Tradition!

There are just some things it seems you should not mess with when it comes to holiday traditions! Y'all know what I'm saying, right? Nobody can make the sweet potato casserole except Aunt June, and it just wouldn't be a holiday table without Grandpa's homemade wine. Everyone's traditions are different, but they are so meaningful and special. I am reminded of one of my favorite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof, and the opening chorus of "Tradition!"

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am remembering all the traditional dishes that crowded my kitchen counter as well as my table over the years. Yours may look similar:

Hot Artichoke Crabmeat Dip

Devilled Eggs

Veggie, Olive & Pickle Tray

Turkey, cooked in the roasting bag

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sausage-Apple Herb Dressing

Scalloped Corn

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Turkey Drippings Gravy

Yeast Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Apple Crisp

Sunrise Punch

Sparkling Cider

I would often enlist my daughters to help me set the table the night before, making sure everything looked just-so, and using our best china, silverware, crystal, and special serving dishes. A beautiful tablecloth with matching cloth napkins, candles, and flowers were a must. This was always one of my favorite traditions, as it wasn't something my father could afford when he was raising us - - nice dishes or fancy tablecloths - - but it was something I always wanted to be able to do for him to make him proud. I'm sure he couldn't have cared less about those things, but I wanted to do it just the same.

Getting everything prepped to cook and go in the oven on Thanksgiving started early in the morning, often before the kids were awake. But as soon as they did, they saw the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the television, and me in the kitchen, mixing bowls and pots and pans everywhere. Smells already wafting through the house, they would ask, "What's for breakfast?"

Another favorite memory is the kids dressed up for the occasion and trying not to get their clothes dirty. I remember them sitting at the kitchen counter, putting black olives on their fingers and eating them one by one. I always swore they were going to get sick from eating all those olives, but they never did. And trying to guard the devilled eggs so that everyone could have some was almost impossible!

The best part of the day was seeing everyone around the tables (yes, we had a kids' table). Heads were bowed in prayer of thanksgiving, each one counting blessings. Everyone was so happy to be together, enjoying the food, telling stories, laughing, hugging, helping serve and clean, and just spending time with each other.

This Thanksgiving will look very different for many of us, but many of our traditions can still be observed even if it means they are done via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends, and may you be blessed with love, good health, and new traditions and memories around your kitchen counter!

Sunrise Punch

Equal Parts:

Cranberry Juice

Orange Juice

Pineapple Juice

Grapefruit Soda (i.e., Squirt, Fresca, etc. - if you cannot find grapefruit soda, substitute with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda)

In a large punch bowl or serving pitcher, pour in the cranberry juice, then gradually and slowly add the orange juice, then the pineapple juice, and finally the grapefruit soda. Each addition or layer should resemble a "sunrise" when you are making it. Serve over ice.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 Large Cans Princella Yams/Sweet Potatoes

1/2 - 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2 Tsp Salt

15-oz Can Crushed Pineapple (with juice)

3 - 4 TBSP Brandy (or 2 Tsp Brandy Extract)

1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Cup Golden Raisins

Preheat oven to 375º. Drain off all but about 1 cup of the syrup from the yams/sweet potatoes. In a large pot, heat the yams thoroughly, mashing them into small chunks. When bubbly, turn off heat and set aside. In a medium-sized skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, taking care not to burn it. When bubbly, add the brown sugar and stir until smooth and caramelized. Add the salt, pineapple (with juice), brandy, cloves and cinnamon, mixing well and stirring constantly. Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until liquid has been

reduced a little and mixture has thickened a bit. Pour this mixture over the yams and mix thoroughly. Add in the raisins and mix well. Pour yams into an ungreased 2- to 3-quart baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until top is brown around the edges and mixture is bubbly.

Optional: Top with chopped pecans if desired.

Sausage-Apple Herb Dressing

1 package/bag/box Pepperidge Farm Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix (or Mrs. Cubbison's)

1 tube Jimmy Dean Maple-Flavored Sausage

1 stick butter or margarine

1 onion, chopped

3 to 4 stalks celery (with tops), chopped

1 Large can (or 2 small cans) Swanson's Chicken broth (check directions on stuffing mix package to see how much broth or liquid is required)**

1-2 medium-sized Granny Smith, Braeburn or Gala apples, cored and chopped

Poultry Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the sausage until completely cooked and crumbled, and drain the fat. In a large frying pan, simmer the chopped onions, celery and apples in the butter or margarine until the onions begin to look transparent. Heat the chicken broth just until it boils. Mix together in a very large mixing bowl the dry stuffing mix, the cooked sausage and the sauteed celery, onion and apple mixture. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the Poultry Seasoning, and mix thoroughly. Pour half of the chicken broth into the dry mixture and mix well. Continue adding broth to the mixture until desired wetness is achieved (a good measure is when the mixture doesn't cling to the bowl when mixed, and isn't soggy or mushy). Pour into a deep roasting dish or large baking dish and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

(I usually like the stuffing pretty moist, especially if it is not going to be stuffed inside the turkey. If using inside the turkey, use less broth, as the juices from the turkey will provide added moisture.)

**Half Apple Cider and half chicken broth can be used instead of just the broth.

Apple Crisp

5 Granny Smith Apples

1 Pkg (9 ounces) Yellow Cake Mix (Jiffy works well, or 1/2 box of full-size cake mix)

2 TBSP Sugar

1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 Cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core, and slice apples into fairly thin wedges. Spray the bottom of a 9"x9" baking dish (or a round baking dish). Place the apple slices in the bottom of the pan.

Combine the cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and nuts in a mixing bowl. Mix until crumbly, then sprinkle over the top of the apple slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until apples are tender and top is brown and bubbly. If desired, serve with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

To make a 9"x13" pan of apple crisp, simply double the ingredients and increase baking time to 40-45 minutes.