Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Thanksgiving is for family

 To many people, Thanksgiving is just an impediment to get over so they can begin their Christmas shopping. In my opinion, pushing this holiday– the first and most important “pot-luck” dinner ever held– to the back-burner is unconscionable. It’s like throwing our heritage and tradition to the wind.  

Remembering Thanksgivings past evokes the memory of my husband, my son, and I traveling to Corbin on the old 25-W highway to get to Mama’s house for the big family dinner. Rounding the sharp curves between LaFollette and Jellico, we always came to a place, where on the side of the road, two or three young children would be selling holly and mistletoe. Standing around an open fire, bundled up in ragged coats and toboggans, they looked like a scene out of a Charles Dickens’ novel. 

I always insisted on stopping to buy several armsful of the greenery for Christmas decorating later. As I handed over the 50 cents or dollar to the children, I envisioned their hard life and resilience in the face of their poor circumstances, and I would think, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” And tears would come to my eyes as I thought about them and their future, or lack thereof.

Upon entering my mother’s house, we were overcome with the aroma of sage and cinnamon and other good smells coming from the kitchen. We never had turkey since it was not so available in those days.  Instead, Mama had a big fat stewing hen that had enough fat for making the rich broth for her lighter-than-air dumplings.  Cornbread dressing, made from scratch—not the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix— made up the Holy Trinity of the three.   Other tasty dishes, too numerous to mention, rounded out the Thanksgiving meal.

The day following Thanksgiving I always preferred to spend savoring the relish of a house filled with the warmth of family, delicious left-overs, and just doing nothing. Giving over to “Black Friday,” the busiest shopping day of the year, was never an option for me. Let the more stalwart of shoppers face the cold and dark to get to the bargains. I would face that later.

Enjoying the fullness of the Thanksgiving holiday was much more important to me. Hope your day is a happy one.

The day after Thanksgiving breakfast.  Prepare it the night before and have it ready to put in the oven the next morning.

Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast

10 (3/4 inch thick) slices day-old Frenchbread

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 3/4 cups milk

2/3 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 medium apples – peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Place bread in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. 

Combine eggs, milk, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla; pour half over bread. 

Top with half of the apples. 

Combine cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining sugar; sprinkle half over apples. 

Top with the remaining apples. 

Pour remaining egg mixture over apples and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. 

Dot with butter. 

Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. 

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.