By By Adrienne McKenzie
My Thanksgiving was spectacular.
Not only did I have the day off of work, but I also got to spend tons of time with my family, eat good food and watch a lot of TV. It was great.
I got to spend the night at my parents home Wednesday and Thursday. We woke up and went to Monroeville to be with my grandparents for the holiday. Like I said in last week's column, my grandmother's cooking is the greatest.
We had turkey, dressing and chicken and dumplings that were to die for! And, after all that food settled I had a piece of seven layer chocolate cake. And, after that settled I enjoyed a piece of cheesecake that I purchased from the Atmore Lions Club.
I probably gained about 50 pounds, but it sure was worth it.
I came back to Atmore Thursday night and Friday was out at the Poarch Band of Creek Indians annual Pow Wow. It was my first Pow Wow experience and I enjoyed myself out at the Reservation.
The dancing and singing definitely sparked an interest in me. I also enjoyed looking at the beautiful jewelry that was on sale at the many vendors. The Poarch Creek Indians have such a rich culture and I am glad they have events that showcase where they came from.
My fun times ended however Saturday night when Alabama lost to Auburn, again. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching the game with my boyfriend Matt even though he is an Auburn fan. But, I just did not enjoy the loss.
For the Iron Bowl I tried my hand at cooking. I tried my dad's recipe of Santa Fe Soup which includes ground beef, chopped onion, ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning mix, shoepeg corn, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with chillies.
I browned the meat and after it was done cooking I mixed all the ingredients in a crockpot and let it sit for the majority of the day.
When it was ready to eat, Matt and I scooped it out onto some Frito scoops and mixed some cheese into it and I must say that it was pretty delicious.
I was actually pretty surprised that I did not burn the house down and that I did a successful job in cooking for once. Matt even said it was enjoyable and that he was proud of me.
It is obvious that I do not cook much.
So, now that Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl are over I have to look forward to Christmas. It's another opportunity to spend time with my family and friends and that's all that matters.
I hope everyone had as great a Thanksgiving as I did and that Christmas shopping comes easy for you. I haven't begun my shopping, but I look forward to picking out that special gift for that special someone. Merry Christmas!
Adrienne McKenzie is a staff reporter for The Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123 or via email at lifestyles@atmoreadvance.com.