I remember as a small child loving every moment of the day. My parents would prepare dinner for everyone in the family. It was an art! They both had 8 to 5 jobs, yet, they were so prepared, and usually calm. And, the food was always divine!
Mom wasn’t stuck in the kitchen, all alone. No, my Dad loved to cook and was so good at it. Together, they treated the entire family to a heavenly Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, there was the Thanksgiving Day that Dadwoke at 4 AM to put the bird in the oven, only to realize they had forgotten to pick up the turkey! Grocery stores were closed for the holiday, besides, large chain groceries didn’t sit on every corner. This was in the early 60s. The original Hen House, which is now a major chain here in Kansas City, was located about 83rd and Wornall. We lived in Kansas City, Kansas….quite a distance away. My dad jumped in the car at 4 in the morning and when he arrived at the store, one lonely custodian was holding down the fort, mop in hand. He opened the door for Dad and after much negotiating (Dad was a car dealer!) Dad was on his way home with the one, the absolutely ONLY turkey left in the store! Dinner was slightly delayed, but not by much. Thankfully, that one lonely turkey was not frozen!
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| Povitica, a holiday must in Kansas City! |
It was a day to be thankful, to be joyful, to be hungry! Mr. Tom Turkey was accompanied by Minnie Florence Ogg’s Cornbread Dressing, Mom’s Green Beans that had been cooked for hours in her big thick, heavy pot we called “the green bean pan” with lots of country ham and onions, and the creamiest mashed potatoes on the face of the earth! Mom always made individual frozen Cranberry Salads, as well as her Fruit Salad with pineapple, grapes, bananas and apples with a few marshmallows to thrill the kids. Sometimes she made her Red Hot Applesauce Jello that always hit the spot. As for the rolls, they were usually good old brown and serve, out of the package and into the oven. Pumpkin Pie was the dessert, but we also had slices of Povitica, a Northern European holiday nut bread, very common in Kansas City, Kansas. Early settlers came from Poland, Croatia, Germany and Russia to work in the meat packing plants. Today, many of their ancestors and recipes are alive and well on Strawberry Hill overlooking the Kansas River. In fact, there is a Strawberry Hill Povitica Company that you can order from on line.
Go to www.povitica.com and check it out. Start a new tradition for your family this Thanksgiving.The photo above is from a webpage called http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com There, you will also find their recipe that has chocolate included! I think I will be trying it soon!
I just checked on the turkey wings and they are browning beautifully. It is just about time to start turning that wonderful brown stuff on the bottom of the pain into the perfect gravy!
Next, I will go to Somerset Ridge to pick up the perfect wine for our dinner. They are releasing their new Norton today! The winery is on many lists of things to do today….we need the perfect bottle to go with our perfect meal!
Did you see Doug Frost’s article on local wineries? Go to http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/18/3274044/be-thankful-for-midwest-wines
For my gravy recipe, and the recipe for my grandmother’s cornbread dressing, go to my archives. They are there! For the challenge of making your own Povitica, go to
http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2011/10/baking-povitica-croatian-sweet-walnut-chocolate-bread-for-daring-bakers-better-late-than-never.html
Next week is going to be a busy one, so may I take this opportunity to wish you a perfect Thanksgiving. Please, be safe, and remember, you may not remember what you had for lunch today, but you will always remember the perfect holiday meal...aromas and all!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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