Snow Panic

What is this you ask? Well if you are one of my family members that spent a Christmas Eve stranded during a blizzard at the neighbor’s house, you will remember. Creamed Turkey over Baked Potatoes. It was once our Christmas Eve supper that my mom made for a huge crowd of us. Tonight it was our supper and it brought back a flood of memories for me. I don’t know what year it was…early 1990’s? Our farm is only 1 1/2 miles southwest of “town”. We went to Christmas Eve on a beautiful, sunny day and came back out an hour later (yes Lutheran church is only an hour on Christmas too) to a terrible blizzard. Those that departed immediately after church made it home through treacherous conditions. (Note: Anyone traveling with Grandma who had to get the lutefisk done for our traditional old Norwegian dinner.) Some of us visited after church and the blizzard grew worse. We spent the night at the Arnie and Betty’s house…who didn’t venture home after church instead staying in town at his mother’s place. But they called to see if anyone was stranded at their house. It is the only house between town and our farm and right along the highway. My mom answered their phone. This was in pre-cell phone days. Betty told Mom she had some leftover turkey in the fridge that could be made into sandwiches. Instead my mom turned it into wonderful creamed turkey over baked potatoes. Today it still is comfort food to me when it snows! And I’m filled with memories of all of us (generations of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles) crammed into a small farm house living room singing along to Christmas carols as Joan played the piano.
Creamed turkey. Good memories.