December 25, 2016 – Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas

          When I was a teenager I would give my brother a bag of Hershey’s kisses for Christmas.  When you are young and don’t have much money – you buy something you know they like.

          Every year I have done that for well over 45 years.  After a couple of years I would write a little note on the tag – TRADITION – while the tune from The Fiddler on the Roof plays in my head.   Topol who plays the character Tevye is singing the opening song, Tradition.

          Year after year I have sent Hershey’s kisses to my brother, Ken, and sometimes I would try to package them in a unique way.  If I didn’t do, I’ve thought of it, but I swear I once put Hershey kisses in a birdfeeder where the seed should be.

          Again, this year I sent some Hershey kisses, but, alas, I couldn’t find any that had holiday colors.  I ended up with just the silver ones.  But, as I wrapped them, the song played in my head, as I wrote the note, I impersonated Topol and sang out “Tradition” and when I put them in the box – they were tossed in with an a gleeful sing-song, “Tradition.”

          I don’t think I have missed a year and my brother hasn’t outright mentioned that the tag or card always has the word – TRADITION written on it.

          It is an easy tradition to maintain between me and my brother at Christmas.

          But, the Christmas tradition I started for my husband and I at Christmas is heart shaped pecan waffles with real Maple Syrup Christmas morning.

When we moved to the county 31 years ago I had a heart motif in my new house kitchen.  I stenciled a French blue heart border around the kitchen walls and had heart ring lace curtains, heart decorated canisters, heart shaped bowls, I even had heart shaped measuring cups.  I’ve never gotten past the love of heart shaped or heart motif things.  I've already blogged you with the heart shaped meatloaf.

          So, when I spotted an electric heart shaped waffle iron – I didn't hesitate.  I bought it as a Christmas house gift the first year we moved to the county and every Christmas morning I make heart shaped pecan waffles with real maple syrup.

          When we moved to the South I got into “pecans” big time.  Pecan waffles, pecan pie, pecans in the chicken salad I made, pecans in tossed salads, you name, I think I tried dozens of recipes and I love pecans which happens to be so nice since I live in the South now.

          For several years at Christmas time I would use unshelled Pecans as the filler in my Christmas packages.

          I’d get a shipping box, fill it with wrapped packages for my Mom and Dad and then buy a few bags of unshelled Pecans and shake them into the crevices so that the packages wouldn’t shift. 

          They got a thrill out of it the first year and for many years I did it until it got to be too expensive of a habit.  Dad would unpack the Christmas package and set aside all the pecans.  Then in the winter evenings he would sit and shell pecans and put them up in jars for Mom to make pecan pies and things.  My Aunt Frances has a killer recipe for Pecan Pie that I will share with you in the future.

          The last thing I did before I sat down to this blog was sit on the floor in front of the kitchen cabinet and rummage way in the back to get the heart shaped waffle iron out. It comes out to be used only a few times a year. I cleaned it up a bit more and put it on the counter top along with the bag of pecans and the bottle of real Maple Syrup.

          I can almost smell them cooking now.  The heart shaped waffle iron makes five waffles joined together.  My husband likes them left intact.  Me, I like them pulled apart so I have little hearts all over my plate.  I’m a little kid; I like to dip them into a tiny bowl of maple syrup. YUM.

          YUP – since we’ve already gone to Mass on Christmas Eve, we can sleep in late; I can make heart shaped pecan waffles and lounge around in my pajamas half the day. 

          That is our Christmas Tradition.

          If you don’t have a Christmas tradition – start one – I’ve given you three examples – Hershey’s kisses, Unshelled Pecan packing material and heart shaped pecan waffles.

Merry Christmas to you all.