Off the Shelf: Things that Make Thanksgiving Special to Members of the Bridgeport Public Library Staff
By Savanna Draper on November 22, 2023 from Off the Shelf
The staff at the Bridgeport Public Library want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving filled with fun, family, lots of good food, and hopefully a few quiet moments to pick up a book and do some reading. During the holidays, I like to ask our staff what makes the celebration special to them, and this year some of them shared a few traditions and dishes.
Shannon Beam, our Information Services Librarian shared a tradition. “We have a thankfulness jar where everyone writes on 3 strips of colored paper what they are thankful for but does not put their name on it. Then we pass the jar around, and on our turn, remove a strip, read it out loud and everyone tries to guess who wrote each one. It makes for a lot of fun trying to determine who is most thankful for the blessings listed.”
Rebecca O’Connor, our Children’s Librarian also shared a tradition. “As the holiday season approaches each year, we're called to think of traditions. Many of us crack open Grandma's cookbook, wiping away the dust that's settled over the past year and pull out the tablecloths from the chest in which they were so carefully tucked away. We gather round tables to share stories and memories of years gone by. While I can recall no traditions or recipes from my biological family, my host family makes it a tradition to welcome in family from afar and invite friends who might not have another place to go. This will be my third Thanksgiving spent with them. While the dishes may change slightly from year to year, (my host brother, Dean, is a strong proponent of adding smoked mac and cheese to the annual dinner menu), games are always sure to follow. From Up and Down the River and Settlers of Catan to Quiplash and King of Tokyo, I can always count on family and friends coming together over a game."
Natalie Fox, our Library Technician shared a recipe for carrot casserole that her family makes. You will need 5-6 cans of carrots, 2 onions, 1 pound of Velveeta cheese, 2 sticks of butter, and a 9x12 baking dish. For the topping, you will need crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. You will need to drain the carrots, reserving some of the liquid, and put them in the baking dish. Then, cook the onions until tender and sprinkle over the carrots. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add cubes of Velveeta cheese, stirring until creamy, then pour over the carrots and onions. Top with the crushed Ritz crackers and pour the remaining liquid from the carrots around the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-2 hours.
I would also like to share one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes—caramel pie. Caramel pie is probably the simplest pie you can make, and it only requires three ingredients. You will need two cans of sweetened condensed milk, a graham cracker pie crust, and whipped cream. All you do is remove the paper wrappers from the cans of milk, put them in a pot on the stove and cover in water, then boil on low covered for three hours. Careful removing the cans as they will be very hot! Once they have cooled for ten minutes, open the cans and pour the caramel into the pie crust. Chill in the freezer for three hours, cover with whipped cream, and enjoy. Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a pie!
The library will be closed November 23-26.
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