Food & Drink

SANTAYNEZVALLEYSTAR.COM 17 ‘Keep it Simple’ This Thanksgiving

Barbie Butz Columnist

Ihave a large collection of cookbooks, and I will often read something in one of them that sticks in my mind, but of course, I can never find it again. For instance, I remember reading a description of what a Thanksgiving dinner should be like, and it went something like this: A festive meal with a traditional menu served to familiar faces around a table decorated with the season’s fresh fruits, vegetables, and autumn branches or leaves creating a take on the classic cornucopia.

The author stressed, “keep it simple,” and don’t fuss over a lot of details. Be sure to spend time and energy on what really matters on that day — enjoying friends and family. Lastly, I remember the author suggested that since most people long for their own family recipes, ask guests to bring their favorite dish to share or to share a recipe with you ahead of time so you could fit it into your menu.

To make the day easier on the cook, another cookbook author listed a few ideas that I jotted down to share with you. First of all, keep your snack offering light and easy to prepare by buying a wedge of good aged cheddar cheese and serve it with small crackers of your choice.

If making gravy is not your “thing,” substitute Knorr mix or Williams-Sonoma turkey gravy base and add a touch of dry sherry or white wine to liven it up. Always serve some kind of cranberry sauce. Not enough time to make your own? Take this idea and run with it. Buy a can of Ocean Spray whole-berry cranberry sauce and add a spritz of fresh orange juice and some zest for a fresh flavor.

Lastly, for dessert, buy a pecan pie and add a homemade touch by melting 4 ounces of good-quality chocolate and drizzling it on top. And if you need a taste of pumpkin to end your meal, toast slices of pumpkin bread and serve them with vanilla ice cream topped with warm caramel sauce and toasted chopped pecans.

If you are having a small gathering, consider the following recipe for turkey breast. You won’t have drumsticks, but you won’t have tons of turkey left over.

Turkey Breast in a Slow-Cooker

Ingredients: 1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 7 pounds) 4 fresh rosemary sprigs 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1⁄2 cup water 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place turkey breast, rosemary, garlic and water in a 6-quart slow cooker. Mix brown sugar, pepper and salt; sprinkle over turkey. Cook, covered, on low 4-6 hours or until turkey is tender and a thermometer inserted in turkey reads at least 170 degrees. 12 Servings

The next recipe makes good use of any leftover turkey.

Turkey Posole

Ingredients: 2 cans (141⁄2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 jar (16 ounces) chunky salsa 1 can (15 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained 2 teaspoons chipotle hot pepper sauce 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast 1⁄4 cup sour dream 1/3 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro 1/3 cup crushed blue tortilla chips 1⁄4 cup shredded red or green cabbage

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey; heat through. Top servings with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, chips and cabbage. 6 servings

If young children are at your gathering, they will love these little treats.

Sweet and Spicy Munchies

Ingredients: 1 pound spiced gumdrops 1 pound candy corn 1 can (16 ounces) salted peanuts

Paper muffin cups to fit the theme of the party

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the gumdrops, candy corn and peanuts. Store in and airtight container until you are ready to serve, then fill the muffin cups.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble, Gobble!

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BUELLTON AND SOLVANG ELECTIONS

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downpours, had a hand in the election. "I think it was horrible timing for a downpour on Election Day. I beat Lewis by a two to one margin at the in person voting," he said. "I believe several people put their ballots in the mail that would have otherwise gone to the in person polling place. The rain was definitely a factor."

Meanwhile, Buellton's City Council elections in District 1 and District 4 (the first elections under the by-district system) seem to be decided, according to the results released Wednesday morning.

Local attorney Hudson Hornick held a 56.04 percent to 43.05 percent lead over his opponent, public affairs consultant Tom Widroe, in District 1, while in District 4, educational fundraiser David Silva led former Buellton City Councilmember Art Mercado 60.87 percent to 38.74 percent.

While Hornick and Silva were not ready to claim victory just yet, they did each express appreciation for their supporters and for the experience. "I would like to thank all the people who helped support me and also my opponent Tom Widroe for being gracious and friendly throughout the campaign," Hornick said. "We truly have great neighbors here in Buellton and my sincere thanks go out to all of them." "I am so grateful to all the community members in my district for putting their faith in me this election," Silva said. "It has been a true joy getting to know my neighbors and discussing the issues important to Buellton and how we can continue to make this town better for future generations."

Solvang

The Solvang mayoral race lacked the suspense of a usual election as City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Mark Infanti ran unopposed and garnered 94.68 percent of the vote.

Like Buellton, Solvang is electing its City Council by districts and voters selected representatives for the city's District 3 and District 4.

Most notable is incumbent Robert Clarke, who was on council as an at-large but was running for the District 4 seat this year, who is trailing challenger Elizabeth Orona. Orona, a technology sales executive, held a 57.14-percent-to-42.86-percent edge over Clarke Wednesday morning.

In District 3, small business owner David Brown and local chef Louise Smith were in a near-dead heat when the first results were released Tuesday night, but by the time they were updated early Wednesday, Brown was leading 47.65 percent to 41.18 percent. Janice Matthews, who dropped out of the race earlier in the campaign, got 10.59 percent of the vote.

Other races

Two seats were up for grabs in the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Board of Trustees. In the Short Term AtLarge District seat, Santa Ynez High parent/ volunteer Anna Schryer (36.86 percent) and contractor/business owner Christopher F. Johnson (36.30 percent) were running neckand-neck, with retired executive Lee Rosenberg running third at 26.36 percent. In the Trustee Area 2 race, college administrator Sheri Noble had a big lead over vocational nurse Denise El Amin — 59.17 percent to 40.61 percent.

Solvang's Measure U, a proposed one-cent sales tax billed as being aimed at tourists and visitors more than residents, looks to be on its way to passing as 61.54 percent of voters have voted yes.

In the Los Olivos Community Services District, four candidates vied for three seats, with Julie Kennedy (30.48 percent), Lisa Bertero Palmer (26.39), and Greg Parks (23.23) leading, and Thomas A. Nelson (18.39) trailing. In the race for the district's short-term seat, Brad A. Ross led Jeanne Hollingsworth 68.28 percent to 31.28 percent.

In the Los Alamos Community Services District short-term seat election, Charles Gonzales led Kristi Gnesa-Williams 58.03 percent to 40.98 percent.

GAMBLE BOOK SIGNING

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consecutive days. Gamble's novels have won several prizes in international book contests, including the coveted Gold Medal for "The Curse Of Matilija" (Zack Tolliver #9) in the 2022 Reader’s Favorite International Book Contest.

For more information, go to rlawsongamble.com. You can also find his books on amazon. com and other retail websites.

CHUMASH MARITIME HISTORY

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American cultures for 30 years. He has done professional educational programs at schools, museums, and cultural events for 25 years, including storytelling programs at the American Museum of Britain in Bath, England. But it is the schools in Chumash and Tataviam territory that he enjoys going to the most.

This event is generously sponsored by Marie L. Morrisroe.

SBMM is located at 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, in Santa Barbara. Visit sbmm. org or call (805) 962-8404 for details.

Chumash storyteller and experienced paddler Alan Salazar will share his knowledge of the history of the ocean plank canoes, known as “tomols,” during his Nov. 17 talk at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Contributed Photo

HOLIDAY LIGHTS FESTIVAL

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2; Dec. 9-11; and Dec. 16-18 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. each night.

Tickets to the Holiday Lights Festival include entry into the Enchanted Garden during your purchased time slot in addition to enjoying all that the festival has to offer as soon as the gates open at 5:30 p.m. Admission to the festival is $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-12 and free for children 2 and under. To purchase tickets for this family friendly event visit www.EnchantedHolidayLights.com.

This unique immersive lighted experience promises to fill everyone visiting with festive holiday spirit and includes a Holiday Country Market with food, beer, and wine, and activities such as Christmas carolers, falling snow, and photos with Santa. Live reindeer will be on-site exclusively on Dec. 11 and 18.

The planning of the festival has already sparked a lot of excitement and support from the community with sponsorships from The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Ramsey Asphalt Construction, The Schlinger Foundation, Visit SYV, Rio Vista Chevrolet, SYV Rotary, Buellton Chamber, SYV Pride, Catherine Streegan Dentistry, Vreeland Ford and Nielsen’s Building Supply.

The Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden showcases native plants of Santa Barbara County and is located at the west end of River View Park, accessible from Sycamore Drive in Buellton. The garden is open free of charge from sunrise to sunset 365 days per year. The garden, founded in 2006, has been developed and managed by volunteers of the SYVBG Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization.

Since the beginning, the garden has been a place for the community to gather and engage with each other and nature, providing volunteer opportunities, educational workshops and committees and fun and interactive events. This event will help raise awareness of the garden and support future endeavors of the garden’s improvements and future projects and installations, while also providing a wonderful new tradition for all.