Re-imagining a Holiday Tradition

When I'm talking about re-imagining a holiday tradition, I'm talking about a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. I love it. I am a single parent with two teens, one of whom is perpetually absent at supper time. This means that a traditional multi dish meals will be a lot of work for little gain.  The next day, the offspring will be gone and leftovers will be high. Sure, a midnight raid by the Ghost will  leave a dent in something. Never quite sure which dish it will be. Most likely desserts and turkey. Maybe the leftovers will be spared or ignored but the ever present peanut butter and bread dented leaving all the foods.

Then I am left with weeks of dealing with foods that are less than optimal and limiting my diet. More heavy carbs than ought to be eaten for weeks and made into such strange things as mashed potato waffles, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, and fried carrots. Anything to get them out of the fridge and not thrown out. If I am industrious and forward thinking, maybe a few will be made into the best type of tv dinners. But, just no. I can't do that any more. Partially because it seems so damn sad. Partially because I can't stand eating the same thing over and over again.

So, I came up with something a little more reasonable this year. Here is what I did. Made a turkey meatball or loaf or burger and added all the standard stuffing spices; sage, thyme, and whatever. I made this several times so the herbs and spices varied. It worked. Made some cranberry sauce. Added a little winter salad with endive and pomegranate that had a little orange maple vinaigrette. Served on a potato that was quickly fried. All topped off with a store bought biscuit or cranberry bread.

The good news. No leftovers. The better news. Ghost showed up the table to snarf one down before heading to his room. He ate everything. The best news. After making it several times, everyone who ate it enjoyed it. Even me.

Oh, I served it with a cranberry and orange sparkling water spritzer for the underage folks but added a little something something for the older folk.

I can get behind Christmas and Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to it and may even make this when it isn't the holidays.