Christmas Cooking and Baking

[KathyC]

Normally every year pierogis are a big part of our Chirstmas Eve. Dinner. For the past years I would take a day off from work and I would make them with my Mom, who is now 84. We declared this past Thursday Pierogi day, lol. That was the best day for me to get off of work, weekend are just too busy.

Unfortunately on Wednesday she was not feeling well, all last weekend something was not right with her. When I called her from work that morning she told me she wanted to go to the ER, I called her Dr. first and he told me to bring her right in. She had a severe Bladder Infection that he felt was spreading through her, her Sugar was shooting up and she was dehydrated. He hooked her on an IV with antibiotics and said she should have total bed rest the next few days and if not feeling better by Friday she needed to be admitted.

She felt so bad because this was our "Special time together" and some of the filling had already been prepped. I told her to let me do it myself, I've done it enough times with her. In the morning she guided me in making the dough then went back to bed. By the end of the day, I made 20 doz. myself, WOW, alot of work. But MM, MM, GOOD!!! That is only about half of what we usually make. I'm planning a sick day this week to bake, but if she feels up to it, we'll finish them off, if not I'll buy them from my church.

She is still resting, but feeling much, much better....

What traditions does everyone else here have for the Holidays?

[Snow Miser]

KathyC, It's good to hear that your mother is feeling much better, and that she may be able to help you finish making the pierogis. That's a very nice tradition you have with her. Keep us posted on how things go for you and your Mom.

I have a tradition as well that has been going on for many years. I get together with my mother (74 yrs old) and my youngest sister and her kids, and we bake Christmas cookies. In the very early years it was 25 kinds, but now it's down to around 5 to 8. All of us really have a great time getting together and baking. And the house smells, well, like a Christmas Cookie Wonderland. *<|:>)>

[Addicted]

I think family traditions are great! We always get together a week or so before christmas and do gingerbread houses. My sister makes them and puts them together, then everyone (there are 6 of us kids, plus all their husbands and kids) comes over for a party and brings their own candy to decorate a house with. We have a competition, voting for the adults and then for the kids. My youngest nephew, who will be 4 shortly, did a house for the first time. The kids of course always just slap frosting and candy on the house and have tme most imaginative stories to tell about what they are building. Austin (the youngest) just stuck candy on his and threw all the wrappers on the floor beheath him. I almost peed myself laughing when I looked over and saw that he didn't feel like waiting to eat his house, and all the peanut butter-chocolate bells that were on the roof had a bite taken out of them! I voted for his house based on that alone!

[billysinc]

Mmmmmmm pierogis

[KathyC]

Those are great stories. It's so much fun to do things together as a family, no matter how messy it gets.

When my neices and nephews were little, I'd bring them all over for arts and crafts before Christmas or Thanksgiving so they could make stuff for thier parents. Or we'd bake something, but watching what they were doing while baking, I'd make sure I'd mark who's goodie was whos. lol

Now I'm trying to get some baking done this week, I started yesterday, but we'll see how it goes. I have about 7 or 8 varieties I want to try, some new and old goodies...

[Anna LeBlanc]

Those are great stories. It's so much fun to do things together as a family, no matter how messy it gets.

When my neices and nephews were little, I'd bring them all over for arts and crafts before Christmas or Thanksgiving so they could make stuff for thier parents. Or we'd bake something, but watching what they were doing while baking, I'd make sure I'd mark who's goodie was whos. lol

Now I'm trying to get some baking done this week, I started yesterday, but we'll see how it goes. I have about 7 or 8 varieties I want to try, some new and old goodies...

Kathy,
Maybe you could post some of your recipes here for us.We could have an OBS cookoff!!!

__________

Anna

[Jimmy Legs and Little d]

When I was growing up, my mother and I would bake Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have carried on the tradition, for many years, as the first cookie I bake for the holidays. Most are consumed or given away within a couple of days. There is nothing that compares to a freshly baked Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Donna

[Trekker]

love the sounds of those perogies. Can you provide the recipe? And the "how you do it" along with it? I've never known anyone who's done it from scratch and would love to learn how. But maybe it's a "need to watch" sort of thing. My mother-in-law passed away a number of years ago and I've resurrected some of her old recipes to remember old times (I learned a lot about cooking from her). However, there are a couple recipes that I have all the ingredients for and a recipe to follow, but it never comes out the same as when SHE did it. Sometimes you have to WATCH how someone actually DOES it. A couple of those recipes have been lost for that reason, and real glad I spent the time with her when she was around to be able to salvage many of the other priceless recipes. She taught me how to can peaches - WOW - are they ever better than the store bought, and how to make a sweet relish that everyone asks for. I'm so glad that you are spending time with those close to you. There is only regret for the time NOT spent when they are gone . . .
We, too, have our family tradition of "cookie day", when we set up for many different kinds of cookies and invite friends and neighbors to join in the fun. Everyone leaves with a plate of cookies and a few plates are sent around to "old" friends and shut-ins . . . Always starts the Christmas season off on a good note . . .
I'm guessing even those on the Rockpile have their "Obs Christmas baking traditions" . . . Bet they like the star shaped ones . . . how about it folks?

[KathyC]

Pierogi's are tough to give a recipe, I think anyway. It's taken years of making them with my Mom to try to do them myself. And no recipe is ever the same, you have to feel the texture of the dough. The first batch we made was a bigger batch and the dough was a bit tough to work with, the second was smaller and much easier. Like you said, you would have to do it with someone to get the idea, I think anyway.

I played hookie from work today and baked and baked, I made 8 different kind......Now I'm pooped and heading to bed.

I like to give out cookie plates to some of the people that I work with and we're heading to E. Hartford this weekend to visit with my other half's family, they enjoy my cookies too. We have two nights in Foxwoods, but not sure yet if we'll be doing that. I'm a little tight with the bills and works slower then normal for him, it would be great to go to Mystic for an afternoon, but I know I'd be gambling too............

[Trekker]

Yeah, I get it . . . but I'm going to keep dreaming . . . I'll find a recipe somewhere - and hopefully someone locally to SHOW me . . . because it sounds wonderful. Sounds like everyone out there has some great traditions!!
Enjoy, folks . . .