Beyond Words

I’m suffering from a hangover. Not an alcohol hangover; a socializing hangover. These past few weeks I’ve been blessed with some wonderful gatherings but have tied one on and gotten lit on socializing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all been fun and amazing, but it’s also taken a toll on my introverted heart. Yep, my name is Carla and I’m an introvert. Again, loved them all but now it’s time for me to decompress and recover. Even if just for one day.

 

 

For fellow introverts like myself, the holidays are especially challenging. It’s one social event after another and one “what am I going to make or buy for such and such?” It takes a toll on our over-thinking minds and maybe that’s why January 2 is rightly celebrated as World Introvert Day. Hallelujah! Time for a little prescription to slow down and realign. It’s not only the holidays that can do this to us though, conferences, weddings, reunions, and retreats can all give us a hangover. An introvert hangover.

 

 

Many of you who know me are probably thinking, “You’re not an introvert! You’re fun and interesting and outgoing.” Yes, I can be all of that, and actually cope pretty well in social situations; they just wear me out. I prefer safe spaces and among those I consider safe and who give me peace. In a nutshell, I treasure time alone, I hate small talk, and large crowds are a big “no thank you” for me. I’m not, however, shy or aloof, I simply sit back and observe before taking a social or high-stress jump.

 

 

I discovered much of this during the 2020 Covid lockdown. All that staying safe at home was actually pretty easy for me and quite cathartic. While many were going stir crazy having to stay home, I thrived. I nested. I walked. I wrote. I read. One book I discovered was “The Powerful Purpose of Introverts” by Holley Gerth and I’ve referred back to it many times. It’s changed my life. I learned that we introverts are indeed powerful, don’t need to become extroverts, and the world needs us.

 

In her book, Gerth offers a test to see if you’re an introvert and if so, how big of one. Out of a total score of 100, I’m 85 percent introvert. I’m in good company though, as introverts make up half of the population and fellow introverts include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Joanna Gaines, C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado, Michael Jordan, and Jerry Seinfeld; the last of which shocked me but proves introverts aren’t what you think they are. And if that isn’t enough proof that introverts are indeed successful and ambitious, consider that 53 percent of millionaires identify themselves as introverts. Woohoo! We may come across as silent, but we are silently strong.

 

It was interesting to learn that Finland is known as the land of introverts. The Nordic country has an affinity for peace, quiet, and calm. Personal space is a great value and breaks in conversations are not seeing as uncomfortable. Perhaps it’s no surprise that Finland also tops the “World Happiness Report” list every year as the happiest country in the world. Introverts out there: be happy!

 

It all also explains why I prefer yoga over spin class and why I’m such a dog person. There are photos of me with our family dog when I was as young as three-years-old and I never felt at home or fell in love with a fitness class until I met yoga.

 

 

One common misconception is that introverts need to learn how to be extroverts and that you must be an extrovert to lead. Not only are both of these outdated and a bit insulting, there are inaccurate. Introverts have so many strengths, gifts, and skills that the world needs but they are often overlooked by the chatter and banter out there. We were created as introverts and there is no reason for us to become extroverts. We may go quietly about our way, but we make a difference in ways no extrovert can and the two…extroverts and introverts…can make a heckuva team.

 

As Gerth says, being an introvert isn’t a struggle, it’s a superpower and many of the traits of an introvert have my name written all over them.

 

• We relish time alone but also love people, preferably in intimate and genuine small social settings. Still, time alone for introverts isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. We crave solitude and are never bored when alone. Introvert Emma Scheib of “Simple Slow & Lovely” says alone time is akin to air and water for her. It’s that important. It’s that beneficial. It’s something we can’t explain and extroverts will never understand.

 

• We recharge on our own and don’t need the world to help us think and feel better. Self-care is trendy but introverts have been doing it all along.

 

• We don’t mind being alone…at all..but we do appreciate good company. We actually “become” extroverted around people who bring us peace.

 

• Certain people drain us while others energize us. We find people both intriguing and exhausting.

 

• We’re great listeners but will speak our my mind when pushed. In fact, we’d rather say what’s on our mind than make small talk. On the flipside, listening can be challenging for extroverts.

 

• We are reflective, introspective, think deeply, and often overthink, but this allows us to act intentionally and make rational and well thought out decisions…for ourselves and society as a whole. We are not slow thinkers; we are deep thinkers. My extrovert husband tells me to “land the plane” but sometimes my flight is a long one!

 

• We have a knack for details and live a very detail-oriented existence. We are feelers and thinkers and excel in everything from accounting to artistry.

 

• We value quality over quantity in relationships, don’t like surprises, are perfectionists, and often allow fear to get the best of us. Routines are our best friends.

 

• We feel good when we turn inward, focus on ideas, have meaningful conversations, and do work that matters to us. We are motivated by internal rewards. All this inner-thinking also results in very creative imaginations.

 

• We are very observant, perceptive, and catch things many miss. This allows us to ad depth and insights to conversations and we’re good at making meaningful connections.

 

• We dread small talk but enjoy sharing helpful ideas and information. Much like Gerth, when I can, I bring along a “designated extrovert” to a socializing situation. This allows me to stand back, observe, and chime in when I feel the need while my “DE” can mingle and yack away. Many of my friends are introverts as are both my husband and daughter.

 

• We often rethink what we did or said in a public or social setting and wonder if we should have done things differently.

 

• We have boundless empathy, a deep desire to solve problems, and a unique drive to make a difference in the world.

 

• We tend to revel in keeping up with current events sometimes even at the detriment of our sanity. Headlines and breaking news are daily norms but we can tend to want to fix everything and help everyone. Being a former broadcast journalist, I know this firsthand. Once a newsie always a newsie.

 

• We listen and learn and pay attention…so much that that person you depend on to be there through thick and thin and when you need consistent and honest help is probably an introvert.

 

• Friends are important to introverts, but true and trusted friends. We are not big on big groups. An introvert with one best friend can be less lonely than an extrovert with lots of acquaintances.

 

• We don’t like being the center of attention but excel at supporting others. We’re okay with the fact that the talkative person may get the attention but thoughtful listeners build trust, likability, and solid relationships.

 

• We sometimes find it difficult to let go of perfection and don’t like taking risks. We also tend to compare ourselves to others, fear change and rejection, and struggle with setting boundaries; the latter of which is important for anyone but especially for introverts. It’s imperative we remind the extroverts in our lives that we simply can’t do life at the same pace they can. They wouldn’t want to slow down to our pace so they shouldn’t expect us to keep up to theirs. Don’t apologize and don’t explain. You don’t need to prove or justify your needs.

 

 

All of this comes in handy and into play all over the world we live in, from families to friend groups, places of work to places of worship, teams we’re on to classes we’re in. Thanks to our powerful, analytical minds, introverts are great problem solvers and idea creators and are very resourceful. We also tend to like order and planning, both of which are critical skills extroverts as a whole are not strong in. Our knack for details allows the extroverts in the room to be the “big picture” guys and know we’ll take care of it from there. Our much needed and much desired solitude boosts productivity, sparks creativity, builds mental strength, and give us the opportunity to plan and produce. We bring calmness to a situation and direction to a board meeting. We make sure our pantries have what we need and we don’t feel the need to be the boss. In fact, today’s fast-paced and stressed-out culture needs what we offer perhaps more than ever.

 

Something else society seems to need is social media. Companies have entire departments dedicated to curating a social media presence and friends and family seem to be all over Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the likes. Most introverts find social media overwhelming but not me. I actually enjoy my quiet time looking at pretty pictures, seeing new recipes, and learning it’s a friend’s birthday. I find it a safe and quiet space where I can share what I want and voice what I think if I choose. It’s almost like journaling to me.

 

 

For introverts and extroverts alike, it’s not about personality; it’s about how God made us and how our brains and nervous systems are wired.  Extroverts are wired to spend energy while introverts are wired to conserve it. Not to get too analytical (one of my strengths though!), basically extroverts thrive on dopamine and have more of it in their brains than introverts, who prefer acetylcholine, which is more active in introverts. Interestingly enough, social media is intentionally designed to release dopamine. Social events also flood the brain with dopamine, which may initially give us the energy to enjoy and get through them, but they do ultimately take a toll on us. Dopamine energizes extroverts but overwhelms introverts. As Gerth notes, it’s not about the people. It’s about our nervous system being overloaded by external stimulation, including very stimulating people we enjoy hanging out with. In short, dopamine is like caffeine while acetylcholine is like herbal tea. Hmmm…funny thing is I love coffee!

 

 

Ask an extrovert how they feel when they’re happy and they’ll likely say things like energetic, excited, and enthusiastic. Introverts will respond the likes of content, fulfilled, and satisfied. Extroverts need external stimulation to feel good while introverts get recharged from the inside out and fill our energy tanks in private or in the presence of maybe one or two trust allies. An introvert’s natural state of happiness is calm and content while an extrovert’s is enthusiastic and excited.  

 

But, even with all that dopamine and energy running inside them, extroverts aren’t the ones more likely to struggle with anxiety and depression. That would be introverts, likely due to our highly reactive nervous systems and strong sense of empathy. We introverts tend to be worry warts and excessive worry can lead to anxiety, depression, and other illnesses. We may not come across as very active, but our brains are constantly in overtime. Sadly, research has found that up to 70 percent of an introvert’s spontaneous thoughts can be negative. Raise your hands Negative Nancies. Remember that acetylcholine we talked about? Well, as Lindsay Dodgson explains in her article “What Everyone Gets Wrong About Introverts,” the acetylcholine brain pathway introverts use for processing is much longer and goes through the part of the brain that notices errors. This can not only make us glass half empty people, but may lead to us be more self-conscious and self-critical. Raising my hand again. But, extroverts are most likely to develop an alcohol addiction. No one’s perfect, right?

 

 

It’s for sure about worry with us, but also the dreaded “R” word: rumination, which is really just a fancy name for worry. With rumination, we focus on our circumstances and then go round and round a problem. We can learn something from our extrovert friends on this one. They are masters at getting their minds off unpleasant things by engaging in something fun or meaningful. We introverts on the other hand tend to, well, ruminate. As my extrovert husband tells me again and again, “don’t let it take up space in your brain” as well as “don’t overanalyze it, Carla. Make a decision and move on.” Easy for him to say.

 

 

An extrovert may occasionally have introvert tendencies or moods and vice-versa, but in general you are who you are and there’s little likelihood someone will do a complete 180 and switch. In fact, studies indicate our overall temperaments, including being an introvert or extrovert, don’t generally change. What is interesting however, is that as we age, we act more introverted. Maybe even extroverts get tired of the chaos and BS!

 

So, to all my fellow introverts out there: embrace your introvertness! It’s okay to prefer a quiet life. It’s okay to want to stay in. In fact, in many ways it’s courageous as it requires you to confront your own thoughts, hearts, and souls. It might not get a million likes and followers or be trending, but a quiet life is brave and intentional. It’s about value not volume. It’s in that quiet that we create, recharge, innovate, plan, and dream. We realign with our truest selves and hear the whisper of God. He made us this way and is happy to see us thriving. Think about it.

 

 

 

I saw a message the other day on my neighborhood NextDoor site with a post from a woman who wrote she’s a mom who loves to decorate and put up tree ornaments during the holidays to supplement her income. I thought, “genius!” Boy would I love to put her talents to work. Don’t get me wrong, I love our Christmas decorations and all our beloved ornaments, but they are quite a quiet stress. The weary world rejoices? Maybe when you’re all done decorating. Amiright?

 

With that being said, what are your thoughts? Do you happily anticipate the holiday décor deluge or do you quietly dread doing so? I’m totally somewhere in the middle and each year I bring them out and put them up. And, in perfect sync with my OCD mind, most of our décor is grouped: nativities, snowmen, nutcrackers, angels, reindeer, Santas, and even little white things. Our mantel is too and is one of my favorites.

 

 

  My mother-in-law started me years ago collecting Byer’s Choice Carolers and to this day they sing away on our mantel and still remind me of her. I throw in our year-round golfer caroler cuz why not and I have a separate girl caroler in our kitchen cuz she’s a cooking caroler. She stands next to my cooking Santa, cooking Mrs. Claus, and cooking nutcracker. Again, all with their like buddies. What’s on your mantel? Do you decorate by theme?

 

 

Then there’s the tree. We are a real tree family but every year I debate suggesting a fake one. And then, our real tree goes up, is adorned with treasured ornaments, and I’m always grateful for a real one. Is your tree real or fake…em I guess “artificial” is the PC name. Silly me. (Bonus tree info: if you’re looking for a beautiful kid’s holiday book, check out “The Night Tree.” They’ll love it and you’ll love it.) 

 

 

 Above is the beginning of my brother-in-law’s tree. He starts out with golf course bag tags from all over and then adds traditional ornaments. It’s a very fun theme and one he really enjoys doing. As for our ornaments, they are all very sentimental. No fancy or themed-tree in our house. We have ornaments from the beginning of our married life, ornaments of and for our daughter including her first one and many she made, some from our own childhoods, tons from our travels, others were gifts, and the rest are just a potpourri of memories. Our topper is a beautiful angel I bought our first year of marriage and despite a fall one year that broke her head off (easily glued back together), she still stands strong and is very special to me. Something else that’s very special to me is the memory I have of our childhood tree always having one of those old-school star toppers. What about you? What’s your topper? Does your tree have a theme? 

 

 

 

Tradition has it, that regardless of what kind of tree you have, gifts go under it. Where tradition bends a bit, is when those gifts are opened. We open on Christmas Eve but I know many of you open them Christmas Day. One tradition we have in our family is that Kristen gets three presents and three presents only. That’s been the case since she was old enough to remember and is the case still today in her adult years. It seems like so many kids get anything and everything they want and under the tree is a somewhat obscene pile of gifts, but when Kristen was a baby I read the “only three gifts” story and it’s simply that if three were good enough for Jesus, they’re good enough for us. It makes shopping a bit easier and a bit more intentional. 

 

 

Last but not least, there’s the baking. Raising my hand here in full disclosure that I am not a baker. I have some traditional goodies I make each year, and thankfully my husband and daughter’s favorite is my Holly Treats, shown above, that are similar to Rice Krispie Treats and just as easy to make. I also have a really good and pretty simple recipe for Ginger Snaps that a former neighbor shared with me.

 

 

A yummy tradition I don’t make (maybe this year!) but always have around are Biscochitos. Bisco what? These yummy cookies are a Santa Fe and New Mexico tradition that my mom always made as did moms and grandmas across my hometown. Similar to a sugar cookie or Snickerdoodle but with anise, Biscos are Christmas and it’s just not Christmas without them.

 

 

 For me, it’s all about memories made and making more. It’s never an easy task to decorate for the holidays, but the thought of not doing so is not an option. Take your time and think about why you’re doing it. Not for show and not for dough…unless it’s cookie dough. Nope, you do it for your family and for Him. We may be weary through it all, but we can still rejoice.

 

 

That’s pretty much the message in a popular Bible verse. It is one of the most popular scriptures and is often quoted in both secular and non-secular worlds. It talks about being patient, kind, and honest and not being envious, proud, or rude. It was read during my wedding and I had to memorize it to be initiated in my college sorority. It is, 1 Corinthians: 13. So many of us have heard it, know it, and love it. But, did you know there is a Christmas version? It’s not found in the bible, but it’s well worth a read. Enjoy!

 

 

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Version

 

If I decorate my house perfectly with strands of twinkly lights and shiny balls

but do not show love to my family, I am just a decorator.

 

 

If I slave away in the kitchen baking dozens of Christmas cookies and them on a beautifully

adorned table but do not share the true meaning of Christmas, I am just another cook.

 

 

If I volunteer at a soup kitchen, carol in a nursing home, and donate to charity

but do not demonstrate simple kindness to strangers, it profits me nothing.

 

 

If I attend holiday parties but do not go to church, I have missed the point.

 

 

Love stops cooking to hug a child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss a spouse.

Love is kind during the holidays though harried and tired.

 

 

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas place settings,

perfectly strung outdoor lights, or a picture perfect tree.

 

 

Love doesn’t ask family to get out of the way but is thankful they are in the way.

 

 

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return or those on our lists,

but rejoices in giving to those who can’t and those who aren’t.

 

 

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

 

 

Love never fails, even at Christmas.

 

Thanksgiving is officially over and now it’s a full- throttle Christmas mode. But how ‘bout we say goodbye to the Thanksgiving holiday but not the idea of being thankful? Everywhere I looked the past few weeks I saw the quote “There is always, always, something to be thankful for.” If that’s so and if so many people believe that, why is it we celebrate thankfulness only one day a year…a day that is immediately followed by a day when we go on shopping frenzies to buy all those things we think we have to have and things we think might make us happy? Does having more equate to more happiness? Does being happy equate to being thankful? Do things that frustrate us have to make us unhappy? Not always on all counts.

 

 

I’ve been frustrated the past few days but today I’m thankful for the very computer I’m writing this on. You see, I’m old school. Yes, I have a laptop but I’m still attached to my trusty desktop. And it died this week. Ten-year-old HP tower was fried. And I cried. But, thanks to the trusty geeks (they call themselves that) at Best Buy, I have a new one and one that was installed in my house by a phenomenal geek.

 

Funny how we’re grateful for the little and random things we perhaps never think about. I’m so thankful for Best Buy and its staff. I’m so very grateful that we could afford for me to just waltz into a store and purchase a new computer. (Merry Christmas to me?!) I’m grateful for all the reasons I even need a computer, including the writing of this blog. There are so many things I’m thankful for now that I think about it and am thinking we should all be thankful for more than just one holiday in November.

 

 

 

As Jimmy Buffet sang, we need to change our attitudes. This is also the philosophy behind a great book titled “FISH!” In the bestseller, a high-stress and non-energetic corporate office team is compared to the fishmongers in Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market. They may not have the most sought after jobs, but they are famously happy and thankful for their place of work. It’s a philosophy filled with lessons of being grateful and joyful.

 

Lessons learned.

 

 

An attitude of gratitude should be our goal and it starts with both the head and the heart. If you think you are blessed, you’ll likely feel blessed. If you love more than you long, you’ll feel loved. If you fill your life with things and people who build you up rather than tear you down, you’ll feel positive and thankful. Maybe instead of trying to “keep up with the Joneses” you might ask yourself if the life you are living is a life you would want someone else to have. Chances are your life is pretty darn good on many levels so being thankful for it is today’s Plan A. Plan B is to make “thanksgiving” a reason to celebrate 12 months a year; not just one day a year.

 

 

 

So. before you go out, stress out, and max out your credit card on holiday shopping and entertaining, sit back and be thankful…truly thankful. Be thankful you have a job even if it’s not your dream job. Be grateful you have a place to live even if it’s not your dream house. Be appreciative that you have a car instead of complaining about traffic. And always remember that so many out there have less than you but could very well be more grateful and happy than you. Be thankful for all of it and all of them. Even the geeks.

Have you finished your Thanksgiving Day grocery shopping? Are the pies baked? (Mine are in the oven as I write.) Did sweet potatoes or yams make the cut? I love them both and whichever is picked for Turkey Day I’m okay with as they are both healthy and yummy. Healthy and yummy, but different and not interchangeable.

 

 

The popular saying is “puh-tay-toe” “puh-tah-toe,” but this time of year it switches to sweet potatoes or yams. So, as we get ready to celebrate all things thankful, let’s say thank you to both! Both are critical Thanksgiving Day side dishes and chalk full of nutrients. Okay, maybe not when mixed with brown sugar and marshmallows, but when done right, they really should be part of not only your Thanksgiving menu, but your year-long diet.

 

First things first: sweet potatoes aren’t yams and they’re not even true potatoes! According to my Concierge Choice Physicians newsletter, a potato is considered a “tuber” and a sweet potato is actually a root vegetable. Both potatoes and sweet potatoes grow under the soil and as for yams vs. sweet potatoes, they are both root vegetables but belong to two different plant families.  And by “plants,” we’re talking real plants.

 

The sweet potato is from the morning glory family while the yam is related to the lily. Who knew?! Yams are generally more starchy and less sweet than their sweetly named cousins and they grow much larger. And other than Thanksgiving Day tables in the U.S.A., where you’re from may dictate which one you eat and cook with. Yams are commonly used in African, Asian, and Caribbean cooking while sweet potatoes are generally more popular in New World meals.

 

 

We all feel better when we order those “healthy” sweet potato fries instead of regular fries and many of you consider fresh sweet potatoes healthier than those canned cubes soaked in syrup, but ironically many of the popular canned yams you see this time of year are technically sweet potatoes. If you’re picky about one or the other, check the label. When buying fresh ones, you’ll also want to check your choice.

 

 

As you peruse the produce department, know that yams have long, tapered shapes and skin that looks like bark on a tree. They have a neutral flavor, tough flesh, yucca-like texture, and are best when boiled in savory recipes like soups, stews, and chilis.

 

The most common varieties of sweet potatoes have smooth orange or reddish skin, orange flesh, and a sweet flavor. But of course!  Surprisingly, both (even the canned ones) are healthy depending on how you prepare them. Let’s start with yams.

 

 

Yams are linked to many health benefits including boosting brain health, reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar levels, inhibiting the progression of both osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and reducing cholesterol and LDL levels. A single yam also packs nearly 370 percent of your daily Vitamin A requirement and even canned yams are great sources of fiber, potassium, manganese, copper, and antioxidants. Canned yams in syrup are non-GMO, contain no preservatives, and are certified by the American Heart Association as a heart healthy food.

 

 

But what about all that syrup in the canned variety? What’s really in it? Basically, sweet potatoes, water, corn syrup, and sugar. Ick, right? No worries! You can actually remove the sugar by rinsing the pieces in water before cooking because pieces of sweet potato don’t absorb sugar. Whatever is in the can stays on the surface of them prior to rinsing, which can also get rid of much of the syrup. Perhaps best of all is the fact that canned sweet potatoes are already cooked meaning Aunt Carla’s famous Sweet Potato Casserole cooks fast and who doesn’t want at least a few Thanksgiving dishes that cook quickly? One more tidbit: about three unpeeled fresh sweet potatoes or yams are in a standard 29 ounce can.

 

 

Sweet potatoes on the whole have a higher concentration of most nutrients, have more fiber, and are generally more nutritious than yams. In fact, they are considered “nutrient dense” in that one cup of a baked sweet potato with the skin on provides more than 50 percent of your daily Vitamin A, C, and magnesium requirement and more than 25 percent of your Vitamin B6 and potassium requirement. Vitamin C supports your immune systems and helps absorb iron. Diets low in Vitamin C can increase your risk of anemia and no wants a low immune level. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with antioxidants that protect your body from inflammation and possibly even cancer, heart disease, and aging.

 

Sweet potatoes are also good for your gut as they are loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber and their antioxidants promote healthy gut bacteria growth, the former may lower the risk of colon cancer and the latter is thought to limit conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

 

The eyes also have it with sweet potatoes! What food do we immediately think of as good for the eyes? Carrots, right? What color are carrots? Orange. What color is the flesh of a sweet potato? Orange. And yes, you guessed it; that orange color is due to high amounts of beta-carotene, which your body converts into Vitamin A and uses to form light-detecting receptors inside your eyes, much like it does with carrots. And, how ironic that both carrots and sweet potatoes are root vegetables.

 

 

In the end, can you substitute sweet potatoes for yams and vice-versa? The bad news and short answer is “no,” so do your best to use what is listed on any given recipe. The good news is, those canned yams are not as bad as you maybe once thought they were. Want a sweet dish? Go for true sweet potatoes. Want a more savory dish? Opt for yams. Want it in a hurry? A canned variety is the way to go. However you say it and whatever version you use, I hope your sweet puh-tay-toe/puh-tah-toe/yam casserole dish is yummy! Let’s be thankful for it all.

 

Lastly, I’ve never made one but many swear by Sweet Potato Pie and sometimes even in place of my beloved Pumpkin Pie. If you have a Sweet Potato Pie recipe to share, please do!

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and here are a few recipes you might enjoy. I personally leave out the pecans in most but am including them for your preference.

 

Ann’s Perfectly Baked Sweet Potato

Wash potato and cut off both ends.

Put in cold oven directly on rack and above cookie sheet and then heat to 425.

Cook for 1 hour and then turn off oven but keep potato in oven for 30 more minutes.

Top with butter or toppings of your choice.

 

 

 

Candied Yam Soufflé

Sandra Lee

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

2 large (40 oz.) can large yams or sweet potatoes, drained

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground nutmeg

1 12 oz. jar marshmallow topping (or mini marshmallows)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.

Add brown sugar and pecans and simmer for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, place drained yams in large bowl and mash finely.

Pour sugar/pecan mixture over yams and stir until thoroughly combined.

Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir.

Transfer to a metal pie pan and top with marshmallow topping or marshmallows.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and raise oven temp to 400 degrees and bake additional 10 minutes.

Watch carefully to keep from over burning.

 

 

 

Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

Crust Ingredients

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour

¾ cup chopped nuts…pecans preferred

¼ cup melted butter

 

Sweet Potato Ingredients

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup salt

½ t vanilla

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

¼ cup butter

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine crust ingredients and mix in bowl. Set aside.

Pour sweet potato mixture into buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle crust mixture evenly on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow minimum 30 minutes to cool before serving.

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

The Sandy Show & The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

4 whole medium sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 whole eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1 t salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecans

½ cup flour

¾ stick of softened butter

 

Directions

Wash potatoes and bake at 375 about 30-35 minutes or until fork tender.

When done, slice open and scrape out flesh into a large bowl.

Add sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt and mash slightly.

In separate bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter and mix thoroughly.

Spread sweet potato mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with crumb mixture on top.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

 

 

 

Praline Sweet Potatoes

Texascooppower.com

Potatoes Ingredients

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 t vanilla extract

½ cup milk

½ cup (1 stick) melted butter

 

Topping Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

1/3 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

 

Preheat oven to 350 and butter 9 x 13 baking dish.

In large bowl, combine potatoes with brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and butter.

Pour into prepared baking dish.

In small bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, and flour.

Stir in melted butter until crumble forms.

Scatter evenly over top of sweet potatoes.

Bake 30-40 minutes and until topping is golden brown or crunchy.

 

 

 

Heart Healthy Chipotle Chili

Orlandodietician.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the same can)
2 cups water
2 teaspoons vegetable base
2 cups chopped kale (remove the hard stems)f
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
Fresh ground pepper to taste

6 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (optional, for topping)

 

Directions

In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onion and garlic. Sautee 3 minutes then add butternut squash, parsnips, and sweet potato, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir occasionally for 10 minutes. Add in chili powder, cumin, cocoa and cinnamon. Cook for one more minute.

Stir in tomatoes, chipotle peppers, water and vegetable base. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add kale and stir until wilted. Add black beans, cook an additional two minutes and add pepper to taste.

Serve with a dollop (one tablespoon) of Greek yogurt on top.

 

 

 

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Orlandodietician.com

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato (skin on)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the potato well and cut into thin strips.

In a large bowl or mix together the spices and olive oil. Toss in the potatoes and coat with spice mixture (you could also do this in a large plastic bag).

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn and bake on the other side for an additional 15 minutes or until fries are browned and crisp.

 

Disclaimer: Always check with your health provider before adding anything to your diet or nutrition plan.

Thanksgiving is mere days away and you know what that means: food. Lots of food! And, as much as we love all the turkey and fixings, most are not good for something else we love: our pets.

 

Thanksgiving also means lots of people and kitchen chaos, which means you may not pay attention to what your dogs eat or sneak on the side. But if you want a day without a pet emergency room visit, you might want to take note of some do’s and don’ts of Thanksgiving for pet owners.

 

Basically, the rules include no pets in the kitchen, stuff your turkey but not your pets, no booze hounds, and take out the trash!

 

 

When talking turkey, it’s tough to not give your dog a little nibble of the bird but just make sure it’s fully cooked, skinless, boneless, and has no tracings of twine or foil. The skin can be especially dangerous for Fido, as it will have spices, sauces, and fats that are both dangerous and hard to digest.

 

Bones, even those cooked like neck bones, are the worst and if ingested, will wreak havoc on a dog or cat’s digestive track. They splinter inside an animal and could lead to that dreaded emergency room visit.

Lastly, be sure to double bag and wrap-tie the turkey carcass and toss in an outside bin.

 

What’s the other Thanksgiving Day standard? Pumpkin pie! The pie is my favorite but raw yeast dough will not be your pet’s fave. If ingested, the yeast converts sugars in the dough into carbon dioxide, gas, and alcohol, which can result in a bloated almost drunken pet and one with severe pain. This could be life-threatening and comes into play when making rolls and other bread items as well.

 

 

Nutmeg is a key ingredient in pumpkin pie and yams, but it is a big no-no for dogs. In fact, the seasonal favorite can cause seizures and central nervous system problems if ingested by a pup. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes themselves are fine in moderation; just make sure they don’t have any nutmeg or other spices.

 

Sage is also a popular Thanksgiving Day spice but it’s equally dangerous. It contains oils that upset a pooch’s tummy and should be avoided.

 

Along those same lines are onions and garlic. These two are pretty commonly known as bad for dogs, but just in case you didn’t know it, keep them away from your four-legged friends at all costs. Both contain sulfides that are toxic to dogs and can lead to anemia. Between the two, onions are more toxic than garlic and cooking them does not reduce their toxicity.

 

When I think of the holidays from my childhood, I remember my parents always had a big bowl of nuts on the coffee table. They were in a special wooden bowl and were not shelled. An old-school nutcracker and shell picker were always part of the set-up but now in hindsight, it’s nuts to have nuts laying around if you have dogs, which we always did.

 

Nuts, especially walnuts and macadamia nuts, are uber dangerous for your dog. If a bad reaction occurs, a dog will be unable to stand, will vomit, suffer tremors and an elevated heart rate, and will have both a fever and weakness within 12 hours of digesting the nuts. Thankfully most symptoms go away but why risk it? Keep those nuts up high people.

 

 

Other things you should keep away from your pets

Drippings and Gravy

Turkey Stuffing

Raisins and Grapes

Mushrooms

Corn on the Cob

Butter

Chocolate

Alcohol

 

 

It’s not all bad news though and there are plenty of Thanksgiving Day treats that can be safely added to your mutt’s treats menu, including:

 

Boneless, skinless and well-cooked turkey meat (no skin)

Sweet potatoes (plain)

Plain pumpkin puree (great year-round for dogs that are “plugged up”)

Green beans (great year-found as meal filler for overweight dogs)

Cranberry sauce

Carrots (raw or cooked but plain)

Apples

 

If you think your precious pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4436. It’s a number you should probably keep handy all year long.

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and one with safe and happy pets!

I’ll be spending Thanksgiving this year again with my husband’s side of the family along with our daughter, which has become an annual tradition I’ve grown to love. Another tradition I love is the serving of cranberry sauce alongside the turkey, dressing, potatoes, green beans, pies, and the likes. In fact, it’s something I’ve volunteered to bring again this year along with the cranberry and Brie cups I’ve included the recipe for below. I was never a big fan of cranberries back in the “open a can and pour out the log” days, but I’ve grown to love them with each new recipe I’ve discovered as well as my tried and true one. What about you? Yay or nay on cranberry sides? And what exactly are those little red berries that we generally only eat once a year?

 

The small, red, and tart fruit is actually very healthy and we can thank Native Americans for them, as they mixed cranberries with deer meat waaaay back in the day. They may have even shared some with the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving Day.

 

History also notes sailors used cranberries as a source of Vitamin C to prevent scurvy, and more recent studies suggest cranberries promote gastrointestinal and oral health, raise the good HDL cholesterol, and may even help prevent cancer.

 

 

The very first official harvesting of cranberries was by Revolutionary War veteran Henry Hall, who planted the first commercial beds in Dennis, Massachusetts in 1816. Many of today’s cranberry bogs are in fact more than 100 years old!

 

Cranberries grow on low-running vines in sandy marshes and are one of only three commercially grown fruits native to North America. The other two being blueberries and Concord grapes. During harvesting, the berry marshes are flooded, special equipment is used to knock the berries off the vines, and then they float to the surface. Most of the world’s cranberries are grown on some 50,000 acres in the U.S. and Canada and are harvested in September and October. Perfect timing for fresh cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving!

 

Each year, Americans eat about 400 million pounds of cranberries with 20 percent of them consumed over Thanksgiving. The fruit can be eaten both fresh and dried, and is popular in muffins, trail mixes, cereals, salads, and of course juices.

 

So what do you prefer? Fresh or canned? Whole berry canned or jellied? I prefer the whole berry and fresh but if you like that blob of gelled stuff, here’s a fun way to make it festive using cookie cutters:

 

 

And just in case you don’t have enough food planned (LOL!), here are some yummy recipes that use cranberries. Use them this week or all year long!

 

 

Cranberry Brie Cups (Great for Thanksgiving morning!)

1 8 oz. tube crescent rolls dough

1 8 oz. wheel of brie (can substitute cream cheese)

½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Optional: chopped pecans on top

 

Preheat oven to 375 and grease mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough and pinch together seams.

Cut into 24 squares and place into muffin tin slots.

Cut cheese into small pieces and place inside crescent dough.

Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Bake until crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes.

 

 

Festive Pineapple Cranberry Salad (My favorite!)

1 can mandarin oranges

2 pkg. raspberry flavored gelatin

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce or 1 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries thawed and boiled.

1 apple, chopped

Optional: chopped pecans

Drain oranges and pour juice into sauce pan with 3 cups cold water. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Add dry gelatin and stir 2 minutes. Stir in cranberry sauce. Pour into large bowl and add oranges and apple. Refrigerate 1 ½ hours or until slightly thickened.

 

 

Three Ingredient Cranberry Relish

(Anthony Bourdain calls this, “Delicious and truly one of the easiest recipes in the world.”)

Wash 1 large orange under warm water. Dry and coarsely chop skin, flesh, and pith. Remove seeds. Combine orange and 12 oz. fresh cranberries in food processor. Pulse until mixture appears grainy. Transfer to bowl and fold in 1 cup sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

 

Tangy Cranberry Meatballs (great use for any leftover cranberry sauce!)

Leftover cranberry sauce

¼ rice vinegar

2 T ketchup

2 T soy sauce

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 t brown sugar

¼ cup water

2 lb. pkg. precooked cocktail-size meatballs

 

In a large saucepan combine all ingredients except meatballs, cook on medium low, and stir until smooth.

Add meatballs and cook until heated, about 10-15 minutes.

 

 

Cranberry Nut Bread (my mom’s recipe)

2 cups fresh, whole cranberries

2 T butter

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup and 2 T sugar

1 ¾ t baking powder

1 t salt

1 egg, well beaten

1/3 cup orange juice

1 t grated orange rind

¼ cup water

Cut cranberries in half. Melt and set aside butter. Sift together dry ingredients. Combine egg, orange juice, and water. Make well in dry ingredients and add liquids. Stir in butter. Add orange rind and cranberries. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

 

 

Cranberry Salsa Dip

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, rinsed

½ cup sugar

Green onions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 lime, juiced

Pinch of salt

2 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, softened

Put all ingredients except cream cheese in food processor. Pulse until ingredients are chopped coarsely. Put in airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. After, spread softened cream cheese on serving plate and spread salsa over cream cheese. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

 

 

Cranberry Hot Tea

1 48 oz. can cranberry juice cocktail

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 cup lemonade

1 cup pineapple juice

Cinnamon sticks

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Serve warm with cinnamon stick garnish.

 

 

Cranberry Punch

2 bottles cranberry juice

1 ½ bottles water (using juice bottle to measure)

2 cans frozen orange juice, thawed

Juice of 3 lemons or 9 T lemon juice

1 pkg. red hot candies

Whole cloves and sugar to taste

Put all ingredients in pot and heat on low until red hots melt. Transfer to crock pot to serve and keep warm.

 

 

Cape Cod

Mix 1 part vodka with cranberry juice to taste in highball glass and fill with ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

Variations:

Sea Breeze: add grapefruit juice

Bay Breeze: add pineapple juice

Cosmopolitan: add triple sec and serve in martini glass

 

 

Cranberry Kiss Cocktail

1.5 oz. cranberry vodka

2 oz. cranberry juice

1.5 oz. simple sugar

Lime wedges and mint leaves

Muddle 3 lime wedges and 8 mint leaves in a shaker. Add other ingredients and shake well with ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with floating mint leaves.

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.  Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. 

Thankfulness may consist merely of words.  Gratitude is shown in acts.”

Henri Frederic Amiel

 

I’m sad. I’m a bit mad. And most of all I’ve had it. I’ve had it with Christmas taking over Thanksgiving’s important November role:  that of being the holiday of being gratitude, family, and friends. And food. And football. And fall. And simply one day for festivities and fun.

 

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  I love the food, I love the football, I love the family and friends, and I love fall.  I don’t love that people are already putting up Christmas trees and Christmas lights. Don’t get me wrong, I also love Christmas, but there’s a time and a place for everything.  And a month.

 

October is for Halloween.

November is for Thanksgiving.

December is for Christmas.

 

Holidays shouldn’t mix and match.  We don’t mesh Valentine’s Day with St. Patrick’s Day and Easter, so why Thanksgiving and Christmas? I don’t get it and it’s just wrong to be serving your turkey and dressing as you turn on the lights of your Christmas tree.  I know many of you disagree with me and countless of you may have already started your Christmas decoration deluge.  It’s bad enough that retail America starts with the Christmas stuff in October, but it’s not the Christmas season just yet!

 

Thanksgiving is very important.  Giving thanks and being grateful always is, so devoting an entire day to doing so should not be overshadowed by any other holiday or event…including Black Friday, the day we want everything after the day of being thankful for what we have.

 

For those of you who don’t know or have forgotten its origins, the very first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims in answer to their prayers for an end to the drought so they would have food. Those same pilgrims worked side-by-side with their new neighbors, Native American Indians, in a show of ultimate acceptance and teamwork.  These are important moments in our nation’s history and deserve to be saluted…all by themselves.

 

So please, do us all a favor and put away your lights and ornaments for just one more week.  Let’s all give Thanksgiving the holiday and the honor it deserves.

 

Agree or disagree?  Please let me know your thoughts on this.

As we gather round our tables and TVs later this month in celebration of the uniquely American holiday that is Thanksgiving, let’s take a minute to learn why we’re doing so and take another minute to actually be thankful, even in this most unusual and tumultuous year.

 

 

Appropriately, the very first Thanksgiving was preceded by a series of tumultuous events, starting in September of 1620 when a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England carrying 102 passengers. The group consisted of an assortment of religious separatists who were seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and were joined by others lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in a New World. You could say the Mayflower was filled with the original faithful and capitalists.

 

 

After a very treacherous 66 day trip, the Mayflower dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod and one month later crossed Massachusetts Bay where who we now call Pilgrims established a village at Plymouth.  It still was rough going though, as during that first brutal winter most of them remained on board and many got sick. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring.

 

 

The following March in 1621, surviving settlers moved ashore and were later visited by various Native Americans who taught them how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish, and avoid poisonous plants. In November, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited their Native American allies for what is now considered America’s first “Thanksgiving.”

 

In 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation when he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to our war of independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. It wasn’t until 1846, however, that Thanksgiving became a national holiday when Abraham Lincoln made it official during the height of the Civil War. His proclamation entreated all Americans to ask God to “commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of this nation.” Lincoln deemed the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day, but in 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression.

 

 

As I write the I can’t help but think what our former leaders would think if they could see us today. Washington would probably cringe that our Constitution is being disparaged by many and in many ways and Lincoln would think his words sadly ring as clear today as they did back then. Racial and civil strife. Heal the nation. Chills, right? And as for Roosevelt’s move, it was probably a wise one for the times, but how ironic that the holiday meant to stimulate gratitude is followed by a day when we’re cajoled to spur retail sales all our own. We’re so thankful and yet want so much.

 

 

Yes, there is always, always something to be thankful for. So this year, let’s try to count really our blessings. Count our joys instead of our woes, count our friends instead of our foes, count our courage instead of our fear, count our health instead of our wealth, and count our smiles instead of our tears.

 

Thanksgiving Fun Facts

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be named the national bird instead of the bald eagle.

The tradition of the president pardoning a turkey every year started with Harry Truman.

More than 250 million turkeys are raised in the U.S. with more than 40 million gobbled up on Thanksgiving.

Male turkey gobble; females cluck.

The original Pilgrims and Native Americans probably shared rabbit, chicken, fish, goose, pigeon, squash, cabbage, beans, nuts, onions, eggs, and cheese at the first Thanksgiving, with not a green bean casserole in sight.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!