Hello November

November is National American Indian Heritage Month

Paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Established by former President George Bush Sr. in 1990, Native American Heritage Month, also referred to as “American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month,” was created to raise awareness and pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans by providing a platform for Native people in the United States of America to share their culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts through special events, ceremonies and festivals.

Federal Agencies are encouraged to provide educational programs for their employees regarding Native American history, rights, culture, and contemporary issues, to better assist them in their jobs and for overall awareness.

This year, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month, a variety of resources, special programs, books, teacher resources and recipes that highlight Native American heritage will be posted throughout the month. I found the link below informative as The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans with lots of resources. Note several events are available online. 
http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/index.html

Hello to November and Welcome us to Arizona
Cook's Notes: Traveling lightly has never been one of my strengths as I came with some 30 bags packed tightly in the car. And that did not include some bags of clothes. Just before leaving after giving extra food away to neighbors, I still had these 5 green apples. They traveled well and were just the base needed to pair with a leftover bag of cranberries in the freezer here. A glass 9 x 9 pan was used for the recipe but an 8 x 8 pan works too.  

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Filling Ingredients:

• 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced.
• 1/2 bag fresh cranberries (6 oz.)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• zest one orange
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish 8x8 or 9x9. 

For filling:

• Whisk together brown sugar, orange juice, vanilla, zest, flour, and cinnamon. Stir in apples and cranberries. Spread evenly in a baking dish.

For topping:

• Stir together oats, nuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
• Work in butter with hands until pea-sized or add topping ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times.
• Sprinkle evenly over apple cranberry mixture.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until cranberries are bubbling and the topping is lightly golden.
• Serve warm with ice cream is a must.