Cranberries and kindness………
It is that time of the year again when we gather together with Family and Friends and celebrate the start of the Holiday Season. Whether you are cooking or invited to someone’s home or spending it at a favorite Restaurant, Thanksgiving seems to bring back memories of our childhood. Giving thanks is a gesture that comes from our hearts and Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to share these feelings. As children we are taught in school of the Pilgrims and the early Settlers that gave us traditions as well as customs from our ancestors and their Countries. Our Family likes to enjoy the traditional Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings, and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and visiting with our Family and Friends. Actually the preparations have become some of the funniest memories over the years ! We look forward to the next day when you put everything between two slices of bread and just enjoy the blending of all the tastes together. My Dad used to say he’s was going to have a Dagwood the next day and combined turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and cranberries and had it on rye bread. Oh my, no one talked about carbs back then! These memories and traditions I try to keep ( as if its hard to enjoy a great meal LOL! ) and add our special touches that we’ve added over the years. Once again I’d like to share with you a story of two people and the link that keeps us together. Many years ago we were celebrating Thanksgiving with family in upstate New York. Cousin Theresa and Billy and Cousin Maryann and Charlie and their Families had invited our Family to Dinner that year. Cousin Dominick and a friend John were there and John’s mother Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a lovely women who had been a Head Mistress at a private school in NYC and was telling us many stories which we thoroughly enjoyed. She also had brought along a jar of her homemade Cranberry relish. Well by now I know you are thinking this must have been great and yes it was the tastiest cranberry relish I had ever had. The funny thing is how simple it is to prepare. It is raw and has three ingredients , cranberries , an orange, and sugar. I can still recall just thinking about it how my mouth burst with this delicious taste. Needless to say this recipe has become one of our favorites and served as part of our Thanksgiving meal. Another memory was of a gentlemen who lived in my Daughter’s apartment Bldg named Joe. He was a very talented man who actually did Audio work at Lincoln Center and also loved to cook. He would send for the best ingredients for his dishes or cakes and then make them and give them to people to enjoy. One of his famous recipes and enjoyed by many was his cranberry relish . His recipe was cooked with orange zest and walnuts and sugar and was absolutely amazing. He would start preparing in early Fall with ordering the cranberries from Wisconsin and the nuts from somewhere else and getting his jars and canning equipment ready for the big day. On one of my trips I was lucky to be there while he was making it, and he showed me his cranberry canning operation. It was so obvious the love and enjoyment he had both talking about it ,and preparing , but most of all sharing. It became a part of his Holiday Tradition as well as many who received this bottle of joy! Of course we were on the recipient line that year and actually got two! Thinking and remembering these two special people are really what makes me enjoy this Holiday most of all. Maya Angelou has said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Although not related and when we met just acquaintances these two lovely people have left me with a special feeling of a time so thoroughly enjoyed! A link that has been added to a chain of wonderful memories.
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Welcome to Britalia Way! Thanks for stopping by. Please join me as I share with you a series about food, people and experiences that are special to me. English and Italian traditions are so enticing and were the inspiration for creating Britalia Way!
Regards, Denise [email protected]and follow me on...
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