WEEKLY MENU 10.09.22
We’re acknowledging Columbus during the Weekly Menu 10.09.22 but we aren’t celebrating him, exactly.
No celebrations during the Weekly Menu 10.09.22 is practically unheard of, but I’m just not sure that Columbus really deserves it. First of all, we know that he didn’t actually discover America. It was populated well before he made his maiden voyage across the Atlantic. And, despite what you may have heard, the Europeans didn’t still believe the world was flat. They didn’t know about the Pacific Ocean yet though.
Columbus was, in fact, looking for a faster, easier route to the East Indies, but a pesky continent got in the way. He was also looking for fame and fortune. And there’s the rub.
For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much.
History.com
He kept a detailed diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, it also recorded his initial impressions of the local people and his argument for why they should be enslaved.
History.com
Nice, huh?
They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features …They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron …They would make fine servants … With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”
History.com
So he went ahead, enslaving them and making them his servants. And wreaked havoc throughout Hispaniola with his brothers.
In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over. Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for gold and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, only a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains.
History.com
Why do we even have Columbus Day? It was made into a federal holiday in 1937. It was primarily created so Italian Americans in New York City would have a day to celebrate their heritage. It’s long been full of controversy though, with many people thinking we should probably celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead.
What do you think?
Columbus Day falls on Monday during the Weekly Menu 10.09.22 but we’re not doing anything special, besides checking for the mail repeatedly to no avail. We are feeling the fall nip in the air, so dinner this week is an entirely inside affair. We don’t do grilling during the winter, although a warm autumnal day sometimes spurs a little lightly charred meal.
Sunday dinner promises to smell up the house in the best way possible. We’re roasting a turkey breast with seasonal veggies like carrots, squash and potatoes. I might go crazy and add in some rutabaga or parsnips. I have to cut all the veggies a little differently so all my Bosyies can identify the outliers and toss them to the side of the plate if necessary.
Signature Brownies are in play because we have a ton of leftover candy that we need to clean out before we start the Halloween – Thanksgiving – Christmas candy fest. The brownies might, possibly, have some red and green candies on them from last Christmas. ‘Tis (past) time.
MEATLOAF SEASON IS BACK, BABY!
And not a minute too soon. I like to bake the potatoes at the same time as the ‘loaf. Then we scoop out the insides and mash them. We slather a bit of butter on the potato skins for a little special treat. Don’t tell anyone.
On Wednesday we’re trying a new-to-us pasta – it’s vegan and made with pantry ingredients. The secret to the creamy sauce? Finely mashed up cannellini beans. Doesn’t that sound both tasty and hearty?
The Pittsburgh Penguins season opener is on Thursday – so wings in front of the TV are positively required. It’ll be so nice to have something to watch for the next ten months.
Oh – if you’re looking for a celebration, take a look at the Halloween Party Plan – it’s time to get that guest list together!
WEEKLY MENU 10.09.22
