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November 2008
How do you watch those holiday pounds?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By now most of us have loosened our belt a notch or two. It starts with a steady diet of just “a piece or two” of Halloween candy through most of October. Then there’s the big blowout Thanksgiving meal and, if you are lucky, days of leftovers pie (and while you’re at it, just a dollop of whipped cream).
Blink your eye and Christmas candy is dotting the shelves. My family has already been snacking on a pre-holiday shipment of chocolate covered marshmallows my sister sent. It’s only a matter of time until we succumb to the boxes of peppermint bark and toffee that beckon us from the shelves at Trader Joe’s. I think I already gained a pound just looking at the holiday catalogues from Crate & Barrel and Wms. Somona.
How do you manage holiday overeating? Do you have any secrets to share…besides just keeping our mouth’s shut!
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What’s on your ideal Thanksgiving table?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We have learned a few things about your Thanksgiving druthers. It’s Dressing, cooked outside the bird. And there’s a strong contingent clamoring for Sweet Potato Pie, followed by Pecan (pee-CAN!) rather than Pumpkin.
But Jeanne Besser’s pie debate provoked a few readers to offer their ideal menu for Thanksgiving Dinner. Take a look at these excerpts and then offer your own menu below.
And exactly how many of you serve Macaroni and Cheese on Thanksgiving? For me, speaking selfishly, the most important dishes after the turkey are the cranberries (i prefer the jelled kind, but my better half prefers whole cranberries) and bread-crumb dressing. But that’s just me. What dishes are must-haves on YOUR Thanksgiving plate?
Happy Thanksgiving!
By brittany: it’s just not a real thanksgiving with out a southern spread: collards, black eye peas, baked mac and cheese, yams(don’t ruin them w/marshmallows!)turkey, cranberry sauce,mashed potatos, corn bread, corn bread DRESSING. and SWEET POTATO PIE. Pumpkin is not terrible, but it’s not as homey and yummy :)
By Jeffrey of Nashville: So let’s not get this confused. On Thanksgiving Day the Southern table will look like this: Turkey, Dressing, Mac & Cheese, Turnip or Collard Greens, Yellow or White Squash,Green or Blackeye or Field Peas, Green Beans, Potato Salad, and Cranberry Sauce. All of this will be complimented by: Sweet Tea and a deep dish slice of SWEET POTATO PIE!
By Nicole: I lived in New Jersey till I was 10 Florida till I was 15, and Ga since. I am now 28. I lived more of my life in the south, and more of my life in Georgia at that. However, growing up with family from the north: Its stuffing all the way baby! which means…stove top, chicken flavored stove top to be exact, and nothing else will do. When it comes to pie…Pumpkin! Sweet potatos (potatoes?) anyway… are our side dish at Thanskgiving, smashed and mixed with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon and nutmeg, then covered with mini marshmallows, baked till golden brown. But its pumpking pie on the table for dessert, along with Pecan, and a moist delicious chocolate swiss cake roll, that we apparently didn’t have enough of, because it was what everyone wanted..they totally skipped over the pumpking and pecan and went straight for the swiss roll, there were no left overs much to my regret..so next year, I think we will have two of those and one pumpkin pie. We don’t use cool whip..we use whipped cream.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Favorite recipes, Holidays
Are you cutting costs this Thanksgiving?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have to say I was relieved when my friend, Cheryl, decided to host Thanksgiving this year. Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday, but as fun as it is, it also is expensive. In other years I could justify it, but this year, like most people I am watching every penny.
In the past, my home has been holiday central, with at least 25 people for dinner. With a crowd that size, I had splurged by renting plates and cutlery. It not only made the table attractive, but also eliminated most of my washing up (all you need to do is a quick rinse). Having a virtual clean-up free holiday justified that expense, but now I think I’d go with mismatched place settings and prepare myself to be washing dishes for as long as it took.
Lucky, my guests always helped out with sides, but between my extra-large turkey, buying nice wine and still cooking most of the meal, there was no way to get around the dent in the wallet.
Are you cutting back this holiday? What are you willing to compromise on? What won’t you give up?
Related: A simple holiday menu, with recipes | Atlanta Money Saving Tips
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Southern pie question: Sweet potato or pumpkin?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After reading the comments in my recent blog Do You Eat Stuffing Or Dressing it seems that where you hail from plays a big part of what is served with the turkey. Readers from Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama all made it crystal clear. There was no debate. Only dressing would do. Stan even called stuffing “EVIL!”
It made me wonder if this strong regional preference plays into what (besides pecan pie) is going to be on your dessert table. Do Southerners only want sweet potato pie, or, is pumpkin pie welcome to share buffet space?
Most would agree, although their textures differ slightly, there are a lot of similarities. Both have custard-like filling with near identical spices. But it seems from the last blog, southerners prefer sweet potato. In her comment, Rebecca tells of baking a pumpkin pie for her northern-bred hubby and being told by her mother “No one likes that— they won’t eat it — it isn’t tradition.” That’s harsh!
What is it about sweet potato pie that makes it more desirable here? At least with pumpkin pie you can open a can of pureed pumpkin and you’re halfway done. There’s no getting out of cooking those sweet potatoes.
Tell us why your favorite is best, and then take part in our Holiday Guide Thanksgiving Food Poll, starting with the burning question: Turkey or Ham?
RELATED: Thanksgiving recipes from our recipe file, dressing AND stuffing
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Do you eat stuffing or dressing?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ll be honest. Being a northerner, I was not schooled in much of the terminology of southern cooking until I moved to Atlanta many years ago. I became well versed in the difference between grilling and barbecuing and quickly learned that I couldn’t call throwing a steak on the grill barbecuing.
The same war of words applies to the proper usage to describe that all important component of the holiday meal, as I like to call it, the dressing vs. stuffing debate. After reading the linked article, it seems in the South it’s dressing no matter how it’s cooked, but surely some of you out there call it stuffing, don’t you?
That’s the way I have always referred to it, especially since I’m the kind of gal that likes whatever it’s called, cooked inside the bird. On Thanksgiving or whenever, I’ll gladly throw salmonella worries and other health concerns to the wind, to partake in “that dish” laden with turkey drippings.
For me, there are too many other decisions to contend with already - cornbread vs. bread cubes, meat or no meat — to worry that much about what to call it.
But why not stop there. When it comes to dessert, what floats your boat? Pumpkin or sweet potato pie? I would imagine there have got to have been some backyard brawls over that decision too.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Holidays, Home cooking
How do you delegate your holiday meals?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner most people like to chip in and help. For hosts with “control issues” that can be somewhat problematic. When it comes to a traditional holiday meal, a lot of people like things just so.
I know some hosts who give their guests specific recipes to make. Some guests appreciate not having to come up with something on their own and are happy to do what they are told. Others don’t welcome that much direction and have their own ideas about what they want to make.
As the host, I guess I am fairly protective when it comes to preparing the turkey, dressing, gravy and mashed potatoes. Although I might like to have a say in all the sides, I have learned that I need to “just let go” (all those years of yoga have helped with that!) I usually encourage people to make whatever they want and if necessary supplement whatever is missing. Luckily it seems I usually have enough volunteers that everything ends up being covered and there are no gaping holes in the meal. It’s fun to see what variations people come up with.
It seems that holidays are full of tricky navigations on how best to delegate. How do they manifest themselves in at your holiday celebration? Is it through the food or in other ways? How do you divide meal responsibilities?
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Family foibles, Holidays, Shortcuts
Traditions: Don’t mess with the turkey or pumpkin pie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had the good fortune to test the recipes for chef Kevin Rathbun’s Thanksgiving dinner dare. I have to say, each and every dish was delicious and one I could eat over and over again.
But for my family and me, no matter how tasty, the idea of serving an autumnal turkey stew as my Thanksgiving main course is, simply put, not an option. When it comes to that holiday, there needs to be a big stuffed bird sitting right in the middle of the table. My sides might change from year to year. I’m even willing to add an unexpected twist, like his spicy brussels sprouts or even those sweet potato tamales. But don’t touch my turkey or pumpkin pie.
I know some families aren’t turkey lovers and substitute another roast of some kind, but a stew? As Dr. Seuss might ask, would you, could you, serve a stew to your holiday guests?
Permalink | Comments (37) | Post your comment | Categories: Family foibles, Favorite recipes, Holidays, Home cooking
Who does the food shopping in your house?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I must admit, during the last few trips to the supermarkets I have been shocked by all the men doing the main food shopping, often with kids in tow.
I know in the past my hubby has done that chore when pressed, but the list needs to be exact and even then he always seems to return with an unexpected amount of extraneous “football snacks.”
I guess I am not alone. In an interview with WebMD, David W. Stewart, the Robert E. Brooker Professor of Marketing the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California stated, “More and more men are picking up items at the grocery store.” But he notes, in most families — even those in which men buy the groceries — women still make the shopping decisions. Without a list, men get lost in today’s fast-paced supermarkets, says Stewart. (I bet those are fighting words to some guys out there!)
A recent article on MedicineNet.com reports that more than half of men say they do 60% or more of their family’s grocery shopping. Ironically, more than 85% of women say they do most of their family’s shopping so the numbers don’t exactly add up (what else is new when it comes to “he said/she said” debates).
Who pushes the cart in your house? Are decisions on what to buy shared by both parties or is one more likely to be “following orders”?
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Are holiday mishaps part of your celebration?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Thanksgiving just weeks away, I can’t help but remember an embarrassing moment from last year.
I had invited an elderly aunt who was recently confined to a wheelchair. My husband found a medical transport company that promised to transport her in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, they did not show on time and we got on the phone to check on them. After promises of an ETA of “any minute” the van finally arrived just when the house was bustling and we were due to sit down to eat, about an hour after the appointed time.
The icing on the cake was that the company had run out of regular transport vans, so substituted an emergency vehicle, which couldn’t accommodate wheelchairs. This required my aunt to be transported to and from the van by stretcher and then transferred to the wheelchair in the dining room (and the reverse on the way out - luckily she was a good sport about it all.)
Picture the scene my neighbors were treated to watching ambulances and stretchers being rolled in and out of my house twice within hours. I am sure Bewitched’s Mrs. Kravitz would have had a field day if she had been on my street that night. I can only imagine tales of food poisoning, and probably worse, sprouting around town.
What holiday havoc has happened in your home? Is it true that no good deed goes unpunished?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Family foibles, Holidays
Is brown bagging too smelly for you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was gratifying to see I was not the only one brown bagging it to work. As I was reading your responses involving money saved, pounds lost and yummy sounding lunches, I did feel the need to come clean about a pet peeve when it comes to eating in the office.
On my floor, the sole microwave shares a tiny cubby with office supplies right off the main seating area. I have to sheepishly confess, the smell of microwave meals heated in progression, Italian, followed by curry followed by Chinese, wafting through the hallways can be a bit disconcerting, and not in a good way. I guess it’s the same odiferous concern when sitting near someone having tuna or egg salad, or even worse, one of my husband’s favorites, sardines (which I have banned him from taking to work).
Does anyone you sit near bring in anything particularly stinky? How do you deal with that?
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment | Categories: Saving money
Are you brown bagging it more?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CNBC recently reported that with budgets tighter than ever, more people are bringing their lunch to work instead of going out to eat or buying from a cafeteria or takeout.
“In terms of value, it’s always going to be cheaper,” says Harry Balzer, an analyst at market researcher NPD Group. “Besides saving money, consumers are looking for convenience,” Balzer adds.
I’ve always been a “self-packer.” In fact, my husband and kids are too. It gives us control over what we eat. Bringing my own food lets me vary what I’m having depending on my mood (or what we had for dinner the night before). Sometimes it’s a sandwich, other times leftovers or in a pinch I’ll just throw in some hummus from the fridge and a pita. For me, there’s a sense of security of knowing I’ll be eating something I like instead of being dependent on what the cafeteria is serving that day or what will be left by the time I get there.
Also, being able to eat when I want, where I want, instead of having to go out foraging for food saves time, which face it, always seems tight these days.
On the other hand, I have friends who want the break. They need to be able to get up and get out of the office to make it through the day. Having the excuse of going out for food provides that. Others I know, especially my single friends, often make lunch their main meal and treat themselves to something really yummy.
What about you? Do you brown bag it or is buying lunch a must for you? Have recent financial situations influenced your decision?
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