Happy Tuesday to all. I keep seeing commercial after commercial for Christmas now and I have been invited to a nieces for Thanksgiving - so it is time to think about the holidays and all the yummies we tend to eat. Several people on the street have put up lights on these warmer days (smart).
Food is something that makes holidays special. I have a couple or more, favorites and they tend to be made ONLY at the holidays. It makes them special in my eyes. If I ate them regularly, they would lose their special appeal to me.
Today I will give a couple dinner options, and then later in the week some sweet treats!
These are both recipes that I commonly have all the ingredients in my pantry and freezer.
MOMMAS JELLO SALAD
1 can pineapple (crushed or bits)
3 oz. box Jello
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 C chopped apple
1/2 C chopped nuts (I usually use pecans)
1/2 C Mayo
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Drain the pineapple and KEEP that juice. Mix the pineapple JUICE w/water to make 1 Cup. Heat thoroughly. Remove from stove and stir in the Jello until dissolved. Cool slightly.
Stir in evap. milk. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Makes an 8 x 8 pan. Refrigerate until set firm.
I have doubled the recipe to fit a 9 x 12 pan using basically the same amount of fruit & nuts - except 6 oz. Jello. **On the evap. milk - when doubling, instead of opening a new can of milk, I just make up 2 cups with regular milk added to the entire can of evap. milk. Make sure you increase the lemon juice and mayo as well. That lemon juice makes a difference! (I use bottled)
At THANKSGIVING - I usually use orange Jello. CHRISTMAS - lime or cherry or strawberry. You can use whatever you have - I just like the holiday colors.
This is soooooooo good!!!!!
(many people call them funeral potatoes)
1- 32 oz. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)
1 - regular can of cream of chicken soup - condensed
1 C sour cream
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium onion diced
TOPPING 2 C corn flakes (I have used crushed chips or breadcrumbs as well)
1/4 C melted butter
Grease a 9x12 baking pan. Preheat oven 350*
In large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT topping. Spoon into the baking dish. I small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over potato mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes.
My absolute favorite way to eat potatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Both of these recipes were absolute holiday favorites of Glen as well. When we would start talking menus - these were the first 2 things he mentioned. He could have done without turkey or ham - he wanted these 2 things for sure!
I think both recipes are super easy and again, I think most of us probably have the ingredients on hand.
Mom started the Jello salad - and it became a tradition.
I had the potatoes decades ago at a friend's - and got the recipe and it has become tradition at my house.
Does anyone have a tradition of something everyone looks forward to? I love hearing about holiday foods.
Later this week - sweets and baked goods that are HAVE TO HAVE here!
Have a great day!!!!!
Lots of folks have traditional dishes to serve at any holiday. I have a sweet potato casserole recipe that almost tastes like dessert. So many things we can't eat now but we do have fond memories! Pumpkin roll is still a favorite with my girls and they have gotten quite adept at producing the perfect pumpkin roll.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy this beautiful weather. Near mid-70's on Thursday according to my weather channel.
Mom used to make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and nuts - ooey-gooey good.
DeleteNever been a pumpkin person - but the rolls sure do look good.
It is beautiful out!!!!!
Come Christmas, there's a food exchange between 3 of us. I make antipasto & oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries & white choc chips; Aggie does the nelesniki & Val does the caramel popcorn. My dad had a recipe for marinated shrimp that my sister still makes. And my late paternal grandma always made a maple fudge & macaroons. This is proof that food is more than just food with all the associations to people & occasions.
ReplyDeleteHubs loves macaroons and I have plenty of coconut... hmm.
Delete:-) Elise
I love hearing about others traditions and how they came about. Isn't it neat that we can have such special memories of our loved ones through something like food? Macaroons are a favorite of mine.
DeleteThank you, Cheryl! I was *just* trying to plan the Thanksgiving menu. The sides and desserts are really what make the meal, don't you think? Long story shortened...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was doing writing/recipe development for the PR firm of Mrs. Cubbison's, that included food photography and a televised cooking segment (for sausage, pecan & pineapple stuffing), I made 5 turkeys between July and November. Hubs was never much of a turkey fan; he'd be happy if I never roasted another again. The standard sides, though, he loves. Over the years I've adapted recipes to fit our diet for stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole, which are served with tossed salad, cranberry sauce, black olives + sweet gherkins and rolls. Our oldest son expects those traditional sides. He'll be here for Thanksgiving, but Hubs agrees that I can use all the herbs for a turkey with a large whole chicken in the freezer now along with our usual sides.
The sweet potato casserole I now make uses only 2 T. brown sugar. For the green bean casserole, I now sub crunchy topping for the French's onions, as onions no longer agree with us. I always add sausage, extra veggies, fruit and nuts to the stuffing now, too, so the glycemic index is appropriate. Whole wheat rolls have replaced crescent rolls, but for GF folks, you can use GF flour.
We're having mild weather, too, after some crisp, cold days. A thank you to Louise for the tip to donate old towels to the vet clinic; Poppy will be spayed next month and I'll bring them with. We "found" puffy comforters, a few coats and things to drop off for donation to a charity this week, too. Just in time for winter weather ahead. How is it we moved here 18 months ago and I'm still purging regularly??! --Elise
Elise, when I oversaw our Church thrift store our local animal shelter would take all our unsellable linens, bed sheets and all. The clinic where Larissa works only likes towels and blankets.
DeleteHave a great day, Louise
Well, we have plenty of towels, Louise. :-)
DeleteI really like the white meat of turkey - but yes, I think the sides are my favorites. Sure, you could do chicken if that is what they like! Why not?
DeleteStuffing/dressing I am a traditionist - and no sage!!!! Love a green bean casserole - do like my crunchy onions on top.
It is cool how really all things can be re-hashed to fit the needs of our diets as we get older.
It is just beautiful here today.
Hubs was diagnosed with diabetes about 15-16 years ago and I had to change up a LOT. A little extra celery goes into the stuffing, often with peeled, diced apples (and the sausage) plus some nuts. Yes, you adapt. Play with recipes. The key to less sugar in sweet potatoes is to pre-make the casserole and let it sit a day in the fridge before baking; somehow that makes it taste sweeter. He likes to save his carbs for the pie afterwards. LOL! --Elise
DeleteThanksgiving: Corn bread Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Pecan Pie.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve: Cheese Ball, Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Christmas Day: 7 layer salad, and we used to have Corn Oyster Casserole (but can no longer get the Campbells Oyster Stew, so keep trying different recipes. This is a dish my hubby's grandmother used to make.)
Sounds yummy, Amy! --Elise
DeleteMmmmm - pecan pie. I make mom's recipe. Another favorite.
DeleteYou mentioned oysters. I remember on Christmas Eve mom made oyster stew for years. I couldn't stand the thought of it nor the smell!!!! I always had chicken noodle! She always made 2 dressings - one regular and one oyster for my brothers!
It all sounds tasty - minus the oysters!!!
Both those recipes sound delicious. I have not made jello in years but I have several packages so may give it a go.
ReplyDeleteStuffing is an important part of our Christmas food traditions; my parents used to put the ingredients through a meat grinder which made it a forcemeat stuffing, I think. It was so good. pork sausage, bread, salt and pepper and poultry seasoning, onions. I basically make the same but do not grind; also use a variety of herbs, particularly rosemary.
Wouldn't be a holiday without pies either. We usually have a variety. Pumpkin, apple, butterscotch and blueberry. As a child, it was mincemeat pies at Christmas which I still love. Nice to remember.....
Rita, we always do pumpkin, sometimes + apple or pecan, but butterscotch pie sounds delicious! --Elise
DeleteIt tastes nothing like Jello - it is so creamy and yummy.
DeleteI don't think I have had stuffing with meat in it - I have heard of that.
Pies yum. My sis makes a lovely butterscotch pie. Pecan is my favorite for the holidays and cherry cheesecake. I remember mincemeat too. Mom always made that as well. My brothers adored it.
It is nice to reminisce about those long lost days and still keep some of the ways alive today!
As I've shared, Amelia, because stress can trigger a flare up of UC for me, I'm on a very low dose, very safe anti-anxiety prescription I started taking during the pandemic. No side effects. Again, very mild. Just enough to take the edge off. Have you had your hormones checked in bloodwork recently? When they're off it can effect everything. (((Hug))) --Elise
ReplyDeleteChristmas means Scottish shortbread, made with butter not margarine. Bitter, sugar, and flour is all that is needed and they just melt.in your mouth.
ReplyDeleteWhen mom was alive, we always had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, turnips, peas and carrots, gravy, and homemade buns. A meal wasn't a meal for my dad unless there was bread. Now we eat more simply and a lot less.
Love shortbread cookies. I made them once and they sure were hard to keep from crumbling! They tasted good - but I never tried again.
DeleteGood old traditional food there. Mmmm - it all sounds so good. Yep, bread was a necessity!
Simple is just as good and tasty!
Maebeme, I bet I could do those shortbread cookies with butter, almond flour and stevia...Do you have a favorite recipe to share? : )
DeleteIt's a very simple recipe: 2 cps of flour, 1 cup of butter, and 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar. I use less sugar but it's really up to your taste. Cream the butter and sugar, add flour in 1/2 cup amounts and blend well. Let the dough rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It can be rolled out, but I tend to do as my mother did. I shape it into small balls (about an inch) and press with a fork. You can add sprinkles but I like them just as they are. Or you can pat it into a pan, cut it in squares and prick with a fork.
DeleteThank you so much Maebeme! I want to try this soon! I appreciate it very much. : ) Do you use less sugar than 1/3 cup?
DeleteI think just about all dishes can be modified to our dietary needs. Just takes a little playing around.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have some good dishes going too. I never had coconut in the sweet potatoes - but did have the marshmallows and all the other goodies.
Sometimes just the memories of our loved ones - bring back great moments in time and makes for good stories around the table.
You must have a very sensitive constitution. Nothing gets me that easily - thank goodness. When I do get stressed I spend time outdoors and in nature and sometimes a calming tea. Sorry you have had a stressed time.
Green bean casserole and a corn casserole were "musts" at holiday dinners when I was growing up. When we were first married, it was my turn to bring one of the vegetable dishes and I went with a broccoli-cauliflower-carrot dish with swiss cheese in it. I thought my family was going to disown me for not bringing corn casserole. Now that I celebrate Thanksgiving with a smaller group, we've decided on only one vegetable (though I may bring a small corn casserole, in honor of family tradition), and my son-in-law has requested my green bean casserole. The original recipe I use calls for 1 tsp of soy sauce (for a recipe using 2 cans of green beans). One time I was out of soy and substituted terriyaki sauce, figuring it was such as small amount it wouldn't make a difference. Now everyone asks for my "special" recipe, and I've not gone back to using soy sauce.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how everyone gets so used to things? I think the broccoli-cauliflower dish sounds yummy! My niece usually makes corn casserole at Christmas at my brother's house.
DeleteI love that - an oops and it is now a new family favorite!!!!!
We eat seasonally so we do have a number of Holiday dishes that we typically only eat once or twice a year which does make them all the more special. I make the traditional meal my grandmother always did but with a twist on a few dishes. I turned her bread dressing into cornbread dressing and added sweet potato pie along with the pumpkin. These are two dishes I learned living in the south and they've become a tradition along with the others.
ReplyDeleteSeasonally makes sense for Thanksgiving for sure. So many wonderful fall veggies. My sis makes sweet potato pie and loves it - I haven't tried it. I need to.
DeleteI like that you tweaked things to your liking.
I mentioned Poppy is in her 1st heat. Thank goodness for the 7 ft. high kennel, because 2 stray male dogs showed up today! The little one had tags on and Hubs brought him home. The big one has a collar, but no tags; Hubs took him to the animal shelter, but they couldn't take him. He's got a post up on the local FB page and tied him up on the back 1/2 acre. Thing is, he can't stay here. We don't want our pup to have pups (months ago the vet said she had to have her 1st heat before they'll spay). Please pray someone responds and comes to get their beautiful boy. Thank you. --Elise
ReplyDeleteCrisis averted. He's back with his family.
DeleteOh no, Elise. Poor doggy, I hope those are no kill shelters...I hope the owners will have some way of finding him. Maybe put up posters?
DeleteThank God.
DeleteThank you for sharing, Elise. I think my deal is just the way I'm wired...It's always been like that, even as a child I was extremely intuitive and feeling, if the teacher barely looked at me to barely correct my poor little mouth would go upside down, and now blood sugar goes awry and causes some strange effects. That is interesting that your anti-anxiety medication has no side effects, what is it called? I do pretty well with herbal supplements and lavender sleepy time tea but it's always helpful to keep information on file. Thank you, Elise.
ReplyDeleteI had to giggle. Joel hated funeral potatoes and I did not have them at his funeral.
ReplyDeleteWell, if he didn't like them - then they should not have been served!!! Good choice! LOL
DeleteThey are one of my weaknesses!
Cheryl, yes, yes, yes, I do have an extremely sensitive constitution. I'm considered a classic case of an HSP, a highly sensitive person, and it's great for reaching out and noticing others but as I shared with Elise I was very intuitive as even a child, I knew my first grade teacher was expecting just from the way she put her hand on her tummy and said the spelling word, 'baby'. If my parents were in an argument it would just tear me up, I wasn't the kind of child who could just go outside and play and not think about it anymore. Sensitivity is a Gift but the enemy can also use it. Yesterday, I took my Nature's Sunshine, Nerve Control coupled with Lavender sleepy time tea and that helped greatly plus tea tree oil for female burning which will happen in seconds even as I'm talking with the person, and if that did not help then D-Mannose nips things in the bud...I just wish my subconscious would behave. When I was expecting our fourth child, just one unnerving phone call could cause problems. The flip side is that I can also be very prophet, calling things out when I see them, (hopefully with discretion) but also a very merciful person as well. Thank you Cheryl for understanding.
ReplyDeleteMost of my traditional cooking for the holidays is baking. Shortbread, Oh Henry Squares, Nanaimo Bars, toffee, almond bark, peanut brittle are all items my family and friends look forward to getting or eating at my home.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
YUM!!!!!!! May I come??? I bet your family and friends look forward to your goodies. My mouth is watering. Some good homemade peanut brittle sounds wonderful!!!!!
DeleteMy contribution to Thanksgiving dinner has been mashed potatoes as that's what my son loves. One year I brought corn casserole (because *I* love it) and everyone was annoyed so I brought most of it home again. Too strange. My baking is chocolate chip cookies and ginger snaps. There is also a nut bread I make some years.
ReplyDeleteI love lime jello salad, but my recipe is different - it has cottage cheese along with the mayo, pineapple, and evaporated milk - we call it "Green Stuff". :D
Pray for The Holy Land!
MaryB
MaryB, I grew up with "Green Stuff", too. ;-) --Elise
DeleteOh got to have mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!
DeleteMy MIL made that Jello salad - I know many like it - but I can't go it. I just cannot do anything with cottage cheese.
Amelia, it's Lexapro. My Sis told me about it because she takes it. Neither of us experienced any side effects. I believe in getting prescriptive, medical help when needed. GAD (general anxiety disorder) is biochemical; it's when your body has an imbalance of serotonin which effects the brain and mood. In the same way a diabetic takes meds to regulate insulin and glucose levels, someone with GAD can get a prescription to balance serotonin levels. I went on Lexapro after talking to my PCP and take it not just for me, but for my husband and sons and everyone else. It can be tough to be around someone who's continually stressed out from what I've been told. --Elise
ReplyDeleteFirst, I have never had milk in Jello. I think that is strange but I am going to try it.
ReplyDeleteFor Thanksgiving, we always had turkey and a pan of cornbread dressing. I still made it just like she did. Then, it was just me, so I use Stovetop. We loved pumpkin pies. Mama finally made seven, one for each of us children because she was tired of us complaining as teens that someone else ate all the pie. There were five kids and parents, so seven pies. Now, I make sweet potato pies with the pumpkin pie recipe.
We had Jello salad in an apple-shaped glass bowl. Strawberry jello and black cherry Jello, chopped apples, banana sliced, fruit cocktail--always the same.
I love sweet potato casserole. I hate marshmallows on any sweet potato. However, at Thanksgiving or Christmas I only like the sweet potatoes baked, skinned, mashed with butter and a bit of brown sugar.
Only lately have I made green bean casserole because Tommy loves it. This year, it is tweaked because I cannot have so much sodium. I am using sodium/salt free soup and green beans. I will use less onions on top.
I like mashed potatoes, too, but won't make them this year--carbs, you know.
Brown gravy with chopped boiled eggs and giblets is a favorite in the South. But, I won't use giblets. I will use meat from a leg and thigh, and a neck if I had one. We will have a turkey breast.
Part of the meal is done and in the freezer--turkey breast, homemade cranberry sauce from fresh berries, and sweet potatoes. So, I have three things done.
Mama always made from scratch a white cake and made 7-minute frosting. She took a fresh, whole coconut and grated the coconut to put all over the cake. It was beautiful and tasty. I have never done that. She was a wonderful cook, a wonderful mother, and I miss her as I make her exact recipes.
I added pumpkin bread and a chocolate pound cake for our Thanksgiving tradition.
The Jello is quite tasty. wow - 7 pies! I don't think Mom made that many for the entire extended family. Your Jello sounds good.
DeleteNever have I ever heard of gravy with boiled eggs. I know and am related to a lot of southern people - never heard of that. I doubt I would try that.
Carbs - not something I am going to worry about. I figure once I have managed to get to a certain age, I will eat whatever I want for the holidays.
The cake sounds delightful. I love that so many keep the traditions alive.
Those were seven pumpkin pies, plus apple, mincemeat and such.
DeleteHi sweet Elise, Unfortunately I'm finding side effects on that. https://www.drugs.com/sfx/lexapro-side-effects.html But thank you anyhow for your take on it. The natural things do pretty well actually, it's very hard to describe because it's usually just a couple of people who can turn on the sick stomach feeling when they are acting up. Haha, maybe I should give them some of this stuff? LOL (I think they are the ones who stress others out hahaha ; ) Thank God my husband and I are pretty peaceful people, hubs is extremely easy going, but if too many things go haywire at once it does make him a little sad and grumpy but quickly passes. We are good giving hugs to each other under stress, I will say..."I need a hug" and sometimes he will say, "I need a hug too!" In fact one of our renters just called here at 7:15 am, he's bugging the daylights out of my husband. Just life in general though...Thanks again Elise for taking the time to give me the information, I value and appreciate that. Sometimes I just need advice and care and this site is so very nice for that no matter how little or how large of a question in life. Thanks again, hugs to you dear Elise. So glad that med works nicely for you. I agree, sometimes we do need synthetic meds, just like our pets. Hugs to you friend!
ReplyDeleteMy mama makes a similar Jello salad and it is SO good!
ReplyDeleteIt is!!!! One of my favorites. You know, it can be made anytime - but just making it around the holidays makes it special!!!!!
DeletePlease Read.You have a great post here, Have anyone here know Goji Berries... yes... I tried those too.For my health conditions, Those sweet, red berries seemed to help, but only during the time when I consumed them. I don't want to take a drug for the rest of my life, so why would I want to take a natural supplement everyday for the rest of my life (although Goji berries are very tasty and are highly nourishing). To me this was not a cure either (and I'm LOOKING for the CURE).
ReplyDeleteUp to that point, I hadn't found a cure. I felt like a young jumbled mess. I continued to have extreme pain, but continued on my path to healing. I started to focus on myself and not everyone else. When I was a young adult, I took on too much responsibility out of a sense of obligation. This was no longer healthy for me, so I resigned from all my projects and groups. Those days to come were the best [and worst] days. I took a lot of time off work, yet begun to feel so extremely exhausted. Many health professionals "diagnosed" me with adrenal fatigue & Hiv,Prostate Cancer so my situation was annoying then I keep searching for permanent cure online that's when I came to know of Dr jekawo herbal doctor hands whom god has blessed with ancestral powers and a gift to heal people with disease like .Cancers,Alzheimer's disease,HPV,Men & Women Infertility,Melanoma, Mesothelioma, Diabetes, Multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease,Neuroendocrine tumors,Herpes, Hiv/Aids,Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,, chronic diarrhea, COPD, Hepatitis... So I made a purchase of his herbal medicines and I have been watching my health for 6 years now and I actually confirmed that his herbal medicines are a permanent cure and I'm so happy that I came to know of his herbal healings.You can contact Dr Jekawo herbal doctor Email: drjekawo@gmail.com if you went through exactly what I go through in terms of health conditions because to be honest there is more to learn about natural herbs than medical drugs.