Holiday Traditions - #2

FOOD - isn't it funny how a lot of traditions center around eating? I'm sure most people have several traditional items in this category and we're no exception!

First on the list is the holiday baking! Memories flood back to me as I remember distinctly what my mom made for the holidays! Her specialty item was divinity! It's a type of candy that is very sweet and I have to be honest, I have never made it as it was never one of my favorites! But I remember her making this and always bringing it to the different Christmas's that we attended! Divinity is one of those candies that can be difficult to make - especially if the conditons aren't quite right!! I remember mom saying several times that the divinity just didn't set up well because of the humidity! (Not that we EVER have a problem in that area here in Colorado!)

Another of mom's favorites was Norwegion Cookies - and yes, I have made PLENTY of them! I don't make them any more though, mainly because I was the ONLY one who ate them and the recipe makes a huge batch!

Mom ALWAYS made Peppermint Dessert to take up to my grandma's house on Christmas Day! This dessert is really yummy and yes, it's made out of peppermint!! Back when mom used to make it, they didn't have the blenders and choppers that we have today, so mom would buy the peppermint sticks and dad would put them in a clean gunny sack type thing and crush them with a hammer! I remember that I really didn't like it when I would bite into a large piece of peppermint that just didn't get crushed properly! And of course the recipe calls for real whipping cream - cool whip just doesn't make the grade!

Because of the high elevation that we live at, it's difficult to bake good cookies - they come out very flat and sometimes quite hard! So I now leave the cookie baking to the girls (our favorite is snickerdoodles rolled in red and green sugar!) and I am basically down to 3 items that I make for the holidays.

First is my Peanut Butter Balls - I really wish I could remember who I got this recipe from so I could give them credit but I can't - I only know I have been making them for years and years! They are fun to make and dip in the melted almond bark but are quite time consuming too!

The second thing I make is called "Clusters" and here again, there was no name for this recipe so the girls and I just dubbed it Clusters! It's VERY easy to make and I usually end up making a couple of batches of these!

3rd on the list is "Pecan Bars" and these I've only been making for probably 6 or 7 years! I found the recipe in a magazine and it sounded good so Jessi and I tried it! Oh my gosh, the bars are SO GOOD!! But something that good to eat of course takes some time and talent! Again, elevation plays a huge part in getting the caramel just at the right stage! We've had years where the caramel is so sticky, you have to eat the bar with a fork, and we've also had years where we cooked the caramel TOO long and the bars turned out hard as a rock - I think I cried those years! But they are well worth making!

When I was growing up, we always had a traditional meal on Christmas Eve - chile and oyster soup! I don't care for oyster soup as I don't like milk so never ate it, but I'm a chile fan! I remember at Christmas mom would buy the little oyster crackers to eat with the soups and we always thought that was a treat!

We did the chile for a while at our house but soon started a new tradition of fondue! And no, I hadn't kept the old fondue pot so had to go to Goodwill and purchase used ones!! We have it down to a science now and our menu is fondue grilled chicken, shrimp and elk meat, cheese fondue with french bread for dipping, vegetables, and a chocolate fondue for dessert!

Jaime and I both purchased table top grills that are heated by sterno candles and that's where we all grill the meat! Our cheese fondue is out of this world and of course I can't say enough about the chocolate fondue that we usually do later in the evening - we dip pound cake, brownies, marshmellows, bananas, pineapple and strawberries - YUM!!!

Christmas day breakfast has been traditional for many years too - we have cinnamon rolls and fruit with yogurt dip while we do our socks and then have an egg casserole with cinnamon toast and coffee for later!

Our Christmas day lunch is an easy one - baked ham, baked potatos and baked beans - all put in the oven during breakfast and by noon it's all ready - it's also pretty easy to clean up and I'm all about EASY these days!

Afternoons is when we bring out the dips and shrimp ring!! I have a new dip I tried last year, given to me by a friend and I will definitely be making it again this year - it's with fresh bacon bits, green onions and lots of cream cheese! Other favorites are shrimp dip, veggie dip, fruit dip and the lil smokies cooking in the crockpot all day in a sweet beer sauce! YUM!! I'm getting hungry just thinking about all the good food we eat over the holidays!

Guess I better get to the store and start stocking up on all the items I'll need this year!