Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas Traditions.....

GR&DF thank you so much for the warm welcome back to the fold!! I so enjoyed all your comments! Ariadne asked about some snaps of the booths - I didn't get any snaps of them as most of them had signs that asked no Photo's be taken - I would guess the reason being infringement on their art products and copying. I always try and follow requests so I skipped taking any closeup shots - and - Barb mentioned how early darkness falls up in the NW. Living here in the Bay area it gets pitch dark at about 5:30pm, in Vancouver that is pushed back about a 1/2 hour. My Mom was totally freezing and was put off by the early darkness - being from Florida, the weather is much less severe and it stays light, even in the winter, much later than the NW.

Now back to the Christmas snaps/report.....

My family has certain things we do and have done for my whole life and even back into the past. Traditions that were a part of my parents and grandparents lives live on today in our Christmas Celebrations, and I think that's what makes the Holidays for us all so much nicer. Even if it is only once a year we do something traditional and familial - we repeat and remember the past.

One of the things that is a newer tradition is Uncle edgar bakes with Niece Katie and Nephew Mat. This has become an annual thing that I look forward to and I think that they both enjoy the kitchen time as usually my sister and I are shooing them out of the way to get on with the heavy duty cooking that this family HHD (High Holy Day) requires. How it works is they each get to pick a cookie recipe to make and we make a batch - not too hard. For the last couple of years they have both picked the same recipes - Katie picks gingerbread cutout cookies (we use her Paternal Grandmothers recipe which is excellent!!) and Mat picks a variation of a Buckeye Cookie.

Here is Katie cutting out the cookies - she picked a snowman, star, bear and gingerbread man cutouts to use. I forgot to get a snap of the finished cookies, trust me they were totally cute and went pretty fast!! I think she enjoys the decorating of the cookies best!

For Mat there has to be chocolate and here is a close up of the dipping of the cookies into chocolate - these are pretty tasty and also went fast. I made a batch of chocolate covered cherries at the request of my BIL so there was something for everyone in the treat department. Another thing we always make is Sausage Pinwheel so I made up a couple......


Biscuit rolled out ready for the sausage.....


Sausage applied ready for rolling......



Rolled up and ready for the fridge and a good rest before slicing and baking!

We also had our traditional Oyster Stew Christmas Eve. If you remember from last year we always make a Birthday Cake for Baby Jesus. We have done this as long as I can remember and have continued it into this next generation. I enjoy this doing the Cake and since it is the birth of Jesus we are celebrating after all and not the maxing out of credit cards a Birthday cake does seem appropriate!! So this year DS requested "the family" Pound cake - the family pound cake is our G-G-Grandmother Lollies Pound Cake.......


I have made so many of the wonderful cakes and every time I start to mix one up I think about how this cake connects me, us and my family back 100+ years to the Georgia countryside and a farm near Decatur, Georgia.

Since this has turned into a food post ..... one day we stopped at -

and got a couple of boxes of these......


Delicious!!!!!!

I think I will leave off with that today.
Thanks for stopping by, do come again!

Take care,
edgar

19 comments:

  1. You are making me hungry Edgar! What wonderful photos, and I love the traditions that you share as a family. So important to have traditions.
    Take Care.

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  2. Loved your post about the baking, and the trip to the PAC NW. And I suppose being a native son of the south, you would appreciate a Krispy Kreme (is the "hot" sign lit in the window?), but, dear Edgar, those sad, paltry, gooshy donuts are why the south lost the war--because Krispy Kreme is far inferior to the goodness and tenderness and variety that is the Dunkin' Donut. I ask you: does KK have a cruller? No, I think not! LOL--best wishes to you and Rico for a wonderful and prosperous new year.

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  3. Just precious about the family making the birthday cake.What a great tradition. I love that it reminds you of past memories. You no doubt think about what each person may have been thinking the first time they ever made one. Love the new tradition you have with your neice and nephew and the cookie baking. They will remember that tenderly when they are older and have their own children. I must stop, I'm getting teary-eyed. Can't wait for more photos!

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  4. What wonderful family traditions you have! Your post looks delcious and has made me very hungry!

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  5. Oh gosh, you are making me hungry too! It's so wonderful that you and your family have these traditions which make for great memories (& yummy ones at that!).

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  6. The cookies look delicious!

    Uh, from Florida you say?! Well, we have been waking to 40-somthing temps every morning this week in the Tampa Bay area!

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  7. OK...my stomach is growling and it's all your fault...LOL Even though the Holidays are done, your post makes me want to go out in the kitchen and bake something :) I had to laugh at Glenna's comment about KK. I was raised in the "north" with Dunkin' Donuts and when I moved to CA years ago I couldn't understand the big deal about KK. Sorry, Edgar..there's no comparison :( I wonder if you'd post your recipe for your GG Grandmother's pound cake. It looks delicious!

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  8. What fun Christmas traditions to celebrate. Cookies are my fav for Christmas. What yummy, fun days you must have had.
    Shay

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  9. Oh, food posts are so nice! My version of the sausage swirl uses crescent roll dough and has cheese. I love them! And the cake and Krispy Kremes made me drool! Wonderful holiday memories for your family!

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  10. I've never heard of making a birthday cake for Jesus.

    In Marc's group of college friends, there is a guy named Jesus, and they generally find some way to harass him on Christmas. One year they called him at 12:01 am on Christmas Day to wish him happy birthday. On Easter they offer him "Congratulations on Waking Up". lol

    I do like that cake idea, though.

    Come to think of it, however, we have been having a "christmas cake" the past 4 years or so. It's a tradition from Japan to do so--more or less it's a strawberry shortcake decorated with marzipan santa/reindeer figures and a little tree or wreath. But, we don't make it, we buy it. :P (The other Japanese tradition is to get a "Christmas Bucket" from KFC of all places.) And, it's also a "lovers holiday" much like what we consider Valentine's or New Years to be. Their "Family Holiday" is New Year, a sober time when all shops are closed for ~3 days and everyone goes home to their parents.

    One more fun fact: This year is the year of the Tiger, and the Lunar New Year will be February 14th! (As reported to me by my a Chinese friend.) But, the Japanese celebrate on Jan 1st.

    Well, I've done it again--another long-winded comment-blog! Take care--I'm off to finish the New Year's Cleaning so I can stitch!!!

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  11. Thank you for such a delicious post.You made me stand up and make some more chocolate!We make kourabiedes and melomakarona for Christmas, two traditional Greek cookies.
    I understand why you couldn't take closer pics,I thought it would be like the open Christmas markets in Europe but thanks anyway!Ariadne from Greece!

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  12. What a lovely post about your family traditions. Thanks so much for sharing. Oh, those Buckeyes look familiar. I've been on a steady diet of those (interspursed with fudge) for the last week!

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  13. You're so right -- Christmas traditions are so special and important too. I love all the pictures of your traditions. They sound wonderful! And the Crispy Cremes -- yummm! lol!

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  14. Family traditions are the best! I was thinking I was tired of all the cookies and sweets until I saw your pictures.....now my mind is a changing!

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  15. Uncle Edgar you are wonderful!!! We too always make a birthday cake for the baby Jesus. I think it always brings the kiddies back to what we are trylu celebrating.

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures with us all.

    Oh and did you gain any weight while on holiday? I think I gaind 3 pounds while looking at all of your baked goodies.

    hugs
    -missy-

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  16. I recognise those donuts. We have them here in the U.K. now. Must get some for tomorrow as we are spending our very first New Year's Eve on our own in, well in 45 years. We have only been married for 42 but we went out for 3 years before that and tomorrow we eat, well I've eaten since before Christmas so Monday is DIEt day again.

    Loved hearing about your traditions and seeing your neice and nephew baking and their cookie. My grandaughter loves anything Chocolate so she would be right at home with your nephew.

    Here is hoping you have a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous 2010.

    Lots of Love

    Patti xxx

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  17. As usual, you have the most interesting blog with your family
    stories, travel photos, etc. My dad had an aunt whose first name was 'Miller' and she made "the best" pound cake. So, when I make
    it, Daddy always asks, "Is it an
    Aunt Miller?" You are right, family traditions make the holidays
    and all special occasions. Oh, and
    I live in Georgia, by the way.
    Best wishes and many blessings for
    the coming new year....

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  18. Can you some to Belgium????? ( lol)

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  19. Thanks, Edgar, for sharing your wonderful & very yummy traditions with us. Now you are making me want to go bake something or at least get in the car and drive to Krispy Kreme! Aren't they the best?!!!

    Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. :-)

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