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Adventures with Auntie Pam: Thanksgiving Tips

November 11, 2013 by Roz 1 Comment

Ask Auntie Pam
If you follow my Facebook page, you might notice a lady who likes to comment a lot named Pam. Ladies and gentlemen, that lady happens to be my ultra-fabulous Auntie Pam. Actually she is my dad’s aunt, but she’s basically the same age as my dad so I’ve always considered her an aunt.

I’m trying to think of a way to best explain this side of my family…Greek. Irish. A little nuts. A little fabulous. Always exciting. The family stories that arise at family gatherings always leave me wondering, “is that for real or are they totally full of crap?” But the truth is that all the crazy stories are truthful (I think) and I have been blessed with some incredible characters in my family.

I learned most of what I know about making food from my dad, his mother, and his mother’s sister- Auntie Pam. Auntie Pam’s life is fascinating. She’s made food for and rubbed elbows with leading politicians and celebrities and has been featured in many food magazines and newspaper articles over the years. She lived the yuppy city life until she found her true calling on a peaceful farm on the west side of New York state. When once she was dining at the Ritz, she now clears land on a bushwhacker making room to plant orchards and vegetable gardens. She is an incredible chef and spends much of her time now relaxing at home and cooking for her friends and neighbors. She is absolutely hilarious and the most entertaining teacher and story-teller. I know you’ll enjoy what she has to say here at Real Food Family.

Here’s Auntie Pam’s first post on her tips for Thanksgiving. She wants to encourage all us young people to chill out a little when it comes to holidays. Auntie Pam, the stage is yours…

***

A few ideas for a Perfect Thanksgiving…

First shoot the turkey.

First Shoot The Turkey...Tips for a Perfect Thanksgiving ~ Real Food Family

Make an easy free-form apple pie like this one, and an interesting decor with ornamental kale.

Adventures with Auntie Pam

Okay, forget the food and recipes…I have a few tips for getting through Thanksgiving dinner. Here they are:

  1. It is a family affair –relax. Just make sure to put yourself together first…don’t come in the kitchen with the rollers in your hair and a robe and slippers. I have learned that the hard way and I never would get out of the robe and rollers before the end of the day! Take a nice bubble bath get yourself ready to go- fix your hair and makeup first, then go to the kitchen!
  2. You don’t have to have matching China and tableware. You can mix and match. Set your table 2 days ahead. You can always cover it with towels if you think it’s going to get dusty!
  3. You should have a seat for every person (borrow folding chairs if you have to). That’s pretty important- it makes people feel special.
  4. Let people help! It’s supposed to be chaotic it’s supposed to be crazy. Relax an don’t worry or be so serious about everything being perfect because it won’t be.
  5. You can clean your kitchen tomorrow or the next day. I promise you it’ll still be there on Saturday! And if somebody wants to wash dishes let them!
  6. If you just don’t like a dish someone wants to bring let them bring it –just don’t eat it. It’s not the end of the world!
  7. Make your pies and side dishes a day ahead of time (if you haven’t already given up and made reservations for Thanksgiving dinner) and warm them up. Make an apple pie and pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and that stupid sweet potato dish. Oh, and get your stuffing ready to go. It’ll save you a lot of frustration and a possible nervous breakdown! Most important- do not forget to thaw out the turkey (write it on the wall if you cannot remember). If it’s not a fresh one follow all health regulations so you don’t kill anybody, and get a couple of extra drumsticks so you can roast them separately in case people start a fight over the drumsticks!!
  8. It is not the time to open up the Williams-Sonoma catalog and try to figure out what the heck kind of new dish like pumpkin pots de cream you might serve. Just stick to the old classics and do not at any time look at the old cover of the Saturday evening Post where they present the perfect turkey. That is failure for sure!
  9. Buy lots of of 2 buck chuck wine to serve and store the good wine in your bedroom under the bathroom sink so when you excuse yourself you can take a drink or two and smile.
  10. Have the police on speed dial in case one of your crazy relatives decides to go completely nuts! (In our family, that’s typically the case.)

Any Questions? 

Filed Under: Adventures with Auntie Pam

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  1. Apple Cranberry Pie...and Tips For Making Any Pie | Real Food Family says:
    November 14, 2013 at 04:41 p11

    […] and possibly a topping- but you have to master those things to make a perfect pie. My dad and Auntie Pam make the best pies you’ll ever taste in your life. Hands down. No arguing. They learned from […]

    Reply

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Basic #reallife #realfood quick meal- veggie pesto cous cous and fish nuggets. Yep- fish nuggets! I use an air fryer (love my air fryer!!) to crisp up Trader Joe’s fish nuggets, then on the stove boil some Israeli cous cous in chicken stock (according to package measurements). While that’s happening I chop tomato and bell pepper. When the cous cous is done I mix in a couple tablespoons of butter, a couple tablespoons of pre-made basil pesto, a half cup of frozen or fresh spinach, garlic powder, pepper and salt, as needed. Keep it warming to cook down the spinach and get all the flavors incorporated. It all took about 15 minutes. 
#realfoodfamilykitchen #realfoodrecipe #wholefood #veggies #kidfood #easymealSay hello to Stella Luna the Cray Cray Cat. That’s her name. Stella Luna because she looks like the bat from that book. Cray Cray because she has earned the name well- she is crazy. This is the only way she can comfortably lay on the floor. 
#catsofinstagram #realfoodfamilypets #crazycatHappy Monday! We are getting back in the habit of bread making. If you search “magic boule” on the blog you’ll find my recipe and unusual method that works every time like a charm! I actually didn’t start with a sourdough culture this time. I just made a yeast dough then saved some of the dough and fed it daily with water and flour, leaving it out in the counter to capture its own wild yeast in the air and continue leavening itself. It always works and I continue to use my magic boule method to keep the “mother” alive for as long as I want. It should just keep souring and incorporating more cultures from the air to keep it alive. Any of you make bread? What’s your method? 
#realfood #realfoodfamilykitchen #natural #healthy #bread #glutenisnotthedevil #dailybread #wholefood #traditionalfood #culturedfood #heavenlyWelcome to the farm! #turkeys #ducks #chicks #realfoodfamilyhomestead🙌 I posted yesterday about eliminating waste. I absolutely believe chickens solve many issues that plague our culture. They can eat all your kitchen scraps- even egg shells! Backyard chickens will produce wonderful eggs for your family so you don’t need to buy commercially raised (almost always inhumanely raised and horrible for the environment). Their poop produces easy to use fertilizer for your garden. They can irrigate and fertilize your garden before and after growing season. They seriously are so easy- their instincts guide them to almost completely take care of themselves. We have chickens in the country but so do my parents and many friends who live in the city! Who out there has chickens? Who wants them and has questions?? 🐔🐣 #chickens #sustainable #organic #natural #pastureraised #votewithyourfork #backyardchickens #environment #savetheworld #commercialfarming #organicfarming #homestead #homesteading #bethechangeI love this super simple idea from @sproutedkitchen  for her “bits bowl”. I think one of the greatest played of western culture is the wastefulness- especially good. On so many levels, food and “stuff” waste is something we all can consistently improve on. 
#Repost @sproutedkitchen with @get_repost
・・・
This is “food waste” week for #learnmorewasteless with @imperfectproduce in honor of earth month! They are a co. that saves thousands of lbs of food waste, by distributing surplus or misshapen fruits and veg to their customers (use code sproutedkitchen for 20% off your first order). Not wasting food pulls my heart strings. I know that good, healthy food is a privilege, and it is my responsibility to not take advantage of that. Above is my “bits bowl”. I keep it on our small island where I do my chopping and prep. I keep the extra pieces of citrus or garlic cloves or whatever bits that are fine to sit out (I cook often, but I’d bet you would reach for this more frequently than you’d think). This reminds me to use them, saves plastic wrap and prevents these bits and bobs from getting buried in the fridge. What are you doing to fight food waste in your home? Small changes add up! Comment below, would love to share ideas with each other 🌎
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