Seasonal Sundays (Week 49) Early December

Anyone feeling a little post-Thanksgiving plump? Today's edition reflects that after-holiday reality with some healthy (dare I say detox?) ideas for the next few days. But then, who else is ready to jump into ... or ease into ... December? So many December (not necessarily "Christmas") ideas here ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Hey, All. Happy we-made-it-through-Thanksgiving Sunday!

How did it go for you? Better than expected? just another day in lockdown? Was it ... memorable? just a day to endure?

I'd give ours an R for for R-E-L-A-X-E-D. It was cozy at the kitchen table, the dining room looming all too cavernous and empty without chairs crowded round. We sat down later than expected with a big French red and candlelight for two: the wine sputtered out only minutes before the candles.

And ... onto December! Social media says I'm way behind in the Christmas decoration department so kudos to all who're settled in with twinkly lights and streaming carols already. I thought about skipping all the fuss but then looked through some photos from last year when I pared way, way back. This afternoon, I think ... maybe just the family room where we've plopped two comfy leather chairs in front of the fireplace.

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• MASTER RECIPE How to Make Homemade Vegetable Soup Never the same twice.

Seasonal Showcase: After-Thanksgiving Detox

• THE RECIPE Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana)

• THE RECIPE Red Beans & Rice Slow cooked Creole comfort food
• ANOTHER TAKE Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken Simple comfort food with smoky flavors.

• THE RECIPE Weight Watchers Spinach & Tortellini Soup
• ANOTHER TAKE Weight Watchers Zero Points Garden Vegetable Soup Famous for taste, famous for results.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale A hearty, one-pot supper with warm spices and fresh vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spiced Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower Tagine A one-pot supper with warm spices.

Compliments!

• "My husband and I are spending the winter in Nevada where my 96-year old mother still lives in the family home. The temperature and barometric pressure are dropping and all three of us are Covid fatigued. So I turned to Kitchen Parade to find the best medicinal and comfort soup I could find. And YES, I found it. I made this soup tonight for the first time and my husband pronounced it the best soup he has ever had in his life and Mom and I agree." ~ Sally
• THE RECIPE My Chicken Noodle Soup The way I make it, meaty and noodle-y with just a few noodles.
  

• "I have been making this recipe every Thanksgiving for at least 10 years and it's always a hit. Since I'm not organized enough to save it, part of my Thanksgiving tradition has become Googling World's Best Green Bean Casserole + Veggie Venture." ~ Corinne
• THE RECIPE World's Best Green Bean Casserole Yesterday's comfort food made fresh.

• "... had your easy chili egg cottage cheese casserole for late supper on Thanksgiving and that was delicious." ~ Christy
• THE RECIPE Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole No bread! Just eggs, green chiles, bits of cheese and a surprising ingredient, cottage cheese.

• "Easy and pretty tasty." ~ Jeanette
• THE RECIPE Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits My healthy substitute for mac 'n' cheese.

Wildlife Report

Remember how in the spring, during the first lockdown, how the animals emerged once the people were behind doors? It's been a week rich with wildlife here in suburban St. Louis.

I've moved the exercise bike so it looks outside. Even a small change in perspective reveals new worlds! The very first morning, I spied what I was certain, from its size, must be an owl in a nearby field. And he stayed put! So I grabbed my camera, threw on the telephoto lens and quickly realized, this was no owl, this was a red-tailed hawk and a BIG one. He was more patient than I, he stayed on his perch longer than I stayed on mine.

And then a giant heron circled overhead then slowly lowered itself to a small pond, so graceful ... and a young six-point buck fed at the edges of the trees. And just this morning, a coyote only yards from our bedroom window (yikes, the inside dog was not happy) feeding on ... something.

Festive Meals at Home for December

• THE RECIPE Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans) An exultant platter of texture, color, flavor and mood.
• ANOTHER TAKE Egyptian Kamut Salad with Roasted Carrot & Pomegranate

• THE RECIPE Butternut Squash Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel & Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna layers with bursts of flavor and texture.
• ANOTHER TAKE Pumpkin-Stuffed Lasagna Rolls Lasagna rolls stuffed with a delicious pumpkin filling.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Cacciatore The classic Italian dish, chicken slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce.
• ANOTHER TAKE Italian Lemon Chicken Italian-style baked chicken, lemon-y and garlick-y.

Holiday Versions of Year-Round Favorites

• THE RECIPE Christmas Banana Bread My favorite banana bread, all dressed up for Christmas.
• ANOTHER TAKE Shhh Banana Bread Delicious, low-fat banana bread.

• THE RECIPE Gingerbread Granola All dressed up for Christmas.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots Just a little sweetness, just a little oil.

• THE RECIPE Christmas Chicken Salad Chicken salad all dressed up for Christmas.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Salad for Sandwiches Makes up in minutes with pantry ingredients.

Sit, Sip, Slow Down a Minute or an Hour

• THE RECIPE Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix How to make hot chocolate mix from scratch, for a crowd, for gifts, for home.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sugar-Free Chai Tea Just good ginger, good spices, good tea and good milk.

• THE RECIPE Glögi (Hot Red Mulled Wine) Scandinavian-style hot red wine "mulled" with spices, fruit and for good luck, an almond.
• ANOTHER TAKE Mulled Apple Cider Fruit and spices turn supermarket apple cider into something special and irresistible.

• THE RECIPE Hibiscus Tea with Ginger & Vanilla My caffeine-free coffee substitute, served hot and cold.
• ANOTHER TAKE Pumpkin Spice Lattes Fall's favorite coffee drink, made at home with real ingredients including my very own DIY pumpkin pie spice.

Trending

My Top 10 Recipes are predictable, hello Ham 101: What to Know Before Buying a Ham and (Sloooow) Baked Potatoes (How Long to Bake a Baked Potato). But every week, seasonal recipes catch the internet's attention and start to trend.

KITCHEN PARADE
• Homemade Butterhorns (Thanksgiving Crescent Rolls) My grandmother's recipe.
• Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp My very own "perfect" recipe, barely sweet apples firm and tart, topped with an extra-crispy topping, thanks to a secret ingredient.

A VEGGIE VENTURE
• Trader Joe's Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Product Review)
• Pioneer Woman's Green Bean Casserole

Soups & Salads Especially for December
from A Veggie Venture

• DECEMBER's COLLECTION Seasonal Soups & Salad for December For everyday to special occasion.
• LOOKING AHEAD Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for January Ready for a detox?

What's New?!

• THE RECIPE At Last! Black Bean Soup My signature recipe for thirty years.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Lentil Soup Comfort food for a crowd.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
• ANOTHER TAKE Baked Pumpkin Donuts & Donut Holes

• THE RECIPE Turnip Puff or Rutabaga Puff A family Thanksgiving favorite.
  
• ANOTHER TAKE Squash Puff An old family recipe, traditional for Thanksgiving.

Text Me Back!

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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