Fall, for many reasons, is my favorite season of the year. Not only is it a time for family, food, and festivities, but a time of reflection, thoughtfulness, and gratitude as we look toward the New Year and celebrate light in the season of encroaching darkness.
With darkness, cooling temperatures, and hibernating tendencies, food offers warmth and comfort.
It is a focal source through which we harvest energy, nourish our bodies, and share with kinfolk. Many festivals include celebrated and traditional meals. Hosting and cooking one of these meals feels like a rite of passage to many, including myself.
Thanksgiving is the next festival my family celebrates this season. Our family is thankful for many things this year, including the birth of our healthy baby girl. As a new mom, I feel incredibly excited to share this meal with her. This season, I feel particularly adventurous, and I plan to execute some recipes new to my family and me.
What are you cooking this festive season? Do you have any traditional family recipes?
Besides mouth-watering roasted turkey, these are the side dishes I plan to make (most adapted from my go-to recipe websites):
Squash & Apple Soup
Mustard Kale, Cranberry & Quinoa Salad
Roasted Potatoes
Frozen Pomegranate & Cashew Cake
If you imbibe, I love these delicious drinks for the festive season:
“Vermont Negroni”
My husband makes a mean Negroni with Barr Hill Gin and Elderberry Cordial (instead of Campari)
You can find this at Healthy Living Market. You will NOT be disappointed!
Also available at Healthy Living Market
[…] I’m not good at cooking. I don’t have any kind of palate and I have no clue how to season. My friends cook meals for me and when I ask where they got the recipe, I hear the sentence I abhor even more than cooking, “Oh, I just threw a bunch of things together.” […]