remembering december

D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 2

The holidays ooze with tradition and my children love this time of year because of it. It is expected they will remember the advent calendar with chocolate hiding behind the windows and that they will anticipate our annual gingerbread house architecture contest but I am amazed they remember the nuances from year to year, too. Reminiscing about the ornaments, requesting to listen to Chris Isaak's christmas album, correctly hanging the stockings in birth order on the mantle, imaginary play with the Creche, eating off of our christmas plates... Children love routine and I think December is a perfect ending to the year to remind us about who we are as a family. My husband and I are both from the south (Georgia and Alabama respectively) so our traditions are a combination of both the south and the San Francisco Bay area. Here are a few of them... 

food

• dungenous crab + butter (our christmas eve lunch - crab is a sf bay area tradition)
• buche du noel (i normally make mine from the TARTINE cookbook but have been tempted on occasion to stop by the bakery and buy one of theirs)
• beef tenderloin + horseradish + asparagus and leeks + parkerhouse rolls. english christmas crackers at each place setting - (they must be opened before dinner and all guests must wear the paper crown at the table on Christmas Eve.)
• egg + bread + sausage + cheese casserole - (my mother made this every christmas morning. she still does)
• gingerbread cookies with icing - (made with springerle cookie molds)
• egg nog + bourbon
• champagne - and lots of it!!!!!!!!
• russian tea - (this takes me back to my childhood. Tang and instant iced tea)

activities

• making gingerbread 'structures' out of graham crackers and decorating with the best candy that MIETTE sells
• delighting in the naughty elves
• lighting the advent wreath
• going to the SF BALLET nutcracker
• listening to CHRIS ISAAK'S christmas music
• hearing handal's messiah at GRACE CATHEDRAL
• driving to tahoe after christmas eve lunch and church
• soaking black eyed peas on the 31st for new year's day lunch