Page 42 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2022

Chelsea Gieselmann is a mom, photographer, columnist, food blogger, and home-cook. Cooking has been a passion of hers since she was old enough to cut out biscuits with the mouth of a mason jar. Her great-grandmother taught her the basics and she is ever so grateful to have been able to learn from her. Since then, she has honed in her craft a great deal and continues to. Instagram: @Southrngritskitchen
The Southern part of the United States was the first region to declare Christmas a legal holiday in the 19th century. Christmas in the South may not be the typical white Christmas most north of us see, but there is a unique charm to our holidays, and
we take a great deal of pride in how we celebrate it. From the elaborate décor to the amazing food-filled tables, Southerners sure do know how to make Christmas special even without blankets of snow.
I’ve pondered my Christmas menu a bit – I’m visualizing nostalgic Southern recipes but with a twist. We Southerners are all about keeping with tradition, especially during the holiday season, however, as times change so does our ability to spend hours on end making the dishes that we were raised preparing and eating.
As a mom of a teenager, a tween, and two dogs, my life is 42 | December 2022
story and photos by
Chelsea Gieselmann
a whirlwind of nonstop going. Therefore, I have created a Christmas spread that will satisfy the appetites of your youngest and oldest relatives alike. With the proper décor and this Christmas spread, you will be sure to make everyone at your holiday dinner believe that you spent a day or two creating the perfect dinner for them.
To start, let’s begin with the meat. I’m thinking of something simple but stuffed with all things Christmas. Instead of ham, let’s do a tenderloin. Tenderloins tend to be a bit more inexpensive, and the cooking time is a fraction of what it takes to whip up
a big ole ham. The loin would be filleted in half, spread with homemade cranberry sauce, and filled with chopped walnuts, sauteed collards, bacon, and goat cheese. Delicately tied with butcher twine and baked to perfection. Served on a bed of the left-over collards mixture.
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DINING