Chit Chat ~ Lost Mojo ~ Christmas Eve Tradition ~ Non Traditional Thanksgiving Meal Dish

 I've been spending a lot of time tidying up, putting stuff away, preserving and stocking up, and just regular ol' housework. I've had to deliver some homemade ginger-ale to one of my daughters.  By the way, her cyst is draining thankfully.  However, her antibiotics are making her sick.  Thank you for all of your prayers.

More greens are being blanched and frozen for the winter months.  Spinach and dandelion greens.  I have to remind myself to focus on one at a time, and not bring home different ones.  It's time consuming to switch water out and ice bath water.  I'm still looking for swiss chard in stores.  I have not found any yet.

I've been searching for my holiday mojo.  It's been lost.  Poof!  Disappeared.  Not one iota of it lingering this year.

I used to be the one that insisted on a tree in every room of the house, including the master bathroom.  I had lights everywhere, in rooms, on the trees, in the hallways.  I used to have a binder dedicated to all things Christmas - gifts, food, etc.  I used to work on a new handmade Christmas ornament every Jan/Feb, so it would be all done for the upcoming Christmas.  Everyone in the family was gifted one.

When the kids were little, I would practically run to the sign up sheet for their Christmas class party.  I handmade an ornament for every single kids in the class (did this every year), and hand wrapped the gifts.  I came up with games, and prizes and took treats.  I was pretty creative with some of them.  

Check out this one (on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot as well).  It was a treat container and the head was an ornament.  I was pretty proud to make them for 25 students.  The bottom "treat container" was a cardboard tube from toilet paper.  I typically also bought small trinkets like something to put on their pencil tops.  Can you imagine how many parties I volunteered for?  

I'm still looking for my mojo.  I've had one kiddo volunteer to come decorate here, but we are not.  It's a simple tree, with just lights, and that's it so far.

I have been asked to bring back our pajama tradition.  My Mom always looked forward to our family photo of each Christmas Eve.  I'd buy new pajamas for all of the family, and wrap them up.  Christmas Eve we'd all open them, put them on, and wear them all day Christmas Day. 

Here I am talking about Christmas, and we haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving.  

What is something a family member would make for the Thanksgiving meal that was not a "traditional" dish?   My grandmother on my Mom's side of the family would make fried chicken. If I remember right, it was coated chicken, then baked in the oven.  So technically not "fried" but it tasted that way.  My grandfather would make the dessert, which was usually a boxed cake of some sort, and frosted.  We never had turkey when we had a Thanksgiving meal at their house, which was different.

Kitchen-ness

One thing I keep in my freezer:  ginger root (and cranberries)

One thing I keep in my pantry:  honey

Homemade Ginger-ale is often requested, although I give the recipe out to the family so many times.  It truly is a staple for when anyone is sick or experiencing nausea.  I wish there was a way to make a giant batch, and can it.  

I would also buy my fresh cranberries in October, and put them in the freezer for Christmas.  The cranberries would be used for Mom's Hot Cranberry Punch recipe every year.  I however, did not buy any cranberries this year.

So, cranberries were often found in my freezer too.

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal - another new recipe tried. The recipe is online with The Real Food Dietitians.  I borrowed their cookbook from our library, but the recipes they post online are not in the cookbook.  We are very much enjoying the breakfast oatmeal bake recipes.  There are about two more of their recipes to try.

The recipe for this bake was a one bowl mix, only uses one egg (you can substitute flax), and the only sugar in the bake is the 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  You can top it with peanut butter, yogurt, honey, or syrup.  I ate it plain and it was delicious.  You could top it with homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce too.

How I freeze my ginger root:

I wash the ginger root first, then let it dry on a veggie drying mat.  I then wrap it in plastic wrap, and then put it in a freezer bag (labeled and dated).  I take it out when I need it, and put it back in the freezer.   

Kitchen-ness © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart