African American Holiday Traditions

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Again, MC has it right! I forget which restaurant serves "praline yams" but they are just so yummy!

LOL. What does MysticCat have right?

I like sweet potatoes more than yams. Most people have never had yams and don't really know the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.

Originally Posted by honeychile

That said, I've noticed that if I eat a yam (which I love) or a sweet potato (not so much), my sugar goes through the roof! This is just plain, baked potatoes. Has anyone else noticed this?

That is why some family doctors, pastors, and "community members" are advising "the Black community" to either stay away from sweet potatoes (and yams) or only eat it in small servings during a holiday.

[libramunoz]

Well, usually during the holiday time, we go over to another relative's house or have someone come to the house. With that being said, one of the main traditions for the holidays has always been my grandmother's sweet potato pie recipie. For about 10 years, I made them and wouldn't come within 10 feet of them after about 5 years of making them. Don't get me wrong, I can make the hell out of it, but I just got so tired of making it and HAVING to eat the damn things!
This year, I made three and actually ate some of it. It's a recipie that I have NO idea of how she came up with it! I dunno if she discovered making it when she was in PV or if she found it, but for over 50 years (she's been gone since 1988), it's been in the family as a guard your life recipie and if you give it out, you must die recipie.

Anywho, on Thanksgiving, we usually do turkey, collard greens with bacon, green beans and potatoes, my Momma's dressing (which will have you smack the crap outta the next person to your left), candied yams, sweet potato pie, apple/pumpkin pie, cake, biscuts, cranberry sauce (homemade or canned), sweet tea, soda, juice (this year, homemade lemonade), gravy with the gizzards, mashed potatoes, corn, and this year butternut squash (something different).

At Christmas, add deviled eggs, ham or Cornish hens (have a cousin that's of the Jewish faith), rice, LaChoy crunchies (lo mein crunchies (in the can), coated with Chocolate (white or brown-doesn't matter)).

And the coolest thing is that everyone in my family knows that for my mother, you have to find the craziest flavor of ice cream and some damned egg nog (can't stand the stuff, looks like yellow snot to me). The ice cream thing is just her, she loves flavors--started when myself and libramunoz's big brother were kids and Momma got a gal of pumpkin flavored ice cream from Ralph's. Suffice to say, bighead and littleone each got a bowl and took one gulp and BOTH bowls went back into the freezer for Momma to finish.

Therefore, this is one tradition that everyone in the family seems to have leapt onto. This years flavor, pumpkin spice flavored--last years--egg nog and peppermint!

[DrPhil]

I just saw this on CNN. They were talking about African American cuisine and soul food restaurants that have gone healthy.

http://www.oldwayspt.org/AHH-committee

http://www.oldwayspt.org/african-heritage-diet