WEEKLY MENU 10.30.22
It’s party central during the Weekly Menu 10.30.22~ we’ve got the early fall holidays covered.
Halloween and the Day of the Dead fall into the Weekly Menu 10.30.22, but that’s not all: Thursday is National Sandwich Day. Yippee! It’s not too late to pull together a Halloween bash – Saturday night is after the big day, sure, but that way everyone has extra time to get a costume together.
How to Have a Screaming Good Halloween Party
We’re celebrating with a Day of the Dead theme this week instead. What is the Day of the Dead?
Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls’ Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.
The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.
National Geographic
How do they celebrate in Mexico?
First, people set up a candlelit altar in their homes so spirits can find their way back to their relatives. The altar also offers some of the favorite foods of the deceased—just in case they get hungry. Items that were important to the ancestors when they were alive, such as a favorite book or musical instrument, are placed on the altar as well.
Then it’s off to the graveyard for a big party. Families bring a huge feast to eat while they clean tombstones, sing songs, and talk to their ancestors. Parents might even introduce a baby to a grandparent who died before the baby was born.
National Geographic
Okay. We’re not having a feast at the cemetery. But I do like the idea. We’ll stop out during all Souls Day though. It’s a great time to remember all of the important people that we’ve lost. We’ll raise a Paloma to them on Sunday.
An iconic part of the Day of the Dead Celebration is Sugar Skulls. What are they?
A sugar skull is a type of Calavera or representation of a human skull. These are called sugar skulls since they’re traditionally made of sugar. Today sugar skulls are often made of a variety of things like chocolate, nuts, and other treats.
The symbolism of sugar skulls is in the name itself. While skulls might conjure an image of the grotesque, as well as fear of death, the word sugar contradicts that. A “sugar” skull implies that there’s a certain sweetness in death.
If there’s one thing that’s clear about sugar skulls, it’s that they’re not depressing or sad. In fact, the opposite is true. These colorful (and sometimes flavorful) skulls are a smiling symbol of death itself.
Joincake.com
I like them because they’re beautiful. They have become pretty commercialized though. (Affiliate links follow. See Disclaimer Page for Details.)
They make awesome Halloween Decor.
Other Day of the Dead traditions include processions, music and face painting. I’m oddly fascinated with videos watching people put makeup on. They’re neck and neck with cooking videos in my feed.
Us? We’re eating a big Mexican feast during the Weekly Menu 10.30.22. We’re starting with Palomas and chips and going on from there. I might buy a little guacamole to go with the chips too. I know how to make guac, but the avocados around Erieland have been just terrible lately. Plus they’re pricey, which is aggravating when you can’t actually ever eat them. I tossed the last one because it never softened up.
Dessert is a classic Day of the Dead sweet: Pan de Muertos, or bread of the dead. It’s sweet, but not overly so. And it’s decorated with bread pieces shaped to look like bones. I’m planning on dunking my piece into some Spicy Hot Chocolate.
With Halloween being on a Monday, we’re going super low key with standard chili. We never get many trick or treaters, but a bowlful will wait while we answer the door. I used the Jiffy Mix to make cornbread for croutons last week, and good lord it was good. I might never go back to scratch. Don’t tell the food police.
We’re eating Sloppy Joes for National Sandwich Day. It was a toss up between those and Crispy Chicken Club Sandwiches. You’ll see those on the menu next week.
WEEKLY MENU 10.30.22
