Nourish Together - Weekly Newsletter - 10/27/22
Recipe of the Week
This week’s recipe comes from my friend, Andrea M, who I first met during our time working together at Taste of Home cooking magazine.
Andrea shared that her son loves these Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with blueberries or chocolate chips. As an added bonus, she confirmed that they’re super easy to make. Enjoy!
Inspiration
El Día de Los Muertos
My daughter, Emma, is learning about el Día de Los Muertos in her Spanish Class. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration.
Emma and her classmates are making ofrendas as part of their classroom festivities.
An ofrenda (offering) is an altar filled with items dedicated to a loved one who has passed on. It’s an essential component of any Día de los Muertos celebration.
Built to honor specific family members, they can be large and elaborate or small and personal. Ofrendas are one of the most important and meaningful symbols of the holiday.
Ofrendas often consist of multiple extravagant tiers.
The Bottom Tier is the most practical. It is filled with candles to light the way and water for refreshing.
The Second Tier is used for foods and favorite items. This tier is for welcoming the dead after their long journey and making them feel more at home. Tamales and mole, sugarcane, fruit, and liquor are often included on this tier.
The Top Tier is used to identify the person for whom the ofrenda was created. Photos of the person when they were alive sit on the top tier along with images of various saints and other religious items.
Emma is honoring her Grandma Laurie who passed before Emma was born. She is covering her ofrenda with multi-colored marigolds. Prized for their bright coloring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the ofrendas prepared for them.
On November 2, we invited my father-in-law to join us to celebrate el Día de Los Muertos. We’ll be going out for sushi, one of Grandma Laurie’s favorite foods, and then returning home to view the ofrenda.
We’ll tell stories of Grandma Laurie and celebrate the amazing woman she was to all who knew her.
Small Business Recommendation
Megan on our team loves Poppy Cakes Patisserie in Lake Geneva, WI.
Megan shared, “I love Abby, the owner. She is the sweetest soul ever! She makes beautiful and delicious cakes, cupcakes, and cookies! My favorite sweet treat to pick up is her confetti cookie sammies. They are the perfect snack on a dreary day.
Abby posts her daily flavors on Instagram, so you always know what she has on hand. Plus, she’s always offering something new. If you live locally or visit the Lake Geneva area, a stop at her shop is a MUST!
This Saturday, she will be hosting a ‘Monster Mixer’ from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Customers can decorate cookies, pick up some free treats, and enter to win raffle prizes! Everyone dressed in a costume receives 10% off their total purchase.”
Live well. Be kind.
Jamie
