Friday, December 16, 2011

The Oddest Christmas Ever!

Christmas is due in less than 9 days, and it is time for those who make an epic meal on Christmas or Christmas Eve to start scrambling for the store to pick up the turkey or ham and trimmings. My family is pretty traditional in regards to the feast. We usually do ham and potatoes au-gratin, green beans, stuffing, and rutabaga. What is a rutabaga?? It is what you get when you try to cross a cabbage and a turnip. It is popular all over the world but it is most often called a Swedish Christmas tradition. Now how my Irish Italian mother picked up on a Swedish tradition I will never know. (She is special like that.) But as a kid, I rejected the veggie and it's odd name. My parents were great about not forcing food on us as kids, if we didn't want to eat it, we simply didn't have to. But as an adult, my tastes have changed considerably. I now look forward to the unusual treat with my Christmas dinner. You may eat this twice a week, but we don't and I find it something special to look forward to.
Ugly, yet tasty...
So my challenge to you is to find something out of the ordinary to make a part of your Christmas feast. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, it could be a simple as preparing a veggie you or your family would normally walk past as if it wasn't there or adding cajun spices to your turkey and stuffing it with boudin. This is how traditions are made. Your kids won't have the slightest clue why you added dried cherries to the stuffing they will just know that omg that Christmas stuffing is the best!  No one says you have to completely stray from the norm, just make it a little more special. Don't be scared!

This year we are changing up our Christmas Eve program. Usually, we party at Mom and Daddy's house having drinks with family and friends that stop by here and there. But this year we have opted for a quieter version of the event at my sister's house. We may not be hosting the usual gang, but we are going to make some finger foods, drink some whiskey, and possibly enjoy a fire. I will decorate a gingerbread pineapple with the kids, and enjoy the grab bag of rednecks, geeks, and freaks I love most in this world (my family). 

Yes, they make these, and yes I bought one.
 Doing something special and different is what makes memories, and after all the wrapping paper settles, and the last bit of figgy pudding is shoved down our gullets, that is all you have left, the memories. Go Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment