CHRISTMAS

A Christmas tradition that we have been doing since my girls were little, something that I never did, is after the tree is decorated, which we all take part in, the last thing put on the tree is the “Christmas Pickle”.  German folklore has it that whoever finds the pickle will be blessed for one year or receives a special gift from St. Nick.

There are always lots of cookies (and peppermint crunch candy) made, pitzels being my very favorite ever cookie.  For years I use to use my grandmother's iron for the pitzels.  You made one cookie at a time over the open flame on the stove.  You had to be sure that you kept the iron clean because as the oil leaked out, things could catch fire.  I occasionally had the dish towel that I used for this catch fire as you wiped.  About 2 years ago I purchased an electric iron where I could make two cookies at a time without fear of fire.  I use the same recipe, so they almost taste the same.

Christmas morning starts at my house about 5 AM.  You would think that my kids were young, not true!  I am right there with them, I am so excited that I cannot sleep either.  After we return from our Christmas Eve dinner, it is probably about 11:00-11:30pm.  I get everything ready for the next morning and then I lay out all the gifts under the tree and hang the stockings.  Even though they are older, they do not want to have a glimpse of what it is going to look like under the tree.  I was exactly the same way growing up.  I have to lug all the gifts up from the basement where I hide them.  I pretty much have this down to a science, bagged separately are the stocking gifts and also separate are the gifts (one each) I put into their bedrooms for them to find in the morning when they wake up.  One year, my oldest Christine was really into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, actually for many years, and to some extend it still continues to this day.   I purchased these life size cardboard figures of Buffy and Spike.  I put Spike into her room, while she slept, and when she woke up, she just about had a heart attack seeing a man standing at the bottom of her bed.  Of course when her eyes focused and she realized it was Spike, she was the happiest girl alive.  Here she is with him (not the cardboard figure).  She has met most of cast from this series – like I said she really really loved the show.

Around 6AM, my cousin, brothers and Mother arrive to watch the girls open their gifts.  I have breakfast at my house for anyone who shows up this morning, the earlier risers and occasionally a friend or two of the girls.  Every year we have” Breakfast Before”.  It is made the day ahead and just baked in the AM.  It’s a delicious breakfast and there is not as much confusion in the kitchen with all the orders of who wants what.  We tried that before and it won’t happen again.

After breakfast the kids rush out to go to their father’s to spend some time with him.   I’ll see them again in the evening.  Sometimes they are able to come back for dinner.  Before I was divorced, we had everyone from his family and mine (immediate family) for dinner.  We started that so that the kids could stay home with their gifts rather than go visiting all day.  We have a tradition that anyone coming to our house on Christmas Day signs my Christmas tablecloth.  They can write a message, draw a picture or just sign their name.  I have pens that will wash away after I embroider whatever their message is.  Most years, I am just finishing the embroidering when it is time to do it again.  I read about someone doing this in a magazine I get called “Country Living”.  I read about this many many years ago and I want to thank the person that had sent a note into the magazine saying that this was something that they did.  I love and treasure this tablecloth.  It is as important to me as the pictures and videos of my children growing up.  My girls are already fighting over it.  It is time to start a new one, so that each will get one.  If not, I told them they would have to share it.  It is a work of art to me.  I am not the sewing type.  I am lucky I can thread a needle (which I actually can’t now because of my eyes).  You can see how I progressed during the years.  Looking back at it, there are family members that have passed, there are neighbors that moved away, but the memories are there.

For dinner, there are about 10-11 of us.  It is small.  We go back and forth between 2 meals that I serve.  We have filet mignon and crab cakes, served with mashed potatoes with cheese and green olives, string bean casserole, corn and Caesar salad.  Or we have fresh ham (which is like pork) done in Dijon mustard and garlic, with the same sides, except a regular salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  We usually have some type of pasta too.  As the night progresses, my cousin and her children and some friends come by for dessert.  By 11:00pm everyone is gone, and we are exhausted!  It was a great two days!

Pitzels

6 cups flour

6 eggs

1-1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Wesson oil

1 bottle anise extract

Mix all together and rolls into 1" balls. When making cookies, listen for sizzle to know when done.

Breakfast Before

Slice bread, cut in cubes

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage, cooked and drained

1 ham slice - heated thru and cut into cubes

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumpled

pepperoni - sliced and cut small

Egg Mixture

9 eggs

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup grated cheese

Cut enough bread cubes to cover bottom of 9x13 pan.  Layer cooked meats on top of break.  Pour egg mixture over all.  Let sit overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.