 The Big Guy and I moved into our little bungalow many moons ago and have never regretted our decision to continue staying in the city. We were reminiscing the other day about holiday parties we used to have before COVID. Our house was too small for the number of family and friends we invited each year, but it always seemed to work out perfectly.
We decided this year, since we are all still inching back to our new normal, to try and recreate some of the recipes from our first party to share with our family and friends as gifts. Big Guy insisted we pull out the sweet and spicy pecans recipe. My FIL was enamored with them so much that he begged us to take away the bowl. The sweetness with the heat of the cayenne pepper was so balanced he swore he could not stop eating them. It was obvious this recipe was a keeper for the holidays! I hope you resurrect some of your favorite recipes this season. While my FIL has since passed, we laughed and remembered his inability to stop eating pecans, bringing his spirit and love into our home once again!
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 I used to travel a lot in my past career, but I was most excited if I got to fly through Atlanta. WHY? The answer is Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. I grant you I would rather go to Savannah for my praline fix, but this was the second-best option. In fact, it became a mutual stop for a friend of mine who also traveled quite a bit with her job. Between the two of us, we were able to enjoy fresh Southern pralines throughout the year which also led to our need to walk more since these sugar bombs are rich! As the holidays arrived, I wanted to make some special treats for my friends and neighbors. I pulled out Julia Reed’s praline recipe and got busy. The smile of satisfaction and the word, “Savannah” on my neighbor’s lips told me I made the right decision to pull this recipe out for the holidays!   It is no secret amongst our family and friends that my Big Guy can cook. In fact, my parents used to praise his cooking every time they came over for dinner to which the Big Guy had to correct them whenever I cooked the meal. Good times! I think I inspired him to start checking the freezer first when I recently pulled together a “kitchen sink” soup. He noticed we had maple sausage brats, tater tots, cheese, and eggs. We did not make our usual Thanksgiving quiche this year, so he immediately decided to create a new version using the tater tots as the bottom of the dish. He layered the sausage, egg, and cheese on top of the tots and baked it. It was the perfect comfort food on a cold winter’s day. I wish I could dream of leftovers, but it was so good we gobbled it up!
 Big Guy and I have always agreed we would try to start new traditions for Christmas not shared by our families such as the daily advent candle and the annual baking of caramel popcorn. I admit it is my grandmother’s recipe, but I do not think she ever made it for Christmas.
There was one tradition we both agreed would continue, which was the annual dressing of the graves of our loved ones. I always remembered going with my parents while my dad grumbled that they moved the big oak tree every year hiding the graves of his parents. Luckily, my mom’s family was easier to find as they never moved their oak tree. I realize there is a bad joke in there, but it happened too many times to not be true. Unfortunately, all our parents are now with the angels, but we take the time to remember them. I realize this may be old-fashioned and I pray the tradition never goes away, but I am comforted knowing they are keeping an eye on me during my time on Earth.  Big Guy and I have been sending pears from Harry and David to my aunt for several years. She raves every year about the basket, especially the freshness and flavor of the pears.
I write this as our recent visit to my niece and nephew (in-law) raised the question of when it became a “thing” to send pears through the mail. Yes, they had just received a basket and were amazed we recognized the package. I got home and started to wonder about the answer to his question. According to the website, Harry & David introduced the gift tower of pears in, wait for it, 1934. If I am reading the history correctly, I guess we can thank the Twelve Days of Christmas song since the partridge was sitting in a pear tree. Food for thought!  The holiday season is too stressful, and we often forget to slow down and appreciate it. Shopping, cooking, family, work, kids, presents, Santa, and the rest of the crazy activities that fill our days.
I promise you the world will not end if you take time for yourself. Soak in the tub, have a glass of wine, do a puzzle, take a walk, or do anything that makes you happy! You will thank yourself and find the root of the Christmas spirit all around you.  Our beautiful niece and her handsome husband invited us over for dinner. As we walked in, the Christmas music filled the air along with sumptuous aromas of our upcoming dinner. As hugs were exchanged, we were quickly reminded of the precious moments we missed in those terrible years during COVID.
We celebrated Christmas early with so many stories and certainly lots of laughter. Then, “to our wondering eyes did appear,” a bag full of goodies from Larder & Cupboard. Our niece read our posts about Cindy’s small business, found her at the Farmer’s Market, and she has now become a huge fan. Just say “Blackberry Lemon Thyme” jam and my niece was in a trance of happiness. In fact, it was featured in the appetizer for the evening! Let us keep our small businesses humming this holiday season. I know it brings happiness, joy, and love in this season of giving, especially when you are on the receiving end!
Big Guy and I love my annual making of chicken noodle soup. I found myself in an interesting position today knowing I had baked chicken in the refrigerator, chicken stock in my pantry, and egg noodles in the freezer. Do not judge me, but I decided to do the “Fast and Furious” version of my chicken noodle soup.
As part of our errands, we stopped by the store to pick up onions, carrots, and celery. To my amazement, my store had a “soup starter” kit of these three vegetables. I know I probably paid more for these ingredients, but I was ready to pay the price to avoid chopping and peeling today. I admit it was great to throw the soup together in fifteen minutes and let it simmer away for the afternoon. The aroma just gave the house that extra dose of comfort on a cold dreary day.  Big Guy and I always have music playing in the house. We are amazed, with the advent of Amazon Prime Music, that we are never at a loss for music to fit the mood of our day.
It leads me to my next question and that is what movie you watch while baking and cooking your annual Christmas treats. Hands down for me is White Christmas which my kiddos discovered on the night we arrived for Tenacious Eats, and I was dressed like Rosemary Clooney! No, not the knockout gown, but the simple black shirt and skirt with the yellow blouse overlay that she wore in the big, spoiler alert, fight scene with Bing Crosby. I was giddy with my efforts even if there were only a few in the room who realized it! The other great fact is my parents watched this movie on their honeymoon. I guess I was destined to love this movie! “Sisters, Sisters” …”Snow”…HEAVEN!  Do you have a favorite comfort food that transports you back to your childhood? I could go commercial and write about the trips to McDonalds with my dad. We would always get an extra bag of French fries to eat in the car since it was a fifteen-minute trip back to the house. The joke was always, “do not tell your mother!” She was a wise person and knew every time we walked in with salt and satisfaction on our faces.
In this case, I am talking about a simple meal of hamburger, onions, and potatoes. The time from the stovetop to the table is minimal if the ingredients are fresh. I am just happy the Big Guy agrees I get to put ketchup on this meal! |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
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