Customs, Traditions and Symbols : The Cornucopia

In the USA, since 1863, we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November.

Here is a little bit of background information about this national holiday:

POTUS George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation – Thursday, Nov 26, 1789 proclaimed a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer”. (* Source: The Heritage Foundation)


POTUS Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November, even though, at the time, the country was engaged in the Civil War. (** Source: National Archives)


Now to get the highlight of this post. The cornucopia. I love the cornucopia.

A cornucopia, also called “horn of plenty”, is a symbol of a harvest – usually pictured as a goat’s horn overflowing with various fruits like apples, grapes, oranges, etc.; corn on the cob; pumpkin; and some even have flowers.

In America, the cornucopia is a symbol included in our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. People don’t usually like to break with familiar customs and traditions that have been accepted and practiced for years. But if I could, I would champion a change to the traditional filling of the cornucopia. My horn of plenty would reflect a harvest that included exotic or tropical fruits. Pomegranates, mangoes, kiwis, and pineapples are at the top of my list.


As for vegetables? Haven’t really given them much thought. Maybe some zucchini and a bunch of collard greens, kale or Swiss chard! 

What about you? Ever give any thought to refilling a cornucopia? What fruits and/or veggies and/or flowers would go into your horn of plenty? Don’t you think it makes an excellent gift? A customized cornucopia for a friend or family member. A horn of plenty loaded with fresh fruits and veggies that they like!


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◊ If your country does not celebrate a Thanksgiving Day, I’m sure there is a similar holiday where you take time to give thanks and show appreciation for the life you live. If you don’t use the cornucopia, do you have a symbol that represents the harvest of bountiful blessings of planet earth?

Link of Interest:
Cornucopia – American Thanksgiving


Waving flag image credit: glitter-graphics.com

* * Content first published at Literacy Base on April 9, 2017.



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— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) August 30, 2019

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— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) August 30, 2019

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Wassail is a Wonderful Way to Celebrate Winter and the Holiday Spirit!

Did you know that a cup of warm wassail is very soothing to a sore throat? Yes. One time it was a Christmas holiday and I was under the weather. I had a sore throat and my daughter came over and made some wassail in a crock pot. I took one sip and it felt so good going down my throat. Who knew?

Sore throat or not, a drink of warm wassail is delicious, especially during the wintry months. There are so many recipe variations.

"Wassail is a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year." (Source: Wikipedia)

The Christmas tree and other decorations are up and I am counting the days until December 25th. For this blog post, I simply must share a wonderful wassail recipe that a friend shared with me in response to a question I asked about celebrating the Winter Solstice. I know some people don't care too much for eggnog but most people really enjoy a delicious wassail drink.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with this Wassail Recipe by Spiderdust:  Core out of some apples (not the whole way through), stuff them with sugar, put a bunch of cloves in an orange, and then roast all of the fruit for half an hour. Put the roasted fruit in a gallon of cider with some cinnamon sticks, allspice, some pieces of crystallized ginger, a few pieces of star anise, and then grate some nutmeg over it all. Optional: Throw in some fresh or frozen cranberries. Let it simmer on low all day long. People can serve themselves as they please. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

“Here We Come A-wassailing (or Here We Come A-caroling) is an English traditional Christmas carol and New Year song, apparently composed c. 1850.  (Source)

More Wassail Recipes:

* Original acrylic elf painting, Wassail: Santa's elves at workbench, Woodworking tools, Alphabet letter W, Gift for Dad, Fantasy Christmas ~ Found on Etsy

Add These Truffle Recipes to Your Holiday Treats

The last 4 months of the year, September through December, are my favorite months of the year because of the weather, because of the holidays, and because it's the only time I allow myself to indulge in sweet treats. When I hear the word “truffle”, I think chocolate. I don't think about the truffle that is some sort of fungi, called Tuber. Even though that type of truffle is highly prized as food and is used in French cooking and numerous national haute cuisines and is very expensive.

Nope! Instead I think of the chocolate truffle which is “a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped and toasted nuts (typically hazel nuts or almonds), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape.” (Description per Wikipedia.)

The name for this confectionery or delightful sweet treat is actually derived from the fungi for the simple reason that the confectionery and the edible fungi LOOK very similar. Even though the really expensive truffle that is used in French cooking is considered gourmet cuisine, … eh! I'd rather eat the chocolate truffle.

Did You Know? There are different types of chocolate truffles: French, Spanish, Swiss, typical European truffle, American, Belgian, and Californian. There is even a pot truffle (the recipe includes cannabis). The recipe varies slightly for each type, but they are all made with chocolate (or cocoa powder).

So happy to share this link published via the Tasty Newsletter, which is a BuzzFeed publication.

5 Delicious Truffles to Lift Your Mood

1. Custard Cream Truffles

2. White Chocolate Chip Truffle

3. Salted S'mores Truffles

4. Magic Fizzy Truffles

5. Cookies ‘n’ Cream Truffle

(P.S. If you were hoping these truffles would lift your mood because they contained cannabis … sorry! But I guess you could add it to the recipe when nobody's looking. As long as it's legal. LOL. 😊 Me personally, I get a buzz out of chocolate. 😊)

Add these truffles to your holiday treats.  Go ahead and indulge in this guilty pleasure.  You could also make them as food gifts.  

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Original source

Happy Holidays! Food Bloggers Keep on Blogging!

The year is winding down.  Food Ways was started in November 2016.  Taking the opportunity to spotlight food bloggers who have been actively publishing throughout the year and even in previous years.  Their persistence motivates me.  Sharing a link to their blogs below.  It's my way of wishing them a joyful, healthy and safe holiday season, and continued success and prosperity in the upcoming new year.  

Happy Blogging Food Bloggers!
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Some shares may not be "typical" of the traditional western Christmas celebration, but I also have an interest in world cuisines and global flavors.  There's no rule that says a traditional menu can't be modified with the addition of new, different and tasty recipes.

After all, when it comes to food and family, we make our own rules and traditions!  Don't we?  Enjoy!

Sour Cream Pound Cake Poinsettia Cookies | Bake at 350

Sour Cream Pound Cake Poinsettia Cookies | Bake at 350

There comes a point every holiday season where you realize you cannot do it all. You cannot make homemade lip balm and vanilla extract for everyone on your list, you cannot stand in a 3-hour line at the post office for Christmas stamps, you cannot be 17 different places on Christmas Eve, you cannot scrub the baseboards before company arrives, and you cannot make homemade cookies and icing when your child tells you he needs cookies the next morning.

  

Sprite and The Refreshing Truth About Korean Food | The Coca-Cola Company

Sprite and The Refreshing Truth About Korean Food | The Coca-Cola Company

Traditional Korean cuisine uses fresh ginger, garlic, green onions, sesame oil, chili flakes, soy sauce and fermented chili paste to create bold and distinctive flavors we can't help but crave. Salty, spicy and tangy flavors are often tempered and balanced with sweeter notes.

  

Crispy Spicy Arbi | Authentic Food Delights

Crispy Spicy Arbi | Authentic Food Delights

This is one of my favourite fries and it can be done quicky , very crispy as well and goes very well with steamed rice or can be had as a starter also....so try this spicy dish....am sure u all will just love this flavourful and yummy dish 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp oil + oil for shallow frying Pressure cook the arbi till one whistle or till it gets cooked.

  

Cassoulet - The World's Most Complex Simple Recipe | Food Wishes

Cassoulet - The World's Most Complex Simple Recipe | Food Wishes

There are so many reasons not to make cassoulet. You need lots of ingredients, some of which take effort to find. There are many steps, and even some of the steps have steps. It will also seem like you used every pot and pan in the kitchen, which will be trashed by the time you're done.

  

A Christmas Tree Bento | What's for Lunch at Our House

A Christmas Tree Bento | What's for Lunch at Our House

We're keeping holiday bentos simple right now as we finish unpacking boxes, but that doesn't mean the food can't still be festive! I found my favorite big box of cookie cutters, complete with my very favorite simple Christmas tree cutter.

  

Yalda Night (Winter Solstice) 2015 and Shami Haveej - Carrot Shami Kabab with Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce | Turmeric & Saffron!

Yalda Night (Winter Solstice) 2015 and Shami Haveej - Carrot Shami Kabab with Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce | Turmeric & Saffron!

شب چله/شب یلداShab-e Yalda/Shab-e Chelleh, the ancient Persian celebration of the longest night, dates back thousands of years ago to the birth of میترا Mithra the god of light who was born on the eve of yalda (winter solstice).After the longest night of the year the days will gradually become longer symbolizing the victory of light over darkness.

Happy Holidays! Food Bloggers Keep on Blogging! by @FoxMarks_ATX @cmoneyspinner
https://t.co/j0yTEnqbGl #HappyHolidays #foodbloggers #blogging #foodanddrink

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) December 19, 2019