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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
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Dear Reader,
My Grandma Hale taught me how to create holiday traditions and it's one of the reasons I love her, and continue to think about her, even though she's been gone for over 35 years. Everyone in our family gathered at Grandma's house for the big holiday feast. Memories of watching my grandmother cook, reaching into the china cabinet where Grandma kept her best dishes--my job was to help set the table--sitting around her oak dining room table covered with a white lace table cloth, it feels like only yesterday.
I've done my best to carry on Grandma's holiday traditions, not out of a sense of duty, but because I'd like to pass on the same life-changing memories to my own grandchildren. Years down the road, when my grandchildren's families get together to eat a holiday dinner, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could still be part of their gathering. "Isn't this Grandma's pie dish? Remember the big holiday dinners she would cook? What a feast."
Grandma Hale did all of the cooking and baking herself. I don't ever recall my mother making something to take to Grandmas house. I expect that even if Mom would have offered, Grandma would have politely turned her down. Over the years, I've followed in Grandma's footsteps, doing all of the cooking and baking myself, but this year I broke tradition. I invited twenty guests and if they asked, "Can I make something to bring?" I politely said, "Yes."
Strangely, I admit I felt guilty about having people bring a dish to pass, but it turned out to be the best Thanksgiving dinner I've ever hosted. Friends actually thanked me for the opportunity to cook and to share some of their own family's holiday recipes. Pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream, two pumpkin cheesecakes, company carrots, Brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts (roasting chestnuts turned out to be a task that took much longer than my neighbor John realized) a corn souffle, cherry strudel (still warm in the pan when it arrived at my house), not only did we share a variety of great food, there was a real sense of community about the meal. I think Grandma Hale would have been pleased, and I think she would have given five stars to something new I added to my menu this year. A Poppy Seed, Pear, Apple, Lettuce Delight Salad. My guests asked for the recipe, I hope you get the chance to make it, too.
Poppy Seed, Pear, Apple, Lettuce Delight
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews, broken up
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 apple--peeled, cored and diced
1 pear--peeled, cored and sliced
In a blender or food processor, mix until well blended the sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and mix just a few seconds more.
Toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cherries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/
* This month's Penguin Classics book is PATHS OF GLORY by Humphrey Cobb. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/November11Classics
AUTHORBUZZ: (Science Fiction) TRITCHEON HASH by Sue Lange
Tritcheon Hash is a test pilot in the year 3011. She's got it all: brains, guts, and a fast jet. But can she survive a mission to the most frightening place in the galaxy, the planet Earth?
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on this book to read more. Author Sue Lange would love to hear from you.
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