Well, boys and girls, ready or not, it’s Thanksgiving week. Selfishly, because I’m bringing potatoes to a family dinner, I’ll publish my recipe first. And I’m also making spiced cranberries as a gift – yes, the gift of cranberries – so I’ll publish that recipe this week, too.
I must say, I still haven’t fully regained my love of the holidays that disappeared when my marriage and life crashed and burned almost two years ago. Can you believe it? TWO years! Blows my mind. You know, after my first divorce a friend told me I wouldn’t begin to feel “normal” for three years. I’m two years into this marriage’s demise and can see my friend might be right.
In the meantime, I’m learning to accept my “new normal” – where I’m still numb to the holidays that I used to love, but I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and sure enough, I’m making ground. Already I’ve had a few moments of grocery-store aisle emotional incontinence during a Christmas song (come ON, retailers! Can you at least wait until Thanksgiving’s over?). But those episodes are becoming fewer, and that’s a relief. Come to think of it, I AM feeling better this year than last year. Absolutely.
I’m also learning to go through the motions, even when I don’t feel like it, sort of like how smiling when one doesn’t feel like it can actually trigger something in the brain that sends a message saying happiness is on the way.
So when my son and daughter-in-law invited me to go cut a Christmas tree with them, I said yes before I remembered I wasn’t planning on doing a tree. My daughter-in-law said I needed a tree, and if didn’t decorate it, they would (which sounded a bit like a threat … kindly put, of course). OK, fine. I’ll get a tree, for my grandson, mainly. But it’ll be a table-top tree. Baby steps here.
Speaking of table, we were talking about our Thanksgiving menu. I’m sharing a recipe for bake-ahead Yukon Gold Potatoes that’s a repeat publication of this recipe because it was a hit. For the next few days I’ll show you some of my recipes, but only if you promise to show me yours, too. OK?
Also, I’d like to hear what’s on your menu. Do you need help finding a recipe? Leave your questions here and you know you have some of the most dedicated foodies between Medford and Sacramento to provide answers. Or, do you have a recipe you want to share? Leave it in the comments section. Gobble, gobble.
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
7 pounds (approximately) Yukon Gold potatoes 1 (8-oz.) package low-fat cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup low-fat sour cream, room tempertaure 2/3 cup milk, heated 4 T. softened butter 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper (white is nice) 4 T. minced, fresh chives (optional)Boil peeled, cubed potoates in a large pot of salted water until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain and mash. (Avoid a mixer or you’ll have something akin to wallpaper paste.)
Dump the rest of the ingredients on top of the mashed potatoes. Mix to blend.
Put the potato mixture into a greased casserole dish. Refrigerate until a few hours before dinner. Put the room-temperature, covered casserole dish in a preheated 325-degree oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until heated through.
Serves 12 to 16.
Recipe by Doni Chamberlain