Unique New York

The start of holiday madness has begun & so has the holiday cooking. My grandma Jensen has started baking her famous spritz cookies & my grandma Long has begun thinking about how much cranberry fluff she needs to make for Christmas. On both sides of my family the holiday meals are never alike nor are they very traditional in my opinion. That doesn't matter though as long as we are all together. I thought I'd use this entry to share with you one of the more unique holiday recipes that my family & I make whenever we get the chance.


Creamed Peas

My first job was working at Spurgeon Manor in Dallas Center, Iowa as a dietary aide. I prepped meals, set tables, served meals, did the dishes, etc. Times were really tough at home & money was super tight. I knew that I would always have a hot meal whenever I worked, so I looked forward to going to work. The head chefs were always very nice to me & understanding that I didn't have a lof of money, so they would fix me meals for free. It was getting close to Thanksgiving & there was an item on the menu I had never seen, let alone tasted,  before. It was creamed peas. Working at a nursing home I immediately thought of the worst thing-blended peas. There were some residents that couldn't chew very well & because of that they needed their meals pureed. As I was dishing out the meals that evening, I discovered how the creamed peas were prepared & I even got to try some that night. I was completely blown away. As a vegetable lover for as long as I can remember, this were definitely my new favorite.

This is my mom making me creamed peas for Thanksgiving in 2008.

3 years later. This year she came to Iowa City to make me Thanksgiving dinner. She made due without the heavy cream that the recipe calls for & the fact that I don't own a whisk!

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions:


1. In a medium saucepan combine peas, water, & salt. Bring to a boil, then stir in butter.
2. In a small bowl whisk together cream, flour, & sugar. Stir mixture into peas. Let cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until thick & bubbly. Serves 4.