November is a good time to reflect on things for which we’re
thankful. Thanksgiving dinner is something I’ve always taken for granted, but
as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to understand that not everyone is so fortunate
to have a big, bountiful meal. (I hope that those of us who do get to partake
will keep the less fortunate in mind and donate as we’re able to our local food
pantries.)
Canadian Thanksgiving has passed, but we’re just gearing up
for it here in the states. Thanksgiving seems to me sort of a forgotten
holiday, sandwiched in between two others that are much more fun for children.
For many adults, Thanksgiving boils down gathering together whatever family and
friends you can and enjoying a big meal and lots of leftovers.
In my family we go the traditional route with turkey,
potatoes and gravy, and sage dressing (cooked in a separate dish, never in the
bird.) My favorite vegetable is green bean casserole and my second favorite is
a sweet potato casserole topped with brown sugar and pecans. It tastes more
like pumpkin than sweet potatoes and is sweet enough to be a dessert, but we
serve it right along with the meal. Homemade rolls round out the first course
and pumpkin pie with whipped topping comes out about an hour after dinner has
settled.
If I’ve kept up with the pots and pans as I went along it’s
just a matter of loading plates directly into the dishwasher and finding enough
plastic containers (with lids that fit) for the leftovers. They’re piled in the
front of the fridge because just a few hours later we’ll drag everything back
out for a repeat of the same meal in the evening.
Friday noon we’re still eating turkey but by that night, we
usually order pizza because we’re ready for a change. On the weekend, the
leftovers are either consumed or frozen because we’re all tired of them by that
point.
Once Thanksgiving weekend has past it’s full speed ahead to
Christmas. Ho! Ho! Ho! But we’ll talk about next month. For now, I’m making my
grocery shopping list and checking it twice. If I close my eyes I can smell
Thanksgiving dinner cooking already.
Please enjoy our family’s sweet potato casserole recipe, and
have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Sweet Potato
Casserole
2 pounds sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs (beaten)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all above ingredients with electric mixer and pour into buttered 9 x 9 casserole dish.
Topping:
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup soft margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
Mix topping ingredients together and pour over top
of sweet potatoes. Bake 350 degrees for
30-40 minutes. For sweeter taste, double topping ingredients.
Find Jamie Hill's titles including her latest release, Pieces of the Past, here: http://bookswelove.net/jamiehill.php
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Family and food make for a great holiday!
ReplyDeleteThat's the same recipe I use and the same one used at the Courthouse Cafe (the inspiration for the Scales of Justice Cafe in Country Justice!)
ReplyDeleteYum! Good thing for me I have family and friends on both side of the "line" Canada/US border, which means TWO Thanksgivings, and that sweet potato recipe is going to get a try out this year.
ReplyDeleteRecipe sounds good but I no longer have to do Thanksgiving so all we buy for the holiday goes to the food bank in our county. We go to my daughter's in-laws and have a family thing. I usually bring the pies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting everyone! Jamie
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWe don't have Thanksgiving in Australia, but can certainly appreciate the sentiment behind it. And of course, why it is so valued in the US.