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Catawba Indians- Turkey Stew

By Melanie Knight- Courtesy of The Lancaster News

Forests have traded their green leaves for a crisp fall wardrobe of gold, red and orange.
As you enjoy in this breathtaking display of natural beauty, take a moment to consider this rich land and its historic people.

The Catawba Indians have lived in this region for more than 13,000 years.
Their traditional foods include turkey, squash, pumpkins, corn, deer, nuts, beans, duck, dove, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sugar berries and honey.
So next time you savor any of these traditional Catawba foods, say “huwah” and “koree” which translate to “thanks” and “good.”

Beckee Garris of the Catawba Indian Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Office, said the Catawbas were a close knit, matriarchal community. Extended families lived together in round houses called “suuks” and whenever game like deer was killed, it was shared throughout the village.
“They looked after each other, especially in the 1800s and 1900s,” she said.
Garris said the Catawbas weren’t concerned with material things.

If a young man was trying to impress a young lady he was courting, he would carve a flute out of river cane and compose songs and lyrics for her. When she was out working, he would hide and serenade her from a distance.
“This way, a girl could judge a man by his heart,” Garris said. “If she liked the music, she would have her father or brother bring him to the house. He would then be allowed to play outside the house, but he would not be allowed inside until they were married.”

At the wedding, a blanket dance would be performed.
Garris said in the beginning, the bride and groom would be wrapped in separate blankets. But by the end of the dance, they would be wrapped in the same blanket.
The individual blankets would then be carried behind the new couple and filled with gifts and written blessings.

Congress has designated the annual Yap Ye Iswa festival that celebrates the Catawba Indians’ cultural heritage a local legacy.
This past Saturday, the Catawba Nation celebrated its culture during the annual Yap Ye Iswa (Day of the Catawba) festival at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster.
Activities included Native American dance and drumming demonstrations, displays of Catawba Indian pottery, storytelling and musical performances, lectures on local American Indian history and culture, children’s activities, cooking demonstrations of traditional Native American dishes.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to share Garris’ recipe for a traditonal Catawba Turkey Stew.
And try the a Corn on the Cob Cupcakes recipe to add a Native American look to the dinner table.

Turkey Stew
Ingredients
3 1-pound cooked turkey roasts
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 12-ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 pound onions, chopped
1 8-ounce package dried tomatoes
5 pounds white potatoes
1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic
3 cans chicken broth
2 bell peppers (optional)
Salt to taste
Directions
– Wash and cut vegetables into bite sized pieces. Cut turkey into bite sized pieces. Place all ingredients in slow cookers and fill with water to cover ingredients. Simmer on high until stew begins to bubble.
– Turn cookers on low and cook overnight. Salt to taste.
Makes 12-15 servings.
– Recipe by Beckee Garris of the Catawba Indian Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Office
Corn on the Cob Cupcakes
Ingredients
24 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
Yellow food coloring
About 3 1/2 cups small jelly beans (Jelly Bellys) in assorted yellow, cream and white colors (red, black and blue shades for Indian corn)
Optional decorations:
4 pieces yellow fruit chews (Laffy Taffys, Starbursts)
1 tablespoon each black and white decorating sugars (available at baking supply stores)
8 sets of corn holders
Directions
– Tint the vanilla frosting pale yellow with the food coloring. Working with three cupcakes at a time, spread yellow frosting on top of each. Arrange about 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the 3 cupcakes side-by-side on a corn dish or a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, frosting and jelly beans.
– Optional: Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares and soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look melted. Place one square on top of each group of 3 cupcakes. Sprinkle with the sugars. Insert 1 corn holder, in each of the end cupcakes. Makes eight “ears of corn” (24 cupcakes).
– Recipe from “Hello, Cupcake!” by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack

Twilight Party Ideas & Menu

She’s a clumsy seventeen-year-old girl, he’s an elegant “vegetarian” vampire. They live in the rainiest town in the U.S.A, Forks Washington. This supernatural, modern day romance by Stephenie Meyer between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen has ignited a global cult following. Originally intended for late teens and young adults, commonly referred to as “Twilighters”, this four-book saga has also inspired a fanatical married adult female following known as “Twilight Moms”.

Here are some ideas and a menu so you can host your own Twilight premier party for the movie debut on November 21st. Oh yeah, get ready to pick are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob? And they thought the Harry Potter fans were obsessed…

v Decorate the table with red delicious apples- like on the cover of Twilight, fill a fruit bowl with them, or set 1 at each place setting
v To recreate the ruffled tulip, get silk white peonies and using red nail polish or craft paint, paint in some red, use the New Moon book cover as a guide
v Tie red ribbons to the stems of the glass ware and dessert cups, match the color from the Eclipse book cover
v Scatter chess pieces down the center of the table, to incorporate Breaking Dawn
v Use black or red tablecloths, napkins, balloons and streamers
v Don’t’ set the table with any spoons, only Forks
v For music, play any Twilight playlist, the new soundtrack or just straight Muse.
v Doggie Treats-Sugar cookies shaped like dog bones in case any werewolves drop in.
v Wrap the trees in your yard with twinkling white lights to welcome your guests, Alice Cullen’s signature mark


Mushroom Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce Cathy Lowe www.foodnetwork.com
10 ounces mushroom ravioli, or cheese filled ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup brandy
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan

2 slices frozen garlic bread, prepared to package directions
Spring mix salad and dressing of your choice

Prepare ravioli according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a skillet, Cook mushrooms until tender and stir in garlic. Add brandy and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. When cream has thickened stir in ¼ cup of cheese. Stir in cooked ravioli and gently simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve with parmesan, garlic bread and salad.
Makes 2 servings.

Topaz Dreams and Golden Grizzlies Melanie Knight inspired by www.jello.com
1 package Butterscotch Instant Pudding
2 cups applesauce
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup thawed cool whip

2 cups thawed cool whip
4 cups Honey Teddy Grahams

Beat dry pudding mix, applesauce and cinnamon in medium bowl with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Alternate butterscotch mixture and cool whip in tall dessert glasses. Garnish edges with teddy grahams.
Makes 4 servings.



Mini Apple Twilights Melanie Knight inspired by The Barefoot Kitchen Witch
5 Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced into nickel sized pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 –9” ready to bake rolled dough pie crusts
1 egg white- beaten
2 tablespoons sugar- large crystal

Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit.
Mix apples, lemon juice, apple sauce, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Grease muffin pan. Roll out dough and cut 12, 4-inch circles and 12, 3-inch circles out of the dough. Place the 4-inch in each muffin cup and fill with apple mixture. Top each mini-pie with a 3-inch circle and press edges together. Cut 4 slits in each pie top. Brush each pie with the egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before removing from muffin pan.
Makes 12 servings.


Newborn Melanie Knight original
1 cup black cherry cranberry juice
1 cup ginger ale
splash pineapple juice

Mix together, serve over ice.
Makes 1 serving

Recipes: Haunted Halloween

Fire up your cauldron and get out your broom! Bubble bubble, toil and trouble, get ready for Halloween on the double! You don’t need a magic spell to make your home the best haunt in town, just follow these decadent decorating tips and ghastly menu.

Decadent Decorations:
Place a branch in your chandelier, stretch fake spider webs over it, top with black plastic spider. This is a must for a spooky dinner party.
Use the fake spider web to get that special “haunted house” feel. Drape on pictures, mirrors and doorways. Face it, who doesn’t get creeped out by a house full of cobwebs?
Take a 4 foot tall dead branch and shove it into a flower pot filled with dirt to stabilize. Decorate it with orange lights, spider webs, tissue paper ghosts and plastic spiders. You can use Christmas ornament hooks to hang snack size candy bars on the tree. Try two of these placed on each side of your front door to mark your house for tricker-treaters.


Ghoulish Menu

Yummy Mummy Calzone Melanie Knight inspired by Taste of Home
1 13.8 ounce can refrigerated pizza dough
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pizza sauce
50 slices pepperoni
1/2 cup black olives (save a couple for the eyes)
optional- bacon, ham, crumbled sausage, bell peppers
1 egg, beaten

Roll out the dough into a rounded triangle shape (think slice of pizza shape), about 14-in. high x 11-in. wide at the base of the triangle. Place each on a baking sheet with the tip of the triangle toward you. Lightly score a 4-in.-wide rectangle in the center of the triangle 2 in. from the top and bottom. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips at an angle up to the score line, leaving a triangle in the top center of the wide end for the head.

Inside the scored rectangle in the center, layer cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni and black olives. Add optional ingredients at this time. Shape the top center triangle into a head. Starting at the feet, fold alternating strips of dough at an angle across filling, stopping at the last strip on each side.

Brush dough with egg. For eyes, press 1/2 olive slice for each closed eye. Bake at 350 ° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Makes 4 servings.


Shrunken Head Punch Melanie Knight inspired by Martha Stewart
4-6 Granny Smith apples
1 gallon apple cider
1-2 liter ginger ale
8-12 whole cloves for eyes

Peel the apples. Carve eyes and a frowning mouth. Push a clove in for each eye. Mix punch in equal parts apple cider and ginger ale. Let shrunken heads float in punch. Serves


Lady Fingers Melanie Knight inspired by Martha Stewart
3-5 drops red food coloring
1-zip lock bag
16 whole almonds
1-8 ounce can crescent rolls

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place almonds and food coloring in a zip lock bag. Shake to coat almonds completely. Set aside.

Unroll crescents and separate into 4 rectangles (follow precut perforations). Press triangle perforations back together Cut each rectangle into 4 short strips (16 total). Take each strip into your hand and squeeze gently to create “knuckles”. Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Position almond nails on 1 end of each finger and push into dough to attach.
Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
Makes 16 lady fingers.


Graveyard Cupcakes Melanie Knight inspired by http://www.pillsbury/.com
1container (16 oz) vanilla frosting
5-10 drops green food color
24 unfrosted cupcakes
1 tube (0.68 oz) black decorating gel (not food color)
24 lady finger cookies
10 Oreo cookies, remove the white stuffing and crumble the chocolate cookies

Place frosting in small bowl and mix well with green food color. Frost cupcakes. Write “RIP” on 1 end of each cookie with the decorating gel. Press other end of cookies into cupcakes to form "gravestones." Sprinkle cookie crumbs around each "gravestone".

Recipe: Cap'n Crunch French Toast

It’s the only day you get to sleep in, so skip that early breakfast and enjoy a champagne brunch.

Crunch-atize Me Cap’n!
It’s the new rebel yell of anyone who caught the Comfort Food episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network. This episode featured a decadent double stack of French toast that had been dipped in Cap’n Crunch before it was grilled in butter, then topped with an avalanche of whipped cream and berries. Anyone who can capture the crunchy sweetness of a cartoon Saturday morning and serve it up on a plate is pure genius. They gave out ingredients on the show, but not quantities. Here’s my version of the Baltimore’s Blue Moon Café Cap’n Crunch French Toast.

Cap’n Crunch French Toast Melanie Knight- inspired by Blue Moon Café
4 cups Cap’n Crunch original cereal (no Crunch Berries)
10 slices Texas bread (thick sliced bread)
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons butter
Whipped cream for topping
1 pint strawberries
½ pound seedless grapes

Place the cereal in a casserole dish and crunch it into crumbs with the bottom of a glass.
Mix the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together and place in a shallow dish. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Take 1 slice of brad, dip both sides in the egg mixture, then coast with the Cap’n Crunch crumbs. Cook each side 2-3 minutes until light brown. Repeat for the other 9 slices of bread.

Stack 2 French toasts on the center of the plate. Top with a generous helping of whipped cream and strawberries and grapes.
Makes 5 servings.

Recipe: Steak Fajitas

Another recipe on your journey to the ultimate Cinco de Mayo celebration-steak fajitas.

This dish was invented when the ranch owners would give the skirt steak- very tought to the field hands to eat in appreciation for their hard work.

2 lbs thin beef round steaks- trim fat and slice into thin strips
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tbls crushed garlic
3 tbls chopped cilantro
2 tbls olive oil
3 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 onion- thinly sliced
1 tbl crushed garlic
lime wedges
flour or wheat tortillas
optional, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, tomatoes, etc

Mix Steak and 1st 11 ingrediants together. Marinate overnight in a zip lock bag in the fridge. No time to marinate? Mix together and get ready to cook.

Heat frying pan over high heat, add contents of bag. Stir until meat is cooked through. Add bell peppers, onions and garlic. Cook most liquid is gone and everything gets a caramel glaze.

Heat tortillas in microwave according to package directions and serve.

Recipe: Seven Layer Dip

Cinco de Mayo is coming- so I'm gonna prep you over the next few weeks so your party can be fab.

1 lb. Chorizo- Mexican sausage
1 tbl garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1-16 oz can fat free refired beans
1-16 oz fat free sour cream
1-16 oz jar salsa-hot
1 bunch chopped grren onions
1 pkg shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips or scoops

Peel casing off of chorizo, crumble sausage and cook over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes. Drain fat- if any.

Layer dip as follows in clear glass dish- refried beans, sour cream, salsa, green onions, lettuce, chorizo, cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tip- as you sprad each layer- wipe glass down with a paper towel.