HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

What a way to bring in the New Year! January 1, 2011 I was SICK. I've been suffering with a really bad cold since Friday. The family was thankful I had completed preparing our New Years meal.

I am not one who is overly traditional nor superstitious. Me and my family are not fans of black-eyed peas, nor do we eat cabbage. As a matter of fact, let me make this clear----Chitterlings aren't welcomed in our home either! 

So what does a non-traditional family eat on the first day of the year:

White Beans & Sausage & Rice
Gumbo
Almond Pound Cake

By the way, Catherine baked the cake. She volunteered. What a shock, considering she is not the domestic type. The cake was delicious! I'll post pics and recipes when I'm feeling better.

Merry Christmas from the Thomas Family



Catherine, Roline, Camille

 

Christmas Menu

Baked Turkey

Cornbread Dressing

Mac & Cheese

Lima Beans

Shrimp Pies

Garden Salad

Sweet Potato Pie

Pecan Pie

This is my first Christmas without my girls. They left 2 days ago to be with family in Houston. They love spending time with family, therefore, I am grateful they had an opportunity to visit with their aunts, sisters, "brothers", neice, nephew, and cousins.  As for Earnest and I, we will chow down on our own meal and then we will visit and dine at the Romes (good friends).

Last Sunday's Dinner 12/19/10

On December 23, my kids will be journeying to Houston to be with family for the Christmas Holiday. This will be my first Christmas without my children. Catherine wanted us to have our Christmas Dinner this past Sunday. So I obliged....well somewhat obliged.

I had already planned my Sunday Dinner menu. At the last minute, I headed to Wal-Mart and purchased dinner rolls, making our meal an official Christmas dinner. So here's my non-traditional 2010 Christmas 6 days early menu:

Garlic Spicy Chicken

Potato Salad

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Dinner Rolls

Notice in the picture below that my food is not touching. That's one of my idiosyncrasies. I hate it when my food is touching.

Happy Thanksgiving - What's for Dinner?



My Sister Rhonda, "Ma-main-na",
& Me in the 60s

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. I am cooking a Thanksgiving feast for my family and a few friends. I am very excited because my sister, Rhonda, is here visiting us from Cleveland, Ohio.
In the Thomas household, we have established a tradition of sharing what we are thankful for before we eat. We go around the table allowing each person to testify of God's goodness. Isn't that what Thanksgiving about---celebrating God's goodness. I have so much to be grateful for. Salvation, My husband and family, my church family, sanity of mind, decent health, and more.

I'm also thankful that I have memories. Each Thanksgiving, my grandmother, Momma Anna (we called her Ma-main-na because as kids, we couldn't speak well. LOL)  prepared gumbo, meats, vegetables and delectable desserts for our Thanksgiving family gatherings. How I remember eating those hot buttered rolls. back then, cooks did not measure the ingredients.

During Ma-main-na's life, I was too young and/or not interested in kitchen activity. I wish she would have penned her fabulous recipes. All of her treasured recipes are lost, never again to be duplicated. However, this has inspired me to begin writing down some of my recipes so that I can pass along my culinary skills to my children and generations to come.

Ma-main-na proved to be the thread that held the family together. After her death, much of our family scattered and.or lost touch. Her sister, "Aunt Lillian" carried the tradition of hosting the Thanksgiving Family Gathering. for the few who remained in contact.



My Grandmother's sisters Lillian & Alma sitting.
My cousin Paulette standing. All are deceased.
Circa Late  70s

My 2010 menu (stay tuned for links to recipes and pics):
Meats: Ham, Baked Turkey (injected with Cajun Seasoning)
Sides: Green Beans, Seafood Pie, Stuffed Peppers, Macaroni & Cheese, Candied Yams, Cornbread dressing & gravy
Bread: Dinner Rolls
Dessert: Chess Pie, Sweet Potato Pie

My Thanksgiving plate---I couldn't eat it all