What better time to enjoy food than on Thanksgiving? Every family has their own way of celebrating the holiday so I will be touching on my Thanksgiving traditions. Each year, my family drives down to my grandma’s house the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so we have the full day to spend with each other. As soon as we get up in the morning, the cooking begins. Each family member has a cooking duty; yes, that even includes my little cousin who just butters the rolls. My family and I tend to have a pretty traditional Thanksgiving with your typical foods: turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, stuffing…etc. While food is obviously a key factor in the typical Thanksgiving tradition, my family tries to emphasize quality time with one another. Since the majority of the children in my family are in college, Thanksgiving is the first time since August we are able to spend time with each other. But what’s REALLY the best part of Thanksgiving? Easy, dessert. We obviously have your traditional pumpkin pie, but my family also serves up a variety of sweet treats to satisfy everyones sweet tooth.
Waldorf Salad Recipe
If using yogurt, omit the lemon juice. You may also want to add a little honey to balance the tartness of the yogurt.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 Tbsp mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
- 1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half (or 1/4 cup of raisins)
- 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
- Lettuce
METHOD
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise (or yogurt), lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.
Friendsgiving
Not able to go home for Thanksgiving? Well that’s what friends are for! Having friends that are unable to go home for Thanksgiving is a bittersweet part of the holidays. Not being able to be with your family and the people you love most during the holidays is disappointing but being able to still spend time with people who care about you and sharing food with them makes up for it! This also allows people to become closer because they are sharing a holiday that is usually shared between families and the occasion allows people to become close like families. Another positive thing about having a Friendsgiving is being able to share your family recipes (but never the secret ingredient) with your friends! This allows for you to try foods from other cultures, regions of the countries and also different traditions. Learning about others and their own specific ways of doing things is always interesting because you can compare it to your own and maybe adopt the recipe into your own book! You can also share the recipe with your family when you finally get to see them around winter break. The idea of not being able to be with your loved ones on holidays is disappointing hut making the best out of it by celebrating and sharing with those around you makes up for it and can lead to the adoption of recipes and traditions! Just remember to NEVER give away your grandma’s secret recipes!
By: Alex Penn and Grace Burton
Neighborhood Eats 