybe tomorrow we will address the desserts!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Ants Are Mean
I had to waste the afternoon of a perfectly lovely warm late fall afternoon sleeping! Don't get me wrong some days I long for a lazy nap while fresh ocean breezes cover me better than the softest sheets. But not today.
Today was a gift, a throw back to summer with just enough coolness in the air to harken the colder days of winter ahead. It is what I call a threshold day, one step behind finds the summer fun, one step forward lands you in the excitment of winter holidays.
Looking forward to spending the day outside, I wrestled my grandson from P.J.'s to clothes, to shower, back into clothes, back into clothes, and back into clothes. Yes, I believe the count is right, dressing him 4 times in less than 45 minutes. The first time he insisted on wearing dirty clothes, I gave in, anything to get him dressed and outside. I jumped in the shower, he undressed and jumped in the shower. Dressing number two involved me insisting on him wearing clean underwear. We struggled, he won. Naked again, he agreed to wear clean underwear if he could wear them backwards. I agreed, what do I care if he has a wedgie all day? Backward clean underwear with dirty clothes on top. I could agree to that, I just wanted to get outside. On our way outside a collision with a water glass led to the fourth and final wardrobe choice, clean shirt, dirty pants, backwards but clean underwear, no shoes. Perhaps I should have taken it as a sign that we should not venture outside.
Today's mission several games of red light, green light and collecting fall leaves. Our cherry tree floats the most vibrant leaves onto our lawn. Colors range from burnished browns to sunny yellows. There are pumpkin and green leaves and golden oranges. Almost every color you could think of except red. I have asked my grandson to bring me yellow leaves, then brown, then orange...he says what about red? Looking around we find no reds. He looks up and spies the flaming red trees lining the back of our neighbor's yard. Barefoot and armed with an array of leaves we head over to ask if we may harvest a few of the red leaves lying about in such plenty. Our neighbors love my grandson and eagerly offer for him to take bushels and bushels of leaves. We thank them and tell them a few will do.
My grandson is happily picking up leaves and I see that the most vibrant reds have fallen close to the trunk of the tree. I venture in and am stooped over mindlessly calling out, "look at this one, oh look at this one," when something else red appears to be under the tree. Ants!
My left bare foot is covered in fire ants, stinging and biting or whatever it is that they do. In just a few short moments they have swarmed my foot and the bottom of my pants. Trying to remain cool and keep my grandson away, I scream and spastically begin brushing them off my foot and pants. No one likes fire ants and as it turns out I am allergic to the little freaks of nature.
Two antihistimines, and two ibuprofens later, I'm on the couch with a foot that looks like a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I have hives covering my entire body and my fingers are almost too swollen to hold anything. My eyes are heavy from the antihistimine. My daughter has come to retrieve my grandson and I drifted off not to awaken for two hours! The door bell was ringing or perhaps I would be sleeping still. God does indeed work in mysterious ways. It was the "bug man" at the door. I had forgetten about our quarterly pest control visit. I explained my plight, to which he responded, "Ants are mean." Yep, ants are mean!
Today was a gift, a throw back to summer with just enough coolness in the air to harken the colder days of winter ahead. It is what I call a threshold day, one step behind finds the summer fun, one step forward lands you in the excitment of winter holidays.
Looking forward to spending the day outside, I wrestled my grandson from P.J.'s to clothes, to shower, back into clothes, back into clothes, and back into clothes. Yes, I believe the count is right, dressing him 4 times in less than 45 minutes. The first time he insisted on wearing dirty clothes, I gave in, anything to get him dressed and outside. I jumped in the shower, he undressed and jumped in the shower. Dressing number two involved me insisting on him wearing clean underwear. We struggled, he won. Naked again, he agreed to wear clean underwear if he could wear them backwards. I agreed, what do I care if he has a wedgie all day? Backward clean underwear with dirty clothes on top. I could agree to that, I just wanted to get outside. On our way outside a collision with a water glass led to the fourth and final wardrobe choice, clean shirt, dirty pants, backwards but clean underwear, no shoes. Perhaps I should have taken it as a sign that we should not venture outside.
Today's mission several games of red light, green light and collecting fall leaves. Our cherry tree floats the most vibrant leaves onto our lawn. Colors range from burnished browns to sunny yellows. There are pumpkin and green leaves and golden oranges. Almost every color you could think of except red. I have asked my grandson to bring me yellow leaves, then brown, then orange...he says what about red? Looking around we find no reds. He looks up and spies the flaming red trees lining the back of our neighbor's yard. Barefoot and armed with an array of leaves we head over to ask if we may harvest a few of the red leaves lying about in such plenty. Our neighbors love my grandson and eagerly offer for him to take bushels and bushels of leaves. We thank them and tell them a few will do.
My grandson is happily picking up leaves and I see that the most vibrant reds have fallen close to the trunk of the tree. I venture in and am stooped over mindlessly calling out, "look at this one, oh look at this one," when something else red appears to be under the tree. Ants!
My left bare foot is covered in fire ants, stinging and biting or whatever it is that they do. In just a few short moments they have swarmed my foot and the bottom of my pants. Trying to remain cool and keep my grandson away, I scream and spastically begin brushing them off my foot and pants. No one likes fire ants and as it turns out I am allergic to the little freaks of nature.
Two antihistimines, and two ibuprofens later, I'm on the couch with a foot that looks like a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I have hives covering my entire body and my fingers are almost too swollen to hold anything. My eyes are heavy from the antihistimine. My daughter has come to retrieve my grandson and I drifted off not to awaken for two hours! The door bell was ringing or perhaps I would be sleeping still. God does indeed work in mysterious ways. It was the "bug man" at the door. I had forgetten about our quarterly pest control visit. I explained my plight, to which he responded, "Ants are mean." Yep, ants are mean!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Smiling in the Sun
Nah, I'm back sitting in the sun with Moses I just got a glass of wine instead. Maybe tomorrow!
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