When sadness and joy cross paths

I didn't write about this yesterday, as I wanted to focus on as much joy as I could for the day. Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of my mother's passing. Forty years sounds like such a long time. But in my mind and heart it feels much shorter. I miss her still. What I've come to realize over the years is that you can simultaneously hold sadness and loss in one hand while holding joy and celebration in the other. 

My family has so much to celebrate right now. My niece (with cancer) is doing really well. The surgeon "got it all." She needs to make a decision on what route to take next, but I believe she will do well either way. My nephew and niece-in-law welcomed their first baby into the world a week ago today. This would be my parents' first great grandchild. New life is such a source of joy. My own health is getting better with each passing month. And I'm nearly done with all of the dental stuff, too. All of my children are well and enjoying their lives, and they'll all be here for Christmas. And we have a new "fixture" around our house, a boyfriend of one of my daughters. My husband has an opportunity to travel this spring for work and see some of his siblings while he's there. One of my daughters dog-sits regularly and she has another gig this weekend. That means that I might get to briefly visit with the pooch for a minute or two if I volunteer to drop her off. He's a super sweet dog. 

So many lovely moments in my family's life right now. It's hard to dwell on sadness over my mother's passing anniversary. I'm certain I will see her again. And that is itself a joyous thing. It's okay that I'm a bit sad at times. But I've learned to not allow this loss to color my entire day or week.

Christmas is one week away. I have so much to do! My menus are made. But I need to shop for what foods I'll need. I have a few gifts still to buy, and all of them to wrap. There are more treats to be baked and tins to be filled. I haven't even finished decorating the house yet! I've got to get busy.

I'll be away from this blog until shortly after Christmas. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! May your celebrations be held with all of your loved ones. See you soon.

1942 Holiday Dinner Menu

Here's another vintage Christmas or holiday dinner menu. This one is from Good Housekeeping Cookbook, published 1942.

Old English Spiced Cider (served in living room) 

Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Glazed Small Onions

Buttered Green Beans

Canned Cranberry Sauce

Celery and Carrot Sticks

Mince-Apple Pie, with Fluffy Cream Cheese

or

Stuffed Dates and Spiced Brazil-Nut Chips

Coffee

The menu linked to a couple of recipes in the cookbook. The Old English Spiced Cider is a heated apple cider with allspice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar.

The mince-apple pie is a two-crust pie with part thin sliced apples and part mincemeat filling.

The Spiced Brazil-Nut Chips sound similar to my recipe for spiced mixed nuts. I'll include the Good Housekeeping recipe at the bottom of this post.

There was no recipe or menu listing for the stuffing for the turkey. It must have been assumed that one would stuff the turkey with bread crumbs. It also must have been assumed one would know what to add to the bread crumbs for a stuffing. See the advice below.

What was also interesting was the helpful advice for preparing this menu. 

"Day Before: Make dessert. Whip cream cheese with cream; prepare relishes. Cook and grind giblets for gravy. Make spiced cider. Refrigerate all. Prepare crumbs for stuffing

The day: Make stuffing; stuff turkey. Plan so turkey is done 20 min. Before serving. Put potatoes in oven about 1 hour before dinner. Prepare onions and beans. Start cooking onions 1/2 hr. before dinner, green beans 20 min. before. Reheat cider. Place pie in oven with heat turned off to warm up during dinner."

The menu is actually very appealing in its relative simplicity. The vegetable side dishes sound much less complicated than many of the holiday side dish recipes that circulate today. I may use some of these suggestions in my own Christmas Day dinner this year, such as the plain, buttered green beans and baked sweet potatoes.

Here's the recipe for the Spiced Brazil-Nut Chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a well-greased sheet of brown paper. Alternatively, a greased sheet of parchment, a silicone liner, or a buttered sheet of foil.

1. 12/ teaspoons water

1 egg white

2 cups blanched, shelled Brazil nuts

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat the water and egg white together. Halve the Brazil nuts lengthwise and roll in egg white a few at a time, coating well. Then roll these in a mixture of the sugar and cinnamon. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden. Yields about 2 cups.