Etiquette for Advent (Educating the Universe Part I)

Just finished making this year’s Advent wreath ( a day late but I was at work all weekend ) and it got me to thinking about all the things that stress people out over the holidays.  Most of it is the result of thoughtlessness 0r absent-mindedness, but most frequently – stupidity.  I’m starting an “Educating the Universe” series that I hope will serve a useful purpose and maybe render bitch slapping a less frequent occurrence during this festive holiday season.

Advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas.  It is a religious observance.  Do not walk into a gift shop, ask for an Advent calendar, and say, “Oh, not a religious one!”  An ADVENT calendar is a guide for children to understand the approaching birth of their Lord.  A gigundo poster of Santa Claus with a big bag that has 24 little paper doors on it  is a COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS.  Advent (and for that matter, Christmas) has nothing to do with Santa. Do what you like, but get your terms correct.

The color of Advent candles vary in some churches but the basic set is 3 purple and one rose.  They are lit on the 4  Sundays of Advent and  go in this sequence:  1st Sunday  – purple,  2nd) purple, purple  3rd) purple, purple,  rose 4th) purple, purple, rose, purple.   You may also light them at supper during the week, it’s nice.  The rose (or pink) candle is for Gaudete Sunday (Latin for “rejoice”)   and is a rose candle because rose is the liturgical color for joy.  The 3rd Sunday marks the “nearness” of the great event so anticipatory jumping up and down encouraged.  (Trivia question – what is the only other Sunday in the liturgical year that rose vestments are worn?)

• Sidebar on candles:  DO NOT BUY CHEAP CANDLES.  Repeat:  DO.  NOT.  BUY.  CHEAP.  CANDLES.  Cheap candles melt rapidly and puddle wax that will destroy linens and surfaces.  There is nothing attractive about a candle with diarrhea.   If you purchase good candles they will burn MUCH  longer, drip less (if at all) and save you money.  Honest.  PS – make sure the candles are S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T up in their holders.  Seriously. You would think people would know that, but there you are.   PSS – do not buy scented candles for the dinner table.  ( I know – a no-brainer, but I’ve been to dinners where the scent of flowery candles combined with the scent of roast lamb to become cause for projectile vomiting.)  Let’s review:  cheap candles (tapers, jars, floaties, you name it) are a fire hazard and a nuisance.

So that is Advent 101.  There is more but that should  get you through the holidays.  Our next  installment in the Educating the Universe series will be about the shocking stupidity and thoughtlessness of walking through stores with hot coffee and/or  soft drinks.

Quilted Thanksgiving Wishes

Found this on the International Quilt Market page on Facebook.  Thought it was a howl – have a great holiday, everyone!

 

Turkey Wars

Strap on your party livers, it’s Thanksgiving week – the beginning of the “best in eating” season EVER.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – it’s mellow, it is easy (anyone can roast a turkey) and it combines leftover turkey sandwiches, football, and napping on the couch.  It is the trifecta of relaxation.  I understand there are some universal  issues that come up around this time, so I’ll go ahead and clear things up for everyone.

1. The toilet paper should unroll over the TOP for easy access.  You’re welcome.
2. Stuffing or dressing?  Not worth an argument, either one will suffice.  It is more important that you pay attention to the ingredients than what you insist on calling the finished product.  Purists will call what is cooked inside the turkey “stuffing” and what is cooked outside the turkey “dressing.”   What do I call it?  The main reason for roasting a turkey.

What goes in the stuffing (or dressing)  is of paramount importance, and the source of many arguments, family discord and marital stress. Everyone likes THEIR family recipe, whatever they grew up with.  (I have noted this phenomenon also occurs around how to make potato salad.)  It is understandable, but there are entire generations that insist on putting oysters, raisins, cranberries, apples – you name it and  people use it to ruin the centerpiece of the meal.

My husband’s mother was Sicilian and  not clear on the concept of  Thanksgiving.   She called it the Festa della Toyko (phonetically and loosely translated as “the feast of the turkey”).  She stuffed the turkey with a mixture of ground beef, rice, and sugo (sauce).   My husband adored it and still tries to recreate it every Thanksgiving.  (It is never placed inside the turkey  or anywhere near my mouth, I can tell you that right now.)  Living in New England, there are an abundant number of locals who make cornbread stuffing (I am not making this up) and think it is “normal.”   Whatever. Again, it is what you grew up with that makes the holiday.  (Many people grew up with not brushing their teeth regularly either, but that does not make it right. Just sayin’.)

Here is how I make my stuffing:   I wash out the turkey, removing the packets of giblets, neck, etc.  All of the bits and pieces go into a large pan on the stove where I add water, an onion, celery, and seasonings.   This needs to simmer gently for at least an hour, maybe longer (usually until the movie on TV is over.)  I find the hand written recipe from my mother, take out the large yellow pyrex bowl (that made a thousand batches of this, birthday cakes, etc.) and read through the recipe just for love.  I don’t need to see it, it is engraved in my head, but I love looking at her handwriting.  Bonus – it gives me a feeling like she is still here with us, looking over my shoulder.

I melt the butter in a large skillet, remembering my mother’s hand-written admonishment, “damnit Jo, don’t let it burn!” and saute the finely chopped onion and celery until it is lightly translucent.  Then I start tossing it with the cubed, stale bread, adding sage, poultry seasoning, a little salt, and moistening the whole batch with the broth made from the turkey trimmings.   At this point I remove a portion of the stuffing to a separate bowl – this is the “stuffing” batch – and continue adding a little more broth to the “dressing” portion.  It needs more moisture as it is being cooked outside the bird.  Then I hit a sheet of heavy aluminum foil with non-stick spray and lay out the remaining dressing and shape it like a long, thinnish loaf.  This way you can slide it in to the oven alongside the roasting pan and it “fits” the space without needing to make room for a blocky casserole dish.   When the turkey is finished, I combine the stuffing with the dressing and THEN put it in a covered casserole dish and put it back in the oven while the turkey is resting.

I am experimenting with adding a beaten egg to the mixture, it is supposed to “puff it up” but I’m not getting that sense just yet.   I really do love this centerpiece dish,  it makes the meal and also makes a leftover turkey sandwich even better (yes, I do eat it cold.)  However you make it and whatever you call it, enjoy.  Even with all that is going on in our homes, our cities, our country and the world, we still have more than most.  Give thanks for that abundance.  (And for pete’s sake, don’t screw up the stuffing/dressing.)