Holidays Aren’t Cancelled, They’re Modified

Holidays are looking much different this year. As Thanksgiving is approaching, some of us will be celebrating with family and friends from a distance either socially or virtually. While Zoom gatherings and FaceTime calls don’t match the intimacy of in-person, it allows families and friends to stay connected and preserve the holiday tradition. 

Here are six ideas of how to make the virtual holidays more festive:

1. Have a virtual dinner, eating a meal across different tables and time zones

2. Share a traditional family recipe and cook it with your family and friends 

3. Give thanks and share what you’re thankful for 

4. Play a game like trivia, bingo or Cards Against Humanity

5. Have a virtual watch party of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or Netflix via Teleparty 

6. Turkey Trot--no need to give up your (weird) tradition of running a turkey trot 5K, you can track and share your route and activity using an app like Strava 

Don’t have a traditional family recipe? Here’s mine: 

My Great Grandmother’s Dressing:

Ingredients: 

3 lb. whole chicken

2 quarts cornbread crumbs

1-2 cup(s) biscuit crumbs

1 large onion, diced

1 cup celery, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. rubbed sage

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

2-4 cups chicken or turkey broth or more (if you don’t have enough broth, use chicken bouillon cubes)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in large pot adding water to cover chicken completely. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil on hight heat. Then reduce heat to a gentle boil (medium-low heat) and cook for ~90 minutes or until chicken meat is falling off the bone

2. Remove chicken, let it cool and then shred the chicken

3. In a skillet on medium heat, add butter, onions and celery and sauté until brown 

4. Remove skillet from heat. In a large bowl, mix together cornbread and biscuit crumbs, seasonings, shredded chicken, onion and celery. 

5. Add eggs and broth to mixture and stir well. More broth or water or milk may be added, depending on how moist you want the dressing. 

6. Place mixture in a greased pan and bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until brown.

*Disclaimer: nutrition facts not included so you can indulge