By Sherrie Norris
In these mountains, we’ve always held tight to traditions, especially surrounding the holidays. It’s going to be hard this year, plain and simple. For starters, many homes in some area that have always been filled with family, friends and lots of food in celebration of Thanksgiving, aren’t even standing; if they are habitable, chances are, their structures have been damaged, mold has infiltrated the interior and/or their driveways and yards have been washed away. Many of us, along with our families and friends, might be hard-pressed to find the “happy” in our holidays for obvious reasons. And, it’s heartbreaking all over again.
While not everyone will be able to sit down to their dining room table, surrounded by the comforts of home and loved ones, the traditional meals are being brought in to nearly every corner of the High Country and the greater Western North Carolina. A number of agencies, organizations and volunteer groups are coming together to make sure that Thanksgiving will be served to deserving folks in these hills.
Hopefully, you have been seeing our publicity notices, and social media posts that are helping to get the message out: There should be enough food to go around on Thanksgiving Day to feed those who have been impacted by the storm.
It is my pleasure to be affiliated with an incredible group from the eastern part of the state that’s coming to set up shop in Avery County next week to feed the masses. There will be enough food to feed 5,000 people in the pick-up line at Cranberry Middle School.
“Operation Thanksgiving Blessings” will provide a traditional meal of turkey and dressing, with a down-home twist on the potatoes, collards and cornbread, for probably the first 3,000 people, and over 2,000 additional meals for another day will be packaged, as well, to include BBQ, Brunswick Stew and coleslaw. And, there will be over 4,000 pieces of cake for dessert! They’ve already sent a tractor-trailer load of goods to Avery County, and will bringing another one next week, along with all the supplies and food. Just because they care.
This project has received nation-wide attention, and will be featured on the nightly news with Lester Holt, locally on Channel 5,Wednesday night, Nov. 27.
If you, or someone you know, are struggling to find Thanksgiving this year, please know that you are invited to the Cranberry Middle School to pick up food for you and your family. We’ll be ready by 11 a.m. Thursday morning. There will be no sit-down opportunities onsite, and this is for anyone in the High Country area to enjoy.
I know there are other churches and groups preparing food for Thanksgiving, so please pass the word as you discover these opportunities.
I’m leaving you with a few easy ideas to accompany your dinner or to prepare for another time — and wishing you the happiest Thanksgiving possible.
Cranberry Spread
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup dried cranberries
4 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
Crackers
In small bowl, stir together cream cheese, pecans, cranberries and orange juice concentrate. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to blend flavors. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers.
7-Up Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
½ cup sour cream
½ cup 7-up
¼ cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Cut in to 9 biscuits.
Melt ¼ cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Easy Anytime Bars
1 box of yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs beaten
1 stick melted butter
2 cups chocolate chips
May need to add a little water or milk if dough is too stiff.
Mix all ingredients together. Spray with Pam a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread mix evenly into pan and bake at 350 for 20 min.
When cooled, cut into squares
*Any flavor of cake mix can be used, with nuts, coconut, etc. added as desired. And the dough can also be “dropped” for cookies onto greased cookie sheet.
Delicious Apple Cake
1 ¾ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 cups unpeeled, chopped apples
½ cup pecans, chopped
Measure all ingredients, except apples and pecans, into large bowl. Beat together thoroughly with spoon. Fold in apples and pecans. Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool and remove from pan. Serves 12.
Tangy Holiday Relish
2 cups cranberries
1 large seedless orange
½ cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur or frozen orange concentrate
1-2 drops orange oil
Wash but do not peel orange. Use seedless navel oranges, cut into small 1-inch chunks. Grand Marnier, Orange Curacao or any orange liqueur adds to the flavor, but frozen orange juice concentrate may also be used. If using orange oil, be careful to add only one or two drops!
Combine cranberries and orange pieces in a food processor and chop (do not puree). Add sugar and flavoring (liqueur and oil/orange essence). Pulse until combined.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours; can be made a day ahead.