A Time To Count Our Blessings,
Despite The Pain

I have pondered my Thanksgiving column for several days, knowing that for many close friends and relatives, this will be a difficult holiday. Not only am I reminded of the Thanksgiving Day fourteen years ago when my dad died, but more recently, last Thanksgiving when my friend and mentor, Eula Vines, went into a coma and never regained consciousness. I also think of other friends and neighbors, whose losses have been recent: The Stanberys, whose father and mother passed away within a month of each other, The families of Joyce Fletcher and Tim Inman, whose hard-fought battles touched many lives; The Schaffers and their loved one taken so tragically; The Tripletts, who shared their hero with hundreds of us fortunate enough to call Terry our friend. The Hamptons, whose precious Katie will forever be remembered for her pies and flowers . . . and the impact of some of her last words– “You’ve got to take the bad with the good;” Mazel Parlier, who shared favorite recipes, stories and laughter with my family; The McGuires, whose hard-working mother, Ayla, I was blessed to feature in the current All About Women’s magazine for inspiration as a woman, liberated out of necessity, long before her time. My second cousin, Randy Hollifield, with whom I played as a child, killed last week in a terrible accident, and just as I began writing this column, news of the death of Jeff Maples, husband of our cousin, Pam (Norris), came as a painful shock.

These reflect deaths, occurring just in the last month that touched my life in some way, though I sympathize with every family facing its first holiday minus a loved one. Please know that you are not forgotten. The realization that life must go on for you is at hand, and most of you know that your dearly departed would not want you to stop living as you did before. Continue with your family’s holiday gathering, light a candle in memory of the one who is absent, and try to remember, despite your loss, that you still have much for which to be thankful. It might be difficult for some, but we should all take this opportunity to count our blessings and to be thankful, despite the pain.

Holiday Orange Nut Salad

3 to 4 cups green or red loose- leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
½ cup walnut pieces, toasted
½ purple onion, sliced

Toss all ingredients together, set aside while mixing dressing:

Raspberry Vinaigrette:

1 1/3 cups raspberry jam
1 1/3 cups raspberry vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp. coriander
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 cups olive oil

Combine first 5 ingredients in an electric blender on high, gradually adding oil; chill, Toss salad with dressing, Serve.

Sweet Potato Puffs

2 lbs sweet potatoes, cooked — mashed
1/3 cup orange juice
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ cup chopped pecans

In a bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes with orange juice, egg, orange peel and nutmeg. Mix well. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon potato mixture onto baking sheet in 8 mounds. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake at 375 F. for about 30 minutes, or until hot in the center.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

1 can (15 to 16 oz.) pure pumpkin puree
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ to 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, depending on your preference for “spice”
1 quart vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened
1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust
Whipped topping, if desired

Mix the pumpkin, sugar and spice until well blended.

Quickly mix pumpkin mixture with the softened ice cream.

Pour into crumb crust and freeze, uncovered, for about two hours, or until firm..

When pie is frozen, cover with plastic wrap and then cover with freezer-quality foil or place in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Thaw pie slightly before serving. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

 

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.