SHOULD OLD AROMAS BE FORGOT
New Years Eve Memories
Until I was about ten years old, I never stayed awake long enough to greet the New Year. In fact, ours was a quiet life in a small town. I doubt that very many people stayed up beyond ten o’clock or so, even on that big night, except of course, those who were given to indulge in the local bars or in their homes. You always knew which ones they were, because the sounds of shot guns going off in the middle of the night was not the beginning of a civil unrest, but rather celebration of the new arrival.
Even the big party held at the local Italian Home for members was usually over by one a.m. There was always a polka band playing upstairs in the dance hall and for a nominal fee, members and families could partake of the music, noisemakers, hat, and of course, the traditional New Years Eve dinner, which was served downstairs in the club. The ladies’ auxiliary prepared and served a delicious meal of tossed salad, Italian sausages, kielbasa, sauerkraut, roasted potatoes, apple sauce and of course, those crunchy dinner rolls. Our family attended a couple of those and I have fond memories of the aromas emanating from loaded platters of goodies. I can still see those frigid glass bottles of Orange Crush being pulled out of a bed of ice, all glistening and frosty! We usually left about ten p.m., when I was younger, but I remember the last one I attended was when I was 14. We stayed clear until closing and I was in heaven, dancing to one number after another, all dressed up in my black taffeta dress and black mini heels. I even met my first real ‘boyfriend’ at that dance. A night to welcome a true new year of memories for me!
Most years, our large family would get together at one or the other relative’s homes, and often the home of my maternal grandparents. Naturally, it was a big evening of aromas and flavors, using lots of homemade sausage, store-bought kielbasa, sauerkraut and invariably, some type of pasta dish. We even indulged in fresh potato salad and applesauce canned the previous fall. There were always plenty of cookies left from Christmas, and Mom usually baked a huge apple-nut cake, which was her specialty. Ohhh, the cinnamon and spice that wafted from that goody! Sadly, that recipe somehow escaped being added to my cache of Mom’s goodies. I’ve never even seen a duplicate recipe elsewhere that I thought would taste like I remember - the nuts and pieces of apple that crunch in my memory.
My married years always brought a variety of New Years Eve celebrations. Sometimes Rich and I would go out, but most often we had a big party at our home. Lots of munchies, along with the usual Eve’s fare, a well-stocked bar and room for dancing or playing cards or games, gave family and friends who attended assurance of an Eve that extended well into early morning. Tired feet were only too happy to drag us to bed about three a.m., to dream of what would be ahead in the New Year we had just celebrated.
Moving on to the more modern celebrations, activities and menus change with the mood, it seems. Sometimes we do the old-time house party; other times we have a Chinese dinner selection, getting together with just a few of the family. Once in a while, the young folks go out and play in the New Years fun of Las Vegas, while Rich and I watch the fireworks on TV and have some fancy treats while we share a perfectly chilled bottle of Asti Spumante. So far, we still make it to midnight, though it seems that we are slipping back to the sleepy-bye time of our childhood, as the years go fleetingly past. However that may be, we feel assured that each New Year will make it here just fine, if only in our dreams.
Mom and her famous buns on New Years Eve, 1957
(See New Years Eve Menu & Recipes)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YEARS EVE MENU
Assorted Munchies
Tossed Salad ~~ Potato Salad
Italian Sausage ~~ Kielbasa
Fried Hot Peppers ~~ Sauerkraut Sublime
Spicy Sweet Apple Sauce
Fresh Hot Buns
Cookies & Cakes
Beverages D’Jour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YEARS EVE RECIPES
Spicy sweet Apple Sauce
Heavy Sauce Pan
10 Juicy Apples of your choice ¼ C Lemon Juice ½ C Sugar ½ C Brown Sugar 1 T Cinnamon Pinch of Salt ¼ tsp Nutmeg ½ tsp Vanilla ¼ C Orange Juice
Mix everything but apples in the saucepan, stirring well.
Peel and core apples. Dice and add to sauce pan.
Cook over medium heat until soft enough to be whipped by a fork. Whip slightly and cool. Serve Warm or Cold.
Sauerkraut Sublime
Skillet
13x9 Pyrex Baking Dish, Buttered
32 oz. Bulk Sauerkraut, drained (reserve liquid)
1 Large Onion Thinly Sliced 3 T Corn Oil
1 Bell Pepper + 2 Chili or other HOT Peppers, Thinly Sliced
1 T Flour 2 T Caraway Seeds 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Salt
1 T Granulated Garlic
Heat Oil in Skillet. Add sliced peppers and onions and sauté until limp. Add flour, stirring well about 1 Minute. Pour in reserved Sauerkraut Juice; stir until slightly thickened.
Put a layer of Kraut into the Buttered Baking Dish. Add a Layer of Peppers and Onions. Sprinkle with Caraway Seeds. Repeat Layers until all is used.
Cover and Bake in 350 Oven for 15 Minutes. Lower heat to 325, bake about 15 minutes more, until heated through and slightly browned.
There are no comments.