Tis the Season...

Tis the Season….the season for families to reunite, updated friendships, good food and most of all memories that glow dimly in the back of our minds. I remember two things about Christmas…mom’s strudel bread and “snow custard.” Once mom decided to go “healthy” all that stopped. And unfortunately, I did not carry on the tradition. But there was something magical about helping mama make the strudel whilst picking small bits of dough to venture a taste. Wrapping the cinnamon aroma dough into braids and then adding the ever so fake green cherries once it emerged from the oven. Those are memories that I remember with such fondness. And then after days of anticipation and hope, the day came when we had real snow and we all knew  if we would run out and take buckets of snow, non yellow or stepped on, and bring it into mom then she would cook up a batch of magical cream that we would then pour over our bowls of snow. The custard smell wafted up into our snow frozen nostrils and our boney red fingers would grasp the cup with anticipation of the golden treat that only arrived on severe snow days. Mom doesn’t not know where that recipe went and I cannot find it but you just have to say “snow cream” and the taste is on my tongue immediately.

So as we rush about town for the perfect gifts….a rarity…stop and see if we cannot depend so much on the getting but the making of memories. I have refused to venture into the whole “present” thing this year and plan to make Christmas Day a time of food, outdoors, and embracing the only gift I have ever needed…..my family.

Happy Christmas to you!