My mom called me earlier today to remind me that we need to donate blood this week. It's not exactly traditional as traditions go, but it is something we try to do every year during the holidays.
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
My dad was O negative and would often get called to give blood more frequently than he probably should have, especially around holidays or bad weather.
Cooking...... Nothing is as fabulous as baking sweet treats for my family and friends. The delicious smells remind me of baking cookies with my Mother and Grandmother as a little girl. Then after days of baking, I remember how exciting it was on Christmas Eve to put the special cookies and milk out for Santa. It filled all of us kids with such anticipation - Santa seemed to like frosted sugar cookies, just like my Father did.
I think my favorite holiday season tradition is planning the holiday menus and baking Christmas cookies and pies with my sister. We are foodies of a feather. Trimming the tree with CT for the first time this past weekend was pretty great, too.
Submitted by Julia Watson on Wed, 2009-12-23 02:09.
Of course yours would have something to do with food!
Does this mean you wanted the pecan pie recipe before Friday? Does that mean I have to get off my ass and get on getting that to you? Sugar, butter, nuts, rum. There's your shopping list.
I don't make it every year but I do often make this spice cake that calls for citron. Since citron can't be found the rest of the year this is the only time I can make it. It takes about 3 hours normally to make but my new(ish) Kitchen Aid stand mixer cut that down considerably when I made the cake this Saturday. Maybe I'll make it more often now.
I really want a Kitchen Aid mixer! Can't really fit one in my current kitchen but it will be one of the first items I purchase when I have a bigger kitchen......which will hopefully be next year.....
Mine's one of those 80's battleship gray ones. I bought it on ebay for 1/3 of what they cost new. I had to replace a $4 part once I received it so it would work but it wasn't very difficult and for that deal... So happy I have it now.
They retail for $300-400 here. I ended up paying $125 with shipping. I love the old, gray 80s look of it so I couldn't be happier. They do take up quite a bit of counter space though. Luckily I have this long and deep stretch of counter in my kitchen.
At christmas when we went to Bampa's house we always found new coloring books and fresh crayons in his study. Everyone would jostle for their favorites, but I would just sit back and wait for the may-lay to clear, knowing that Bampa had hidden the latest Hot Wheels at the bottom of the stack for me.
Christmas stockings, because we didn't use fancy decorated ones. We just used ordinary hiking socks, which made it all the more magical for them to suddenly fill up with gifts. Like something surprisingly good could come out of an ordinary everyday life after all. Commercialism tends to destroy that hopeful "magic" element of Christmas somehow.
Tangerines have sentimental Christmas associations for me too because of the stocking thing. Excuse me while I go all drippy for a few days here. I promise to recover by the new year....
Haha, me too. I used to get an orange, a walnut, and a quarter in a tube sock . Awesome!
I later heard the orange/walnut/coin thing might be a thing from the British Isles. Hey people in that area of the world, did you get that stuff in your stocking at Christmas?
And you need to do a good decade of pennies n dimes time before you work up to the quarter. That didn't happen until we were like 11 or 12, or until one of the older kids moved out ..
Oh, and on a related note: Ever go to a gay bar on X-mas Eve or some other major holiday? Pretty depressing- seems like the place is packed because the gays get dissed by their families. Luckily my family isn't like that.. If yours is, keep truckin...
Just a thought. I know that happens, but I also know a lot of folks who's families don't tell them to stay away, or even purposefully treat them badly. They just don't feel they can be their truest selves with the people who knew them so well before they came to know themselves.
My favorite holiday tradition is one that I actually haven't gotten to do the past few years. When I was a kid, my dad would pack us in the car and take us around to look at the lights on X-mass eve. As an added bonus, mother dear was not into it and generally stayed home. Afterward, we would stop for ice-cream at a summer stand that opened just for the night. I carried it on with my daughter, but it eventually became Chinese food instead of ice-cream. The past few years she has had to work, so we've missed it. Though I have to say, without the snow, the lights don't seem to glow quite so brightly. Or maybe its just the cynicism of age.
Comments [29]
Blood banking
My mom called me earlier today to remind me that we need to donate blood this week. It's not exactly traditional as traditions go, but it is something we try to do every year during the holidays.
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Good idea.
My dad was O negative and would often get called to give blood more frequently than he probably should have, especially around holidays or bad weather.
Cookies, pies, yummy sweet treats....
Cooking...... Nothing is as fabulous as baking sweet treats for my family and friends. The delicious smells remind me of baking cookies with my Mother and Grandmother as a little girl. Then after days of baking, I remember how exciting it was on Christmas Eve to put the special cookies and milk out for Santa. It filled all of us kids with such anticipation - Santa seemed to like frosted sugar cookies, just like my Father did.
I think my favorite holiday
I think my favorite holiday season tradition is planning the holiday menus and baking Christmas cookies and pies with my sister. We are foodies of a feather. Trimming the tree with CT for the first time this past weekend was pretty great, too.
Excuse the go between...
you and CT started a tradition - that's sweet!
@kdhales
Of course yours would have
Of course yours would have something to do with food!
Does this mean you wanted the pecan pie recipe before Friday? Does that mean I have to get off my ass and get on getting that to you? Sugar, butter, nuts, rum. There's your shopping list.
Become a fan of "Sodomy: The Musical" on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sodomy-The-Musical/302006935414
Yeah, if you could get that
Yeah, if you could get that to me by early tomorrow, that would rule. :) Tomorrow AM is baking day.
I don't make it every year
I don't make it every year but I do often make this spice cake that calls for citron. Since citron can't be found the rest of the year this is the only time I can make it. It takes about 3 hours normally to make but my new(ish) Kitchen Aid stand mixer cut that down considerably when I made the cake this Saturday. Maybe I'll make it more often now.
Become a fan of "Sodomy: The Musical" on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sodomy-The-Musical/302006935414
Kitchen Aid
I really want a Kitchen Aid mixer! Can't really fit one in my current kitchen but it will be one of the first items I purchase when I have a bigger kitchen......which will hopefully be next year.....
Mine's one of those 80's
Mine's one of those 80's battleship gray ones. I bought it on ebay for 1/3 of what they cost new. I had to replace a $4 part once I received it so it would work but it wasn't very difficult and for that deal... So happy I have it now.
Become a fan of "Sodomy: The Musical" on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sodomy-The-Musical/302006935414
That is very cool..... New
That is very cool..... New ones retail for about £350 here so I may investigate the ebay option....
They retail for $300-400
They retail for $300-400 here. I ended up paying $125 with shipping. I love the old, gray 80s look of it so I couldn't be happier. They do take up quite a bit of counter space though. Luckily I have this long and deep stretch of counter in my kitchen.
Become a fan of "Sodomy: The Musical" on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sodomy-The-Musical/302006935414
Cucidates
My dad and I make Italian Christmas cookies (Cucidates) every year. It's kind of a pain in the ass recipe and takes two days but definitely worth it.
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
New coloring books
At christmas when we went to Bampa's house we always found new coloring books and fresh crayons in his study. Everyone would jostle for their favorites, but I would just sit back and wait for the may-lay to clear, knowing that Bampa had hidden the latest Hot Wheels at the bottom of the stack for me.
Christmas stockings, because
Christmas stockings, because we didn't use fancy decorated ones. We just used ordinary hiking socks, which made it all the more magical for them to suddenly fill up with gifts. Like something surprisingly good could come out of an ordinary everyday life after all. Commercialism tends to destroy that hopeful "magic" element of Christmas somehow.
Tangerines!
Conlite, you just reminded me of how much I loved finding a tangerine or orange and nuts in my stocking.
Tangerines have sentimental
Tangerines have sentimental Christmas associations for me too because of the stocking thing. Excuse me while I go all drippy for a few days here. I promise to recover by the new year....
Wisdom from 7th grade
a drip is a drop
a drop is nature
and nature is beautiful
Haha, me too. I used to get
Haha, me too. I used to get an orange, a walnut, and a quarter in a tube sock
. Awesome!
I later heard the orange/walnut/coin thing might be a thing from the British Isles. Hey people in that area of the world, did you get that stuff in your stocking at Christmas?
We always got tangerines and
We always got tangerines and nuts, but no cash! Dang! My parents rooked me! I'm gonna have to have a word with them about that....
And you need to do a good
And you need to do a good decade of pennies n dimes time before you work up to the quarter. That didn't happen until we were like 11 or 12, or until one of the older kids moved out
..
White Christmas
Watching White Christmas with my son. We're going to have to do it using the Mac Books this holiday - watch it at the same time from afar!
@kdhales
Score 1 for modern technology
You betchya!
Big smooch to you, sweetheart....
@kdhales
Are you staying warm in all that wet snow?
The big secret is plenty of dry socks and gloves. Or a nice warm woman who knocks your socks off and fits like a glove.
I have to say that I do love
I have to say that I do love the Queen's speech on Christmas Day - it's a tradition that has survived and I hope it continues!
Oh, and on a related note:
Oh, and on a related note: Ever go to a gay bar on X-mas Eve or some other major holiday? Pretty depressing- seems like the place is packed because the gays get dissed by their families. Luckily my family isn't like that.. If yours is, keep truckin...
Or we avoid them.
Just a thought. I know that happens, but I also know a lot of folks who's families don't tell them to stay away, or even purposefully treat them badly. They just don't feel they can be their truest selves with the people who knew them so well before they came to know themselves.
My favorite holiday tradition is one that I actually haven't gotten to do the past few years. When I was a kid, my dad would pack us in the car and take us around to look at the lights on X-mass eve. As an added bonus, mother dear was not into it and generally stayed home. Afterward, we would stop for ice-cream at a summer stand that opened just for the night. I carried it on with my daughter, but it eventually became Chinese food instead of ice-cream. The past few years she has had to work, so we've missed it. Though I have to say, without the snow, the lights don't seem to glow quite so brightly. Or maybe its just the cynicism of age.
being with the fam
being with the fam