Thanksgiving

  • By Daphne Ross
  • November 17, 2010
  • 291
                        
Our early Thanksgivings did not include turkey hunting, plucking feathers, or roasting half a day in a wood-burning stove. Nor did it include retrieving dirty dug potatoes from the root cellar, cooking in a large cast iron pot, or hand mashing. Apples for pies were not taken from a barrel in the dark, bread did not bake next to the bird, and stuffing never included “seafood”. But Thanksgiving in the Bob and Joann Miller house which included our grandparents Kenny and Kathryn Barton did have family traditions, as did our second round of Thanksgiving held at the farmhouse of our other grandparents, Leonard and Marie Miller. The traditions from these gatherings have been preserved by practice, in memory, or on 3 x 5 cards I remember us three kids, on our knees at the kitchen table, breaking bed into a large metal bowl. This was a day or two ahead of dinner. We broke saved pieces of bread, collected and stored in the freezer. Nobody liked the crusts when eating our daily loaf so the end pieces were tossed into a separate stuffing bag. A large cooker of potatoes for mashing meant early preparation as well. I remember sitting on Grandma Barton’s kitchen counter, feet dangling over the edge, tap-kicking the cupboard doors. She peeled and chunked her potatoes with a paring knife, filling her sink full of skins. She would stick her knife into a starchy chunk and pass me a bite. We always munched white chunky spuds whenever she whipped potatoes. We even got to lick the beaters. Not sweet like frosting, but we always licked them clean, no matter what took the beating. Whatever kitchen the turkey was baked in the man-of-that-house cut into that bird. Thanksgiving Day photos always included a snapshot of a knife yielding elder standing at a picture perfect bird. At the first slice into the white meat, juices running over the golden skin, all guests in unison hummed their satisfaction. Of course the grandkids, seated at card tables off to the side, or in the next room were too busy chattering to notice. But we did give attention when Aunt Kathy started us in, “Praise God to whom all blessings flow.” We were seated after the family choir had finished the notes, but the platters and serving bowls could not be passed fast enough. To hungry children it seemed as if the food distribution was slow, as the men spooned out their portions. The mother’s pushed back their chairs and proceeded to assist the filling of their children’s plates. Once they were done, the platters had to be passed again so they could fill their own plates. But most times their men folk gave them a bit from each passed along platter. Dishwashing was, well it was women’s work back then, even the kid’s got out of handling dirty plates. What grandma in their right mind would let a roomful of rambunctious grandkids carry their china plates into the kitchen? Her directions were clear, leave your plates and “long live the set!” Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the Country Cupboard family at the Ross house and God Bless! Has the holiday snack attack taken over your willpower, yet? Share your guilty sweet tooth pleasures with the rest of us holiday snackers. Send to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, OH, 44691. Email: thewritecook@sssnet.com Wild Boy Seed (Joann Miller, Wooster) 2 cups M & M candies 2 cups dry roasted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts 3 cups Sugar Pops cereal 2 cups chocolate covered raisins Mix well; store in airtight container. Cayenne Pretzels (Daphne Ross, Wooster) 1 cup vegetable oil 1 envelope ranch salad mix 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (10 ounce) bags pretzel nuggets In small bowl, combine oil, dressing mix, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture over pretzels; stir to coat. Divide pretzels into 2 baking pans; bake at 200 degrees for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Sugared Pretzels (Daphne Ross, Wooster) 8 cups pretzel nuggets (15 to 18 ounces) 2/3cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Combine oil, sugar and cinnamon. Pour over pretzels. In microwave, heat 2 minutes on High. Stir; heat 4 more minutes. Use spatula to stir after each minute. Cool in bowl. Store in airtight container. Candied Walnuts (April Ross, Wooster) 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup sour cream Dash of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups walnut halves Combine brown sugar, sugar and sour cream in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it boils. Continue to boil until mixture reaches softball stage (240 degrees) or until it forms softball when dropped into cold water. Stir in salt and vanilla, pour hot candy mixture over walnuts in mixing bowl. Mix walnuts until evenly coated; spoon out onto wax paper. Separate walnuts. Allow to cool and set. When dry store in airtight container. Grandma Barton’s Pudding Candy (Kathryn Barton) 1/4 cup butter or margarine 3 ounce package chocolate pudding cook-type 1/4 cup milk 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Melt margarine or butter in saucepan; add chocolate pudding. Do not use instant! Stir until well blended; add milk. Bring to a boil, stirring; continue cooking 1 minute. Remove from heat; add sifted powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla; blend in. Pour into buttered pan, such as a round layer cake pan or an 8x8 inch baking pan. Layer flavors of chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch. Cool, letting set, and then cut into pieces as you would fudge. Note: Prepare each layer of cook-type pudding as directed above. Hot Mint Patty Milk (Daphne Ross, Wooster) 1 cup chocolate milk 2 chocolate-covered dinner mints, broken into small pieces In a microwaveable mug, place milk and mints. Microwave on high at 100% power for 2 minutes. Mmm! Mint Frosting for Cupcakes (Daphne Ross, Wooster) Chocolate covered mint patties Unfrosted cupcakes Unwrap a chocolate mint patty. Place it on an unfrosted, baked and cooled cupcake. Heat 1 cupcake in microwave, uncovered on high for 20 seconds. Spread softened mint on top of the cupcake to frost. 2 cakes = 35 seconds, 4 cupcakes = 55 seconds, 6 cupcakes= 1 minute 15 seconds. Puppy Chow-Chow (April Ross, Wooster) 1 stick margarine 12 ounces chocolate chips 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 12 ounces crispix cereal 2 cups (or more) powdered sugar Melt margarine, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Place cereal in large bowl; pour melted mix over cereal. Put in large paper grocery bag with powdered sugar and shake. Or toss cereal gently in very large bowl. Caramel Apple Pie (Daphne Ross, Wooster) 1 unbaked piecrust 10 caramel candies, cut each into 4 pieces 1/3 cup four 3 cups chopped apples, unpeeled 2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 cups chopped peanuts In medium bowl, combine caramel pieces and flour. Add apples, caramel topping and lemon juice; mix well. Pour mixture into crust; top with chopped peanuts. Bake on preheated baking sheet at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until crust has browned; cool.


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