Proud to serve: a Hattiesburg couple opens their home to Camp Shelby soldiers for a special Thanksgiving dinner.An hour-and-a-half commute TO COMMUTE. To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment. from her home in south Hattiesburg to work in Bay Springs gives Kay Smith plenty of thinking time. One morning in 2004, she called her husband, Marlin, and suggested, "Why don't we invite some soldiers to have Thanksgiving dinner The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States is a large meal, starring a large roasted turkey. All of the dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving Dinner are made from foods native to North America, according to tradition the Pilgrims received these with us?" With the couple's children grown and living elsewhere, there was only Marlin's dad to share the meal--and plenty of empty chairs. Marlin, who works with the Youth Challenge Program at nearby military training and mobilization station The designated military installation to which a Reserve Component unit or individual is moved for further processing, organizing, equipping, training, and employment and from which the unit or individual may move to an aerial port of embarkation or seaport of embarkation. Camp Shelby Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate begins at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state owned training site in the nation, has a long history of serving the country and is considered by many as “a , quickly agreed. At the time, there was no program in place to welcome soldiers into local homes for the holiday. Kay began making phone calls through various chains of command. Her persistence paid off; 11 soldiers dined with the Smiths that year. "It was the start of a new tradition for us," Marlin says. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Hattiesburg American, some 70 others were "adopted" by other families in 2004. The following fall, more than 400 service men and women shared Thanksgiving Thanksgiving annual U.S. holiday celebrating harvest and yearly blessings; originated with Pilgrims (1621). [Am. Culture: EB, IX: 922] See : America Thanksgiving national holiday with luxurious dinner as chief ritual. [Am. Pop. meals in the homes of area residents. The program's popularity had grown so much in only one year that, though the Smiths asked to host 14 soldiers the second time around, they were only assigned six guests. "We were thankful for each and every one," Kay says. "Other people opening their homes means more soldiers had the opportunity to spend a holiday in a real home setting." Kay began preparations early on the week of Thanksgiving with a checklist of things to do each day. Her recipes were family favorites, some of which she has been making for more than 36 years. "Mother made Italian Green Beans green beans Noun, pl long narrow green beans that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable when we were growing up," she recalls. "Nothing was ever written down. But it started with using jars of her preserved green beans and tomatoes. Now I use canned vegetables." Yellowed, handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. recipe cards stored in her mother's 1950s-era Betty Cracker's Picture Cookbook (programming) cookbook - (From amateur electronics and radio) A book of small code segments that the reader can use to do various magic things in programs. One current example is the "PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook" by Adobe Systems, Inc (Addison-Wesley, ISBN guide Kay through the preparation of four apple pies. "I make a mean pie crust," she laughs, sharing her secret of using ice water when making the dough. "Most people, myself included, don't measure when they cook, but there are some things like pie crust that I always measure." Kay describes the two turkeys she baked for the 2005 military guests as her best birds ever, and she says she owes her success to hints gleaned from watching television's Food Network. For instance, a shallow pan allows the heat to rise up and impact the bird more evenly, making it juicier than in a deep baking pan, she now knows. She lined each pan with foil and then laid ribs of celery celery, biennial plant (Apium graveolens) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), of wide distribution in the wild state throughout the north temperate Old World and much cultivated also in America. and whole carrots for the turkey to rest upon instead of a wire turkey cradle. "It's so much easier than trying to clean a rack," she says. The day before Thanksgiving, Kay made a rub of fresh rosemary, lemon zest Noun 1. lemon zest - tiny bits of lemon peel lemon peel, lemon rind - the rind of a lemon , and coarse salt. She placed a full lemon and sprigs of rosemary inside each turkey. The cornbread dressing with onions, celery, and sage that was served alongside the turkey received raves from one Camp Shelby guest, a soldier from Pennsylvania who had training as a chef. Kay says her mother played a critical role in developing her skills as a hostess and cook. "Mother had us cooking at home when we were little," she says. "She always made things pretty. If she served a sandwich, the ham and cheese would be spread out with pickles Pickles may refer to
The open plan of the Smiths' home allows space for three dining tables and as many as 18 dinner guests. A 100-year-old bread bowl filled with Gerber daisies formed the centerpiece of the largest table, set with brightly colored Fiesta dinnerware. Kay used juice glasses to hold votive candles A votive candle is a small, typically white or beeswax yellow, candle, originally intended to be burnt as a votive offering in a religious ceremony. It also refers to a standard size of candle 2 inches high by 1.5 inches diameter. ; by placing water in the bottom of the glasses, she notes, the wax can easily be removed in one piece. Kay folded napkins to stand up like collars on each plate and placed a special card in the neck of each. One side of the card read: "Welcome to our home. We are so proud of you and what you do for our country. We are very sorry that you have to spend a holiday away from your family and friends. Our home is open to you now and any time you need. Keep in touch. God bless you, Marlin and Kay." The other side of the card was printed with the couple's address, phone number, and e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address . "We still get letters from one soldier in Iraq," Kay says. "And the first year, a soldier from Vermont sent us a gallon of maple syrup maple syrup: see under maple. ." Just before Christmas last year, another soldier dropped by to visit, continuing the friendship formed over the previous year's Thanksgiving dinner. When it was time to begin the meal everyone lined up near the buffet table. Kay took the soldiers one by one and escorted them around the kitchen. "I told them, 'You don't have to stand in line today,'" she says. After the noon meal, some relaxed on the porch porch Roofed structure, usually open at front and sides, projecting from the face of a building and used to protect an entrance. If colonnaded, it may be called a portico. with the family's two dogs. Others watched the Dallas Cowboys Kay and Marlin served their guests leftovers for an early supper. When it was time to leave, they told the soldiers, "We're so glad you spent the day with us. Take the cards, and drop us notes. You're always welcome." The response they received was, "Just don't stop doing this." ROASTED TURKEYS WITH CITRUS-ROSEMARY SALT CITRUS-ROSEMARY SALT: 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped 4 tablespoons lemon zest 1/2 cup coarse salt In a food processor, process all ingredients. Pulse until well-blended. Prepare the day before, and store in an airtight container. ROASTED TURKEYS: 2 (8- to 10-pound) turkeys 1 clip olive oil 2 long sprigs fresh rosemary 2 lemons, cut in half 4 large carrots 8 celery stalks Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover 2 half-sheet pans or baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove necks and giblets from turkeys. Wash turkeys, and dry well. Coat each turkey, inside and out, with 1/4 cup olive oil. Season each turkey on the outside generously with Citrus-Rosemary Salt. Place a rosemary sprig and 2 lemon halves inside the cavity of each turkey. how to help To invite a Camp Shelby soldier home for the holiday, Kay offers these tips: * Call Camp Shelby at 601/558-2508 or 601/558-2079 at least three weeks before Thanksgiving to let them know your intention. * Have a backup plan in case the number of assigned guests changes and you have more food and fewer people than you expected. * Ask a friend to help. Kay says she could not have done this without the help of Sharla LeFan in 2004 and Mandy Walters in 2005. MENU Roasted Turkeys with Citrus-Rosemary Salt Cornbread Dressing with Giblet Gravy Honey Baked Ham Italian Green Beans Southern Corn Casserole Sweet Potato Bake Festive and Fresh Cranberry Salad Hot Buttered Rolls Kay's Rich Apple Pie with Ice Cream Carrot Cake Homemade Pecan Pie Friendship Cake Sweet Iced Tea Coffee |
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