With the holiday season right around the corner, I have been craving family time and, of course, great food. If you can’t wait until the break for some holiday home comfort, these tips are for you!
1) Gather friends and have a sit down dinner. While studying for finals, take a break to relieve stress and enjoy each other’s company. Plan a time during the week to fit everyone’s schedule, and have them bring their holiday favorites (Make sure there will be a variety, you don’t want five bowls of mac and cheese!). Make a dish when it is convenient for you and freeze it, pull it out and heat it up when you are ready to eat. If you can’t afford the time to make dinner, have plenty of snacks and just laugh together for an hour or so.
2) Share food with others. To me, the holiday season is about pleasing others, and what better way than with food? Give out treats to the girls in your dorm hall. It will bring a smile to their faces, and maybe there will be some extras for yourself. Donate to those who need it. The Beat Bama Food Drive would be a great place to start, and there are convenient drop off locations all over campus.
3) Eat cranberry, sweet potato, pumpkin, or anything that reminds you of home. You may not be able to replicate your mom’s perfect apple pie, but snacks and simple dishes are just as satisfying!
Next time you make pancakes on Saturday morning, drizzle them with a quick cranberry sauce.
Cube white and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle them with fresh rosemary, kosher salt, and olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about ten minutes.
My favorite is Sweet potato dumplings.
My mother makes sweet potato casserole every Thanksgiving, and these are the perfect comfort food for a Southern girl- soft, sugary, and full of butter!
Ingredients:
1 pkg. 8 count frozen yams (circles)
2 cans 8 count croissants (biscuit dough works too)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 sticks butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
Directions:
1. Separate the croissant dough.
2. Cut the yam patties in half.
3. Roll 1/2 yam patty in each croissant starting with the wide end of it.
4. Place in 9 x 13 dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with foil. If you have any extra yams, place them in between each dumpling for extra yumminess!
5. Mix 1/2 cup of water with the flour to form a paste.
6. Mix this with all other ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
7. Boil 5-10 minutes and pour syrup over the dumplings and
sprinkle with extra cinnamon.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Picture Sources:
http://www.bonappetit.com/images/magazine/2011/11/thanksgiving-index/menu-guide-640.jpg
http://cdn3.healthcommunities.com/hcmedia/2011/11/cranberries-spoon-mf.gif