How come holidays revolve around food so much?
The lavish spread at the first Thanksgiving table represented God’s bountiful blessings during the past year as the Pilgrims gathered with the Indians and gave thanks to God for His protection and provision. Long before that, food was an integral part of any Jewish celebration and worship.
Eating gathers people together. Some of my family’s best memories are around a table in our home, a church fellowship hall, or a restaurant. Food evokes strong memories, usually good ones. The scent of fresh baked bread, cookies or a pot of beef stew simmering on the stove spells home, security, and belonging.
I’m so excited. In a few short weeks, a group of writers are launching their Christmas anthology, Christmas Treasures: A Collection of Short Stories. You’ll love these heartwarming stories of family, celebration and the joy of Christmas. Yes, my short story, “The Christmas Gift” is part of the anthology and yes, I talk about food within the story.
In fact, many of the stories mention food. Imagine that! After all, what are the holidays without food? What’s a good story without some mention of all five senses including that of taste? As a way of introducing you to some of these dedicated and delightful authors, I thought it would be fun over the next two weeks to share recipes of some of the foods the authors mention in their stories. I’ll connect that food with the holidays, share a recipe and pictures, then give you a sneak preview of each author’s story and tell you something about the person behind the pen, er, keyboard.
So check back often at Grace On Parade for new holiday recipes and news about Christmas Treasures. Stock up on your favorite beverage so you can curl up one frosty evening with your Kindle or the paperback version and enjoy stories of the season. I’m confident you will be inspired and blessed.
Karen, since I embraced Christianity and was baptized in my early 20s, my favorite memories of Christmas were those first handful or two of the holidays. Like a child seeing a shiny gift-wrapped package, I now try to make others see Christmas that way: always special.
My favorite memories of food at the holidays are peanut brittle, fruit salad and those amazine popcorn balls. Today I might nibble the fruit salad and I try to create healthy options if I can. I never loved candy canes but the boxes of chocolate my mom brought home from work sufficed!
I definitely agree on the chocolate! Someone would often give my mother a box of Russell Stovers. It was so fun picking through and discovering the secrets within. 🙂 Thanks for the memories.
I with you here. When things were so chaotic in my own home, I clung to our church’s Christmas Eve service – that quickly became what Christmas was really about. It quickly pushed all the fluffy stuff to the sidelines. Christmas without Christ quickly becomes so meaningless. Thanks for the reminder.
Definitely food! What would Christmas be without it? Family get-togethers really come alive when sitting around the table!
Enjoying good things together! Such memory makers. Love it!
My late father always made a big pitcher of his special Christmas Punch. He used all the fruits available from his orchard and berry-patch, then filled in with citrus fruits from the grocery store. He never strained it, so you had to catch debris in your teeth before swallowing. Typically there’d be grape hulls, hunks of orange, partially mashed frozen raspberries, the occasional piece of cinnamon stick…you name it. Every year we all declared it was the best Christmas Punch ever, even better than last year, and hide the glasses under our chairs or behind pottled plants.
How I miss you and your Christmas Punch, Dad!
The memories make the dish!
Homemade cranberry applesauce. Nothing from a can could compare! 🙂
That sounds good!
My mother made the most heavenly divinity candy I’ve ever tasted. Colored it pink and pale green, and left some of the batches white with walnuts. She used to complain that if it rained (California) the divinity didn’t turn out right. I’ve tried to make it as an adult in Colorado, and nearly burned up my mixer! Maybe someday I’ll master that melt-in-your mouth confection.
Oh, I love homemade divinity! And my mother said the same thing about Arizona. It had to be a cool dry day for divinity to turn out. Since I now live in the eastern part of the U.S., I think I’m afraid to try! Like you, someday . . . . Thanks for that wonderful memory!
I loved my mom’s Christmas cookies, especially the double chocolate chip ones she made and hid high
up in the cupboard. I didn’t realize they were stale at the time, until i started making my own as
a mom. I’m not as good about making them ahead of time!
I love those little extra memories surrounding holiday food. Thanks for sharing, Kathy.