Oh, the holidays. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is THIS WEEK. Besides the obvious deliciousness that the holiday brings, we love coming together with family and friends and sharing stories and traditions that will forever live on through generations.
We’ve put together some of our favorite holiday recipes and traditions that boast familiarity and uniqueness. Share your favorite dishes and traditions with us. We’d love to see them!
RECIPES
Cranberry Salad
This sweet treat is the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving feast. Prepare it a day in advance and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
1 - 20 oz. crushed pineapples - keep the juice
2 - 16 oz. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large box of cherry flavored gelatin
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
¾ cup walnuts crushed or finely diced
Optional: 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar
Dissolve gelatin with 2 cups of hot water, add juice from pineapples (about 1 cup), add 1 cup of water, then stir. Mix both cans of cranberries and crushed pineapples by pouring into a baking dish with gelatin mixture. Use a 9 x 12 glass baking dish. Sit overnight to gel.
Next day: Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise into the dish.
Optional: You can add confectioners sugar now. Let mixture sit for a few minutes until it’s smooth enough to spread over the gelatin base. Spread mix on top of the gelatin and sprinkle with walnuts. Enjoy!
- Julia McBride, REALTORⓇ
Cheesy Squash Casserole
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
6 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of butter
½ cup of grated Parmesan
1 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar
½ cup of sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve of RitzⓇ Crackers, crushed medium to fine
Optional: Add green and red peppers and mushrooms to give the dish a little something extra.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the squash, onion, and butter until soft. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Cheddar and sour cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Place in the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Irene Brinkmann, REALTORⓇ
Pineapple Casserole
2 cans of pineapple tidbits - keep the juice
¾ cup of sugar
1 package of shredded sharp Cheddar
2 tablespoons of flour
1 ½ sleeves of RitzⓇ Crackers, crumbled
Combine all ingredients and place the crumbled crackers on top. Melt one stick of butter and pour over. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, and enjoy!
- Annell Kirkland, REALTORⓇ
TRADITIONS
In Germany, it’s tradition for families to hide a pickle ornament in their Christmas tree. Whoever finds it will have good fortune in the coming year. We thought it was a cute tradition, so we adopted it.
- Emily McLaughlin, Director of Operations
Every Christmas Eve night, we pack the car with our children and grandchildren and ride through the neighborhood and check out all of the beautiful lights and decorations. It really gets us in the holiday spirit.
- Annell Kirkland, REALTORⓇ
It’s been a tradition since as long as I can remember, for each member of our family to open one present on Christmas Eve night. I think we got the idea from a television show. Having to open a gift the night before is the perfect teaser to get us even more excited about Christmas morning. Being together is truly the best gift of all.
- Margaret Hoynes, Marketing Director
Whether you’re celebrating at home, on the Grand Strand, or traveling near and far, we hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. We are so thankful for our amazing agents, staff, partners, clients and customers.