Nov 2 - Meet RI Author Anita Greene
Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. No pressure to find the perfect gift. No guilt that the Christmas cards are still in the box. Thanksgiving revolves around family, food, and fun. Our traditions tie all these elements together.There is comfort in knowing I belong with this group of people I call ‘family’. We have a shared history that connects us to the generations that came before us. Thanksgiving Day is a time to remember the past as we create new memories. It’s a time to appreciate the ones we love and to celebrate the values we share.Our Thanksgiving feast is the same menu my Grandma Dinwoodie served when I was a child, and the table ran from one end of the dining room/living room to the other. I had to crawl underneath to get to my seat on the itchy horsehair sofa. The turkey is served with an old-fashioned bread stuffing. The winter vegetables—mashed potatoes, butternut squash, turnips, and creamed onions—are abundant. To fill in around the edges there are brown and serve rolls, cranberry sauce and pickles. (My mouth is watering as I write this!)With each generation, traditions evolve. Our family grew and changed, so we no longer have young people coming in cold and hungry from the Bulldogs vs Bears high school football game. We have also added an after-dinner-but-before-pie walk to the day.Many years ago a table of appetizers became a part of our celebration. My cheese ball recipe is now another one of our traditions. If you are looking for something new to serve, this cheese ball has a robust flavor.Bacon-Cheddar Cheese Ball2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated*1/2 cup green onions, chopped6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled1 clove garlic, minced3 Tablespoons pimento, diced3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, mincedBlend all ingredients. Form into a ball. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. * The store-bought packages of shredded cheese do not blend very well with the cream cheese. Better to grate a block of cheese.What traditions do you treasure? What new traditions have you added to your celebration? Anita K. Greene writes "inspirational novels filled with romance and adventure." Learn more about Anita and find links to her books and blog here 