Photo catchup, holidays, dinner tonight, party tomorrow

In other words, a post with little cohesiveness.

I finally found the cable-that-was-lost, so I’ve downloaded the last week or so’s worth of photos, with the exception of tonight’s dinner, which is split pea soup, which is not yet done.

If there is one quintessential holiday dish for me, this is it.

This says Christmas. Despite the tacky dishtowel behind it, which is hiding the microwave, in front of which is the only piece of countertop where I had room to set the bowl for a photo. I’ve GOT to straighten up my kitchen.

Anyway. This is cranberry salad. It has been on every Thanksgiving and Christmas table I can remember, and I’m 54, and that’s a lot of Thanksgivings and Christmases. My mama made it, and I’m not sure who all made it before that, but I know I’ve made it every year I’ve cooked a holiday dinner. The process is a little easier — Mama for years used the sausage grinder to chop up the fruit — with the advent of food processors. The taste still says home, and Christmas, and family, and lots of other good things for it to say this time of year.

Kay’s Mama’s ‘n ’em’s Cranberry Salad

• 1 bag fresh cranberries, washed, soft ones discarded
• 1 red apple (Gala or Winesap or Arkansas Black; a tart one)
• 1 green apple (Mama used yellow delicious; I use Granny Smith)
• 1 orange with zest
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 small box raspberry jello
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar

Chop all the fruit in the food processor and combine with nuts in a large bowl. Heat water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved; cool slightly, and stir in jello. Pour over fruit and stir. Chill overnight.

This is not really like a congealed salad; the jello just serves to kind of glue it together a little and give a little body to the syrup. I like mine on the tart side, so I use a cup and a half of sugar. Actually three cups, because I never make this recipe that I don’t double it, because the girls and I will go to the fridge and get a bowl of it to eat after dinner just like you’d eat ice cream. And I eat it for breakfast.

This is some good stuff, y’all. Give it a whirl. I think Mama ‘n ’em would be pleased. (Mama ‘n ’em would also be pleased that I’ve entered this in a family recipes/memories contest at Lynda’s Recipe Box, http://lyndasrecipebox.blogspot.com/2009/12/family-recipes-memories-of-family-food.html.)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch recently, these are previously-written-about dinners:

Chili and sweet potatos. Sweet potatos, as previously noted, were great, chili less so.

I would note that Child C thought the chili was better than I thought it was, and has worked her way through most of it taking it to work.

White bean and sausage soup with cheese toast. This was some Good Stuff.

And I’ve been taking the bean and sausage soup. That is some wonderful stuff, and I’m anxious to try some variations on it.

Meanwhile, I’m gonna go see if those split peas are done, and stuff the dates for tomorrow night’s appetizers. Got to wait and make the German potato salad tomorrow evening, so it’ll be warm when it gets there.

You and y’mama ‘n ’em stay warm, and make lots of Christmas goodies.