“My kitchen is a mystical place, a kind of temple for me. It is a place where the surfaces seem to have significance, where the sounds and odors carry meaning that transfers from the past and bridges to the future.” ♥ Pearl Bailey
Here I am in my “temple,” making “Curried Pumpkin Pots” from my Autumn Book. I look like a mountain in Vermont in that apron, but I love it . . . I am a fall festival all by myself in my kitchen! The third best place for me after we got home. Number one, was of course, seeing my kitty; number two, we needed to go out on our walk and see how everything was doing out at the pond; and number 3, into the kitchen to nest like crazy and get ready for the holidays.
When I pull a card from my recipe box, where there are recipes from my mom, my dad, and my grandma inside, (and chocolates I saved from the QEII and a note from my girlfriend Sarah) and pick up one of my old wooden cooking spoons, I go right into that “significance,” where the “past bridges to the future.”
There’s no better time of year to feel that connection and all the traditions that come along with it, than now. And there is no better time for the nesting part of it, than when you are home (home!) from a long journey; you’re alone in your kitchen, with your birds scurrying around the feeders just outside the windows; your guy is making hammering noises outside on the rose arbor (men making hammer noises, or lawn mowing noises is an aphrodisiac to me), because right that moment you know that all is right with the world. ♣
But all is not quite right if your cutting board looks like this, not really! I promised you I would write about keeping your wooden things looking healthy, so this is the day; and here is the “before” photo! Because #1, I love my cutting boards and old spoons and #2, I really couldn’t be making beautiful fall food with dried up wooden things . . . it’s really just not done! 🙂 (I’m nesting, leave me alone.)
I’ll show you the cutting board first, because it’s basically the same method for the spoons . . . the thing that solves the problem is Mineral Oil. Because, unlike other kinds of oil, it will not go rancid. You can get it at the supermarket, or at the drug store, and keep it under your kitchen sink.
You can already see how much better the wood looks under the puddle of oil!
I use a pastry brush to paint the oil on. And since it has a wooden handle too, I soak the brush part in a bowl of hot water and dish soap when I’m done . . . no dishwasher for wooden things, it dries them out, takes all the color out of them, removes the patina of chicken soup and creamed butter and sugar, all those cookie juices you worked so hard to instill into these things. Just a quick hand washing for them is fine.
The cutting board is done; now here is the “before” picture for one of my favorite spoons . . . a spoon that knows all my cooking secrets and the inside story of every dinner party I’ve ever given. A very good girl.
And now, she is oiled. We let her sit, absorbing, while we do the others.
This takes no time at all. After they’re all done I let everything soak up the oil for a couple of hours; it will all disappear. See the “Sue” spoon in the middle? My dad made that with his own two hands. ♥ You can also find old wooden spoons, even handmade ones, sometimes in antique stores, and all they need is a good soapy washing and some mineral oil to bring them back to life, carrying all their cooking history with them, adding more “mystical” to your kitchen.
This pig board is another thing that’s been with me through thick and thin and cheese parties and sparerib servings too. I got him when I was in my early twenties and he’s followed me everywhere, from California to Martha’s Vineyard, from small apartment to New England house, through cookbook writing and Joe-meeting too. ♥
I never use wooden cutting boards for raw meat or fish, I have a plastic one for that. But every once in a while I will clean my wooden boards by sprinkling salt on them, rubbing them with lemon juice, then drying them well before I oil them.
Deep dark and delicious, that’s what they look like when they’re done. Ready to return to their spot next to the stove, ready for the holidays, ready to help bring the past, through favorite old recipes (my grandma’s Turkey Stuffing!), into the future, again, for another holiday season. ♥
Now your turn. I have a very special wooden thing that I think fits right into the realm of mystical-kitchen making, although, in the end, it will be up to you to complete the picture. It’s a starter kit, and truly one-of-a-kind, a little original piece of art in my mind . . .
Would you like to have this? I’m a big rescuer of old wooden recipe boxes. I can’t bear to leave them behind when I see them in antique stores, especially if they have some family’s collection of recipes in them. So I give them for gifts. When I found this one, it had divider cards in it and a few recipes; of course I have no idea where it came from, because like quilts, recipe boxes aren’t signed. 🙁 I made it a little more homey by writing words on the divider cards; I added my recipe for Sweet 
Potato Casserole (it’s used, as you will see; it came out of my box) . . . I also put in the words to the song Cinderella sang, a dream is a wish your heart makes, that I keep in my own box. ♥ One of you should have this box is what I think. It has plenty of extra cards in it for your own recipes. I wish I could do one for all of you, but I don’t have that many! It’s a way to say thank you for giving me such a wonderful welcome home! It’s so fun doing this blog and knowing you’re out there!!! As soon as I find out the name of the winner I will write a note on the little gift card that you see under the box, and tuck it inside. ♥
All you have to do to enter the drawing for this box is leave me a comment telling all of us about your favorite holiday tradition. Or, even just say hi, and you’re entered! You may already have a recipe box, but maybe you want to add your own recipes to this one for your daughter, son, niece or nephew. (If you’re one of the Daring Girls Club, tell your moms about this so they can enter and do it for you! :-)) And then be sure to sign the box with your name and the year. ♥ xoxo
It will fly off Martha’s Vineyard into your hands — we’ll wait a couple of days for everyone to have a chance to see this posting, then we’ll draw the winner and the wooden box will come, from my mystical kitchen to yours . . .
Susan, your piece on wooden spoons reminded me of something funny that my husband pulled on me several years ago. He was with me at the Shaker Woods Festival in Ohio one year when I happened to come upon an older fellow selling beautiful, hand-crafted wooden spoons. I chose a really big, long one that was more of a deep ladle than a spoon and my husband asked me what I would use it for. I told him I wasn’t sure, but I had to have it. One day I came home from work and he had the table all set for supper, which happened to be crockpot chili that I had thrown together in the morning. As I sat down at my place to eat after filling my soup bowl, there sat the big wooden ladle, neatly lined up next to a table knife. As I looked up at him, he was smiling from ear to ear. We both burst out laughing. It was his way of reinforcing the statement I often made about myself, “Ive got a big mouth!” Just one of the cherished memories I have of him, and every time I see that big wooden ladle in my kitchen drawer, I remember our little inside joke. I’m getting myself some mineral oil and spruce that thing up a bit.
🙂 wonderful story Ruth!
I have lots of fun memories around the holidays with my mom!! She always tries to make the holidays special, and always has a little trick up her sleeve. We love to go pick Rosehip branches, looking for the perfect rosehip berries, load the car with them and make Rose hip wreaths for all of our friends. I am sure our friends think we are crazy, but Rosehips will always have a special place in my heart!! This last weekend, my mom and I went out and found beautiful fall colored leaves and dipped each single one in parafin wax to preserve them. ( not sure how long they will last, but they sure are pretty on my fall table!!) I took bags of them to work today and gave them to my coworkers!!! I love being able to make my house pretty for the holidays, and even my 14 year old son notices and loves it. ( he told me his friends like to come over cause they like the “feel of our house”!!!) Recipies, I hope my mom still has her old recipe book, last time I was there I didnt’ see it, but it used to be so full……I need to call her! Thanks for being there Susan, I love to read your blog, feels like I am right there with you!!
I love the rose hip wreaths! Very creative! Please say hello to your mom for me . . . pretty great when your 14 year old boy says nice things like that!
I sooo look forward to reading your blog posts. I love the little wooden recipe box and would love to add it to my kitchen. My favorite holiday tradition would be homemade “fussy” christmas cookies and the whole family gathering around the tree on Christmas Eve and enjoying their own saucer of them with a cup of eggnog dusted with nutmeg. Oh–and Christmas carols and hymns playing quietly in the background!
Love it Lynn!
Lovely old wooden spoons!
My favorite holiday tradition? Hmmmm……I think it’s going to the late service on Christmas Eve, used to be Midnight Mass, now in our new parish it’s a little earlier (good thing, too!), and then coming home to a glass of champagne or wine, and opening just one little gift. When my children were little (a long time ago), I used to make them open one gift — always new pajamas! And they always looked adorable for the Christmas Day photos. Me? Not so much, as I was exhausted, having stayed up way too late to finish last minute wrapping, stuffing stockings, or putting together those toys that always had such bad directions! Miss those days……..but now there’s a granddaughter who will have her first Christmas in her Nana’s house. Traditions live on….
Which is what makes them so wonderful! Thanks Wylie!
Good evening, Susan…
We have many little traditions in our family for all the holidays during the year. I think that the one that I love the most is when my husband John and I look around at our family in the middle of all the festivities and tell each other how happy we are, how much we love each other, and how very blessed we are…it is a very special moment.
Again, welcome home…I enjoyed traveling with you and Joe…especially the train part! : )
Good Sherrill, love that you came along …. !
Besides the Christmas Eve service at church which gets out at 12 midnight into a cold, and sometimes snowy Christmas morning, my favorite tradition is making gingerbread men….hundreds of them. It used to be with my nieces and nephews who still call my house the Christmas House. Now it it with my adorable neighbor kids.
Thanks for the tip about caring for wooden spoons, etc. Mine all have that unhealthy dried out look.
If you don’t mind, I have another tip, for gingerbread men . . . you probably already do this . . . but just in case . . . those red hots hearts candy? One of those looks really good on the men where the heart would be. I love gingerbread men too! xoxo
Susie!
What a dear little gift the recipe box will be. I have a tin recipe box that I have had since I was married (30 yrs ago) and I love it. I have many other recipe books and things, but I couldn’t part with my tin box.
Thank you for sharing your secrets to keeping wooden things beautiful. I need to do that right away.
A favorite tradition that I have for Christmas is to give each of my kids (and in-law kids) and grandkids a chocolate letter on St. Nicholas’s Day. The chocolate letters are a Dutch tradition, and even tho we aren’t Dutch, we enjoy the little pre-Christmas treats. Each one of us gets the letter that begins his/her name.
Jody (we have 4 J’s in our family so far and might add another soon)
Sounds wonderful Jody!
My new favorite tradition is baking Christmas cookies with my adult son who now lives in New York. He comes to California a few days before Christmas Eve and for some reason last year was the first time he finished his work in time to hang out in the kitchen with me. We really had a nice time catching up on the year-gone-by while I formed cookies and he added the sprinkles. I miss the family no longer with us and look forward to spending time with those I see not enough through the year.
This is my first time to the blog page. The look is so different here from what I get on my email- Very fun! Thank you!
So glad you’re here Teri, glad you like it . . . the comments are the best part!
When my boys were still at home most years Santa would leave them a set of clues as to where to find their biggest present hidden somewhere in the house.
Treasure hunts! Love them!
Since my oldest daughter was born, (27 years ago) my parents have always come to our home on Christmas Eve, and stayed through for a few days to enjoy the innocence and excitement of children at Christmas. And they enjoyed their Grandparents. My Dad has passed away, my daughter has moved away to Wisconsin, but our family tradition continues. My Mom is 84 and will be with us again this year, my daughter and her fiancé (!) will be coming home for Christmas, and it will feel like Christmas again once we are all together! My husband lights the yule log, the music rings through our halls, the meals are
a community effort with everyone involved, our table with all of her finery is as special as our Christmas tree, poems are read at dinner, gratitude feelings are shared, fancy drinks and desserts are plentiful and love is in the air. And sometimes we’re even lucky enough to get a sprinkling of snow! We LOVE Christmas! xo
I can tell! You are so very blessed!
Hi Sue!
What a darling box! It would surely be loved, no matter which “girlfriend” wins it. I hope it’s me!
We have many traditions for Thanksgiving and Christmas in our family. My favorite tradition, however, is Christmas Day. It is my father’s birthday and all my immediate and extended family members meet to enjoy a great meal and a family gathering. But the best part is when his birthday cake comes out and we all sing “Happy Birthday” (in English and Spanish). He even gets two gifts. He is turning 81 and this year I will be baking his cake. I cannot wait!!!
I love, love, love your blog and have enjoyed making your holiday fudge since the 80’s. Thanks for being YOU~
Thanks so much Lucy … Happy Birthday to your Dad from me too!
Thank you for the directions on caring for wood ware. So easy! Several of my holiday traditions involve food. I host a cookie party for a group of my friends – we take an evening from the holiday rush and share our home made treats, recipes, and catch up on what is happening in our families lives. Midnight Mass, sleeping in, and then my family has homemade cinnamon buns for breakfast on Christmas morning, and for tea breaks between opening presents. Finally, I always make my grandmother and mother’s sausage stuffing for our turkey dinner. I’d love to put all those recipes in the wooden box!
Mmmmm cinnamon buns! Thank you Jo Ann!
Hello Susan,
I oiled my wooden spoons the other day,must do the cutting boards. Thanks for the chance to enter your giveaway.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
Thanks for being here!
Tradition!(?) My grandsons always want to go to grandmas….and my heart gets a hug!! and they are even all grown up. Would love the lil’ box for more receipts. Why oh why do we always keep adding (?)….because there is one out there that we just can’t let get away!! LOL
This isn’t a tradition but rather a cherished memory of my Dad. Back in the day, when I was a single gal, I decided to join a recipe club where I would receive certain recipes once a month. The idea was that end of a few months I would have a recipe box filled with delicious recipes. Well, when the first few months came in the mail, my Dad said to me, “Why are you wasting your money on such things?” You see I couldn’t even boil water let alone cook or bake. Once I got married, in 1980, and got my own kitchen there was no stopping me. My Dad was on the receiving end of my many baking experiences — something we would laugh about every time I delivered something sweet to him. I am lucky enough to have my own recipe box (that my sister made up for me when I got married) and my Mom’s original box. They are certainly treasures!!
Bet your dad was glad you wasted your time! xoxo
Thank you for all the good advice on oiling wooden cutting boards and spoons!
Our favorite holiday tradition starts the weekend before Thanksgiving when our family watches Thanksgiving on Waltons Mountain. It is the beginning of our ritual of holiday movie watching. The weekend after Thanksgiving, the Christmas CD basket appears on the kitchen counter. Every moment we are in the kitchen, the CD’s are playing. I add a new one every year. In the evenings, we watch Christmas movies by the fire. Of course the house smells like Christmas from all the baking and the Yankee Candles burning everywhere. In our house, it is not about the gifts, it is about being together as a family. Two of my kids are in college, so that is when they are home on break :). My oldest got married this year, and I am going to start her out right by giving her your Christmas book for her birthday in November! One of her shower gifts was your recipe book for my daughter and I filled it with all my holiday recipes so she can carry on the traditions (I already bought the book for my 19 yr old daughter for later use).
You are good Beth! Thank you!
Hi Susan, thanks so much for the tip about wooden spoons and mineral oil. I will be trying it this weekend. I, too, love this time of year and will be having the family over to our home this year for Thanksgiving. My husband comes from a large Italian family and I loved going to their home for dinner. Everyone was so loud, talking over one another, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It took the family awhile to get to know me because I couldn’t be heard in a conversation over all of their talking 🙂 Now all that noise and laughter will be in our home this year. They will sit at the dining room table for five or six hours. I love that!!
How great Bonnie!
Our family loves Christmas! We start out by buying a natural pine tree, because the boys adore the smell of the pine needles. We stop by the German Christmas bazaar, and pick ount an advent calendar and a new ornament each year. We decorate the Christmas tree in our pajamas, with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin singing Christmas songs in the background. The boys sing along, and place the star at the top of the tree, while I cry (every year) because it’s all so magical. Also, Christmas isn’t Christmas if my husband and I don’t watch Love Actually together. Here in Brazil, the big Christmas celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. We have a wonderful family dinner, and we open gifts at midnight. Due to our Portuguese heritage, we serve cod fish instead of turkey. (Last year, when my son was in 1st grade, he was appalled when he found out that other kids didn’t eat cod fish on Christmas Eve. :D) My mom makes delicious marron glacee, with Portuguese chestnuts, and we serve it with vanilla ice cream. This year, we started something new. We have a memory jar! Our family is writing down things we are thankful for that happened during the year. On Christmas Eve, we will read each other’s memories…
I LOVE LOVE ACTUALLY!!! I love all your traditions, but what I really love is that movie! I can cry and cry at the end when everyone is greeting each other at the airport . . . Love the song that starts “The trouble with Love is . . . ” Thank you Marcia!
I have a wooden spoon that my Dad carved for me too, but it could sure use a good oiling! What a great idea to carve your name into the handle ~ I will suggest that to Dad for Christmas gifts 🙂 My favorite holiday tradition is GOING HOME to see all my family. They are all on the West Coast and I am in NYC, so my annual visit over the week of Christmas makes it the best week of the whole year for me!
You should start him now . . . give him time 🙂
My favorite holiday tradition involved the entire Christmas season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. I bought a red holiday mailbox that was a little smaller than a full size one. Every day I would slide a note or small gift inside for my sons (and eventually daughter-in-laws) as part of an advent celebration. It could be a clue written on a note to guide them to a hidden treat (that was too large to fit in the mailbox) or something small like a candy bar or money to buy a little treat when we went to visit our zoo for the holiday celebrations. I would begin gathering all of the treats during our summer vacation to Walt Disney World and throughout the fall while keeping a running list in a big box hidden in my closet. Some years I found so many things, I was able to use the extras as stocking stuffers. I had so much fun collecting everything. On New Year’s Day they would receive a new calendar with a theme that they liked. We eventually ended up using clues for each day because they all loved “the hunt” for their gifts. The dogs even got in on it with little treats for them as well. As everyone became adults, the gifts were sometimes little toys that reminded them of their childhoods (Pez dispensers, silly putty etc) or they were gift cards for McDonalds, gas, Walmart or other things that I knew could help with expenses during the holidays. If I knew that some of my son’s friends would be coming a long on an adventure, they were able to join in on the hunt as well. I would just buy extras of some of the gifts for just this type of occasion. I kept a list of all of my gifts as well as a list of the dates of some of our adventures and then I assigned the gifts to the dates that they best applied to. I had so much fun and it made my Christmas every year. My sons and their wives surprised me one year and bought an advent doll house from Pottery Barn Kids and then filled each little door with gifts for me to do right along with theirs. It was so much fun. You’d be surprised how many little things there are that aren’t expensive at all to use as gifts. Everyone, no matter what their age, loves a little gift each day. Thanks so much for reading this very long post.
It’s a wonderful idea and great inspiration . . . I can see the love involved in the choosing too! Thanks Kim!
It’s a lovely little box, love the dove tails. I also love the teapot card poking out the top. I am trying to think of a tradition, just being all together for Christmas day I guess.
Can’t believe it is so close, I’ve started making my cards although I am sure it will still sneak up on me. Great blog!
Thanks Megan!
We have so many fun holiday traditions it is hard to pick just one. Our favorite traditions involve cooking. (What could be better!) I love to bake and decorate cookies with my grandchildren. We love to make gingerbread houses and sugar cookies.
I also bake stolen each year on Christmas Eve day. We open our gifts with our grown children and grandchildren at our house on Christmas Eve. When everyone is ready to go home they are presented with a loaf of stolen to have with their family on Christmas morning.
I have 10 special friends that I get together with once a month to craft. Each year at Christmas we have a Christmas Cookie Exchange. We all look for that perfect cookie recipe all year long. My husband loves October and November as he gets to sample all the cookies that I make in my quest for the perfect cookie!
These are all fun times with family and friends as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
Thank you Susan for your love and beautiful spirit!
Thank you back Nola, for the same things!
Hi Susan,
So hard to pick a favorite holiday tradition, I love them all, starting now! The week before Halloween, I start getting a giddy tickle that the seasons are starting to change, and the decorations come out, first the spooky, then the little turkeys, then the most magical time of all, Christmas! Oh! How could you choose just one? I can’t, I choose all!
Choose all! 🙂
Love the recipe box!! I have a book that I started years ago (1987) but would love a box for my loose cards!!
I do wonder about the cleanliness of wooden spoons. I love using them but I was using them “interchangingly” and it occurred to me that I might be cross contaminating. I use my favorite for making spaghetti sauce, then other times I use it to bake. One day I took the spoon and cooked it in a pot of water, and the residue it left was a bit yucky. I now can’t go back to using wooden spoons. Please help!!! Should I be concerned??
No, they’re really safe. Just wash them in warm soapy water . . .
Oh, my! I love cooking during the holidays with my children and grandchildren. They each have a special memory and dish we’ve cooked together! The little girls climb onto step stools and stir and add this and that. The older boys enjoy dicing onions and celery and then saute them to translucent yumminess!!
Thank you!
mmmmmm buttery onions . . . then sage (oh I’m going off of your memory into my own! :-))
Thanks for the instructions for oiling the cutting boards, I knew to use mineral oil but never really knew how to do it. Thanks!
You are so welcome Donna!
One of my traditions for the holidays is placing handmade frame ornaments with my parent’s pictures on the tree each year (they are deceased) and telling my daughter stories about them. My mother died before my daughter, now 12, was born and my dad died when she was only 2. So I wanted to make them real for her. After all, they are an important part of my life, even still.
Sadly, this year in early October, her other grandfather died after a 6 year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was so young when it was diagnosed, only 69. It will be a sad Christmas this year, but we will also place his picture on the tree and talk about our fondest memories of him. The holidays are usually when family can find time to get together, but having so many wonderful memories is what ties us all together forever.
I also still have my mom’s recipe file with so many of her favorite recipes in her own handwritting, many with stains from cooking and baking on them. I bring them out often and it makes me feel close to her. It is amazing how these small treasures mean so much to us. This is why I am not a big fan of everything on the computer. I like handwritten things. They are so important. I even write handwritten notes in all of my cookbooks, including your Heart of the Home book, with my notes about how things tasted and when we made them. I hope my daughter thinks this is a treasure many years from now.
I think with computers handwriting will be treasured more and more in the future . . . look how much we already treasure it, but it will mean more as time goes by.
Hi Susan,
I have been a avid fan of all your books for years, and just recently came across this wonderful blog. So many GIRLFRIENDS!!!!!
I am an “official” Empty Nester this year, and just recently was made aware that my daughter will not be home for Christmas this year.
EVERY Christmas Eve, I read the “NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS” to my two wonderful children ………..a beautiful pop up version we’ve had for over 20 years. This year will bring two less ears in my audience of listeners. My daughter has come up with the idea of reading over skype ( the next best thing.)
Your recipe box will be a true treasure to pass on for those we love who we can’t always be with.
You will miss her! There outta be a law. 🙂
Hi and welcome back!
We have so many holiday traditions in our family!
The one I will tell you about is one I came up with about 15 or so years ago when my kids were teenagers. They were now past the excitement of getting up VERY early to see if Santa came, but nonetheless we still had to get up (early.) I had to get six people ready for 9 a.m. Mass across town with grandpa and grandma. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you we have 2
bathrooms but 1 shower (which made for a mad rush once they were all up.)
Calling up the stairs, setting alarm clocks….nothing worked.
I don’t know why or how I came up with it but I started playing “Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) by Bing Crosby VERY loud on the cd player. I played it continuously until they came down the stairs. The first year I played it at least 8 times through. They would yell “Mom stop!” but I didn’t until they were all (4) downstairs. Three of them do not live at home anymore but they all still wake up every Christmas morning ( via telephone) to Bing and me!
me!
LOL! I would have had to kill you! Very sweetly inventive!
Oops! Only one me! I am pretty sure there will be some type of Bing Crosby revenge for me!
No, I’m sure you’re forgiven. My mother used to sing Time to Get Up in the Morning to us before school; it was not a popular thing around our house! 🙂
My favorite tradition is everyone being together; who do I mean by “everyone”? Everyone that comes by the house to put their feet under the table and eat. All are welcome!
Always fun . . . the more the merrier!
We finish up clean-up from Thanksgiving, and early the next morning put on our hiking boots and warm clothing and head up into the Sierra Nevada’s to cut down our Christmas tree. Beautiful Noble firs grow at the 5,000 ft. level, and we always come home with the “best tree we have ever had!” We take hot chocolate and snacks (and now our GRANDchildren are in tow…) and come back to a wonderful crock pot meal at one of our houses–last year chicken pot pies and a huge crockpot of simmer-all-day-applesauce.
Delicious!
Recipe box drawing: my favorite holiday tradition is my Thanksgiving invitation. Each year one of my nieces or nephews is given the honor of designing and drawing the cover of the invitation, then I scan it and add the text. Over the years it has been fun to see their hand turkeys and stick pilgrims turned into cards, they are a very creative group.
One of our favorite holiday traditions is to make toasted coconut shortbread apricot jam thumbprint cookies. After the cookies cool we put them in glassine bags and tie them up with pretty grograin ribbon. We also like to go to local historial holiday home tours. Not only is it fun to see inside of the cozy restored homes but to see how the owners have gone above and beyond to decorate their homes for the holidays.
That sounds like fun . . . seeing all the decorations!
Apart from all the traditions we’ve established over the years , one of my favourites is to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ again (usually Christmas Eve) and to be reminded once more that we are valuable and that the world would not be the same if we had never lived. I look forward to each post and the day is not quite the same if you’ve had to miss. Enjoy your nesting!!!!
Thanks Chris . . . we are It’s a Wonderful Life people around here too!
My recipe box is bulging so much I can’t get the lid shut! I would be so pleased to be the lucky winner of this nice wooden box. Your note would be a treasure, also.
xoxo!
One of my favorite traditions, is watching a holiday movie after dinner on Thanksgiving. It is the PERFECT way to officially kick off Christmas and my whole family gets in our snuggle jammies and watches it together. We always vote on our movie but we usually end up watching either It’s a Wonderful Life or National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation 🙂
Love your blog Susan, it always makes me smile and inspires me to enjoy life.
<3
Thank you Erin!
This is a question. I used the last sheet of a box of your stationary that I had been using very carefully for years. It had pale periwinkle polka dots and a cute cottage and said, ” The path to a friends house is never long.” Is there any chance this could be reissued? Also love your canning labels and would like some Christmasy ones. I made your wonderful chocolate sauce and would love to give it for hostess gifts at Christmas. O
I love your books, blog and “stuff”! Your first book was given to me for Christmas by a friend and I prowled the bookstores awaiting the next one (still do) and I have them all. I now await each new blog, everyone a day brightener! Thank you for doing this. Also enjoy reading the responses from all those fantastic gals out there!
Me too, and yours too Carol! I know which stationery that was, but the world has changed so much, getting boxed stationery made isn’t as easy anymore. I’ll see what we can do!
Hi Susan,
What a nice gift to give away – I would love to win it! This year has been especially exciting for our family. Both my son and my daughter were married! So I now have a daughter in law and son in law to add to our family get togethers and to share our holiday traditions with. I’m so looking forward to it this year. Thanks for all the fun and inspiration you supply!
Congratulations!
Ooops! I forgot to mention a favorite tradition. On Christmas morning, we go to our son’s house where he makes wonderful omelets for everyone while we watch the gift opening. Yum!
That does sound wonderful!
One of my holiday traditions is to buy my boys an advent calendar filled with chocolates. They are the inexpensive German ones I’ve found at our Army commissaries wherever we’ve lived. When the oldest learned to talk he called them “calendar candies”, and we continue to call them by that name. Even though the boys are now 25 and 22, I already have them for this year.
In the picture of your recipe box, the card for “Gold Medal German Christmas Cookies” caught my eye. Could you share that recipe?
Love your blog!
Hmmmm, I took the photo of my box a while ago, not yesterday, so I just went to look for that recipe, and it’s not there! I might have loaned it out! Need to find it!
I have never commented on a blog before.. I am new to blogging but not new to your wonderful, wonderful books Susan! I love reading your blog – wait anxiously for each new post, and always feel warm and happy after reading them! The holidays are a special time at our house and we have a lot of traditions.. not the least of which is decorating 12 Christmas trees! (one for every room!!)
Now that’s what I call spirit! So happy to hear from you Susan!
I don’t have a recipe box. My mother hand wrote her recipes, sometimes inside her cookbooks. Sometimes, I take out the books, look inside the covers and touch her handwriting. After 31 years, I still miss her everyday. If I am lucky enough to win the box, I’ll photocopy her recipes and place them inside. Maybe one day I will have a granddaughter and I’ll give her the box and Nona’s recipes. Are you listening my two boys?!?! 🙂
🙂 I hope they are!
Hi Susan- thank you for sharing your trip out West. I lived in the mountains of Carmel Valley and worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium so your pictures of the coast and video of the ocean brought me happily back to good times. I still miss my otters, and seeing your drawing of the waving otter tugged at my heart.
My families tradtions start in the fall with the making what my mother called “Pink Holiday Applesauce.” Pink because we left the skin on the apples (our apples were organic) and the skin naturally colored the sauce. We spend several days picking apples, washing them, coring and cutting them up to fill several pots to slow cook on the stove. The smell filled our house with this heavenly mix of every apple dessert you ever craved. We thought as kids the food mill was the best part of all and took turns cranking the handle mashing the apples into pink wonderfulness. We had lots of fun being together, sharing family stories and getting a lot of joy in making something that we could say we made ourselves. We would then move onto making carmel apples, and carmel popcorn balls for our big Halloween party that we threw each year for our friends.
Unfortunately when Mom moved to a smaller house her recipe box went missing. But I can still see it in my mind, smell the clove and cinnamon scent it trapped, and her handwritting on the cards. Her applesauce recipe was famous with our family and each time I make it I go back in time. But the best recipe of all and the most teasured is the one that was spent with her, it has love all over it.
How wonderful, what good appley memories! I know the Carmel Valley a little bit, love it out there….and had such fun at the Aquarium. My favorite was seeing the birds fly into the water from the open tanks and swim around the fish! Thanks Jamie!
Your website brings such warmth to my soul 🙂 My favorite holiday tradition is my mom and I baking cookies for Christmas every Thanksgiving weekend!
Thanks Sara!
Love old boxes. If I would win I might have to fight for it because my hubs loves boxes also. He does some woodworking and has made a lot of boxes for our daughters and their children. I can picture this one in my kitchen, I would find just the spot. We hold all the family gatherings here at our home since we have a large house and the kids, grandchildren and nieces and nephews, are all comfortable and know where the toys and games are and the adults can sit back and eat our desert.
Sounds perfect!
My hopes for the holiday’s are just to get my family together. We only have 3 kids but 6+ (another one due in 10 days) grands and it makes my heart so happy when we are all together. Christmas Day night is my time with them all. Right now this is my favorite holiday tradition.
And welcome back to the Vineyard.
Thanks Deb!
So many holiday traditions! I love making granola for gifts, going out to cut down our own Christmas tree, and the Christmas Eve peking duck at our local Chinese restaurant!!
All sounds so fun!
So glad you are home! There is nothing like reconnecting with home and Heart! Love the idea of the box. I have 1 special recipe in my mom’s handwriting that I have copied and given to my daughter-in-law to enjoy. What wonderful special memories you make and inspire! Would love the box.
Thank you Linda!
I LOVE your blog! As someone said earlier, you make even wooden spoons and mineral oil fun 🙂 And thank you for the opportunity to win such a neat recipe box. Judging from your blog reader comments, it’s sure to go to someone who will appreciate it!
You are so right about that!
My mom had a wooden recipe box and when I got out on my own, I knew I wanted a wooden one, too. It took a bit of looking but I found one. I had to add another recipe box when my family was all young and ended up with a metal one cuz we couldn’t afford a wooden one. I’ll donate my used metal one to Goodwill – if I win your lovely wooden one. 🙂
Watch yard sales too, because sometimes you can find them there! But maybe you will win this one!
Oh, my! Tradition is so important in our family. Our oldest granddaughter, 15, is so into tradition….my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving — love the cooking, the steamy, warm kitchen, the smells….my family all gathered around the table from 2 years to 97 years! The men in the family always go to deer camp just after
Thanksgiving dinner and my daughter, granddaughter and I go to work decorating the Christmas tree. Happy Holiday planning!
Thank you Nancy!
Love the little box, Susan…I collect boxes myself. Love all the handwritten recipes. I love to fix a sausage stuffing for my turkey that my Mom always made. Now that she’s gone it is even more special. Loved the idea for oiling the boards and spoons…Next on my list. I too have a super cute piggy board….love him. Take care
mmmmmm sausage stuffing! And all wrapped up in mom memories . . .
Hi Susan,
One of my favorite Christmas traditions would be going to church on Christmas Eve with the beautiful music and carols. They are so meaningful, year after year.
You are so generous to give away another of your treasures. Your personal touches will be so appreciated by the recipient, whomever that may be! Your blog is a day brightener!
Thank you Linda . . . lovely to hear that!
Hi Susan, Love the box, Love the Blog, and really Love the Fall !!! I would love the box !! Favorite tradition is making our own holiday “poppers”. Like you, we fill them ourselves and everyone just loves all the surprises. Have a Great Fall !!!
You too Janet!
Such a wonderful gift! Favorite holiday memory has to be Thanksgiving. My parents still host it every year, and though I can’t walk downstairs in my jammies to watch the parade (we live close by but not with them), we head over early to sit and soak up the turkey smells and holiday happiness before everyone else arrives!
The smell walking into the house! So wonderful!
I love that you answer everyone!
It occurred to me that everyone takes the time to do that for me, I need to, at least once, let everyone know how much it means!!! I think if this blog grows, right here and now, we have the core. Want to say thank you!!!
Hi Sue,
Another wonderful post from you. Love the warm homey look of your kitchen-so cozy. I find “man noise” an aphrodisiac also – my husband and his power tools busy with a project in the basement (just below the kitchen where I am puttering and baking). There’s nothing better!
My favorite holiday tradition is one I share with my Mom. We play our first sampling of Christmas music on Thanksgiving Eve while we are busy in the kitchen baking for the big meal the following day. The houses filled with wonderful aromas and memories. My personal favorite is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Vince Guaraldi. Mom and I chat on the phone about what we are making and reminisce-it’s wonderful. Thank you for asking. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts about their traditions as well. This is a special place.
It’s special because of all of you. . . thank you so much!
Susan,
I have been enjoying your books and artwork for years, but I feel as if I have really come to know YOU through your blog…the inspiring words and photographs that you share with all of us are truly a blessing! This time of year is bittersweet to me. Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year, but I have had many family members pass away in the months of October and November. Through these experiences, I have learned the value of family keepsakes and traditions. And I am fortunate to have my grandmother’s cookbook with a few hand-written recipes on the inside pages that I cherish, but I would LOVE to have a wooden recipe box. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your everyday ‘joys’ with all of us!
So nice Lisa, thank you!
I think one of my favorite traditions was every year growing up my Mom would get us each a new ornament to hang on the tree. She would put our name and date on it and then when we grew up and moved out she gave us the box of unique ornaments to get started with. Now we are continuing on the tradition. Also loved going to the tree farm to cut down the Christmas tree every year and we always got a picture of us trying to cut Dad’s head off with the saw! ha ha ha 🙂 I love your blog and all the great ideas! You inspire me to get moving for the holidays!
Hugs to you,
Lisa xoxoxoxo…
Great memories!
.Susan,
Just loved your blog on how to clean all things wooden. I’m looking forward to making my wooden items shine!
When my children were young, I made each of them a Christmas pillowcase out of Christmas fabric. Then they put the pillowcase on their pillow on Christmas Eve. It was the only time they used those pillowcases. Now that they are grown and on their own, they still use their pillowcase on Christmas Eve. We have such fun remembering Christmas from days gone by.
Perfect . . . all these wonderful traditions we are hearing about!
My favorite holiday tradition is that we always sit together as a (large!) family on Christmas eve and read about Christ’s birth from the Gospel of Luke. And I love that my mom makes Christmas tree french toast for Christmas breakfast by cutting the toast in half and stacking them sideways & using a sausage link as a tree stump and sprinkling green sugar on top. So cute! :o)
That is adorable —
Wellll, I think I’ve written about it before but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love the fall and this holiday is all about family and friends gathering together over a meal that has been a tradition handed down through my family for generations. It means connection to me and of course lots of yummy food! But most of all being with those I love.
Thats the real magic!
Thanks for the cleaning wood info. I have several wood cutting boards and spoons, I am going to use the mineral oil to make them look nicer.
For Thanksgiving and Christmas, Mom always makes apple pies, pumpkin pies, pumpkin roll or bread, and cookies; now, my sister, niece – who’s 7, and me help my mom make the goodies. My niece has been helping since she was 2, she can almost make the homemade pie crust and cookies by herself now!
That’s pretty wonderful that she is so talented so young!
Your question has triggered many memories for me, as it seems it has for many others. A few favorite traditions; picking out our Christmas tree together every year, cookie baking marathons with my Mom, and my husband and daughter baking rolls together for Thanksgiving dinner… I have my Mom’s recipe box, it is also made of wood. She loved sharing recipes! Who would ever think little wooden and metal boxes filled with recipes could be such special treasures? It really is true that the little things in life are the big things!
They sure are Sandy; thank you for writing!
I have my Mother-in-law’s plastic recipe box and another cute wooden small tray recipe file that includes recipes handwritten by her (treasures) and also lots of recipes on index cards that were typed (on a TYPEWRITER) by her friends. I feel that connection and sort of like she is still with us helping me out in the kitchen. I always referred to her as Betty Crocker because she was such an excellant cook- miss her, she was my other Mother and I was blessed to have her in my life.
xo- mel in Utah
I can tell, so sweet!
Oh gosh…so many holiday traditions. Here is a Halloween tradition: Jim and I purchased our first home many moons ago. It was old, empty, and the previous occupants had moved into a nursing home and had for years not been able to care for the yard. On weekends before moving in we would go out and work in the yard trying to get things cut back and find the gardens that surely must be there somewhere! We would tug grapevines and the cherry tree branches across the yard would wiggle! Well…we gathered a 12 foot pile of brush by the time Halloween arrived. We thought it would be perfect bonefire makings so we decided to stay in the house for the evening, hand out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters, and cooked up a big pot of chili and invited friends and family to come share it. 36 years later we are still cooking chili and friends and family still come eat it with us. Traditions are the best!
“Tug grapevines and the cherry tree branches across the yard would wiggle,” 🙂 I get this!! Thank you Wendy!
Hi Susan, I love your blog and I would be over the moon to win the recipe box! My favorite Holiday Tradition is baking a lot of Christmas cookies! So much fun to read your blog- Love your fall apron!
I love that my Dad and I BOTH work in the kitchen to prepare our holiday meal. His.wife was always queen of the kitchen. Sadly, she passed away in 2007. I don’t cook too much, and we were like the blind leading the blind the first year. We now are able to put together a pretty good tasting holiday meal, together, working side by side. I love my Dad!!!!!
Just being together is the best!
I hadn’t thought to use the mineral oil on the spoons and cutting boards and block. I do use mineral oil on the soapstone, so now I will do the wooden things at the same time! Thank you!! My recipe box will barely close. I love older things and would treasure what you have found for us to hope to win!
My Christmas tradition is making ornaments each year. I started the first year my husband and I were married. I still have an angel from then. It is a hazelnut for the head and felt for the dress and wings, with a tiny piece of tinsely stuff for the halo. I became more artistic and whimsical as the years passed. Sometimes not everyone gets one. Always one friend and I exchange a handmade ornament. Our whole tree is all beautiful, darling handmade ornaments now. Most years there is a small tree in the kitchen too..
I got such a kick out of your final leg home!! what a Hoot!!! Glad you are safe and happy!
Thank you Patty, am breathing again! Love your ornaments!
I wanted to scroll through all 549 entries to see if you replied to each and every one, but my “mouse hand” fell asleep! Love the recipe box! Thanks, Susan, for all the inspiration you give us!
I’m trying to, but sometimes the blog sweeps a comment away before I can get my 2 cents in! I know I won’t be able to always do this, but I just want everyone to really know how much I love their comments …they take time to do it, I should take time to answer! This time anyway! Thanks Nancy!
Oh, I have a funny story, it isn’t a holiday tradition, but it does have to do with you, Susan! My husband bought me “Christmas From the Heart of the Home” when we were first married 20 years ago…I decided to make your Grandma’s Stuffing for one of our first Thanksgivings………I had bread drying on every surface of our tiny kitchen and I think even in places in our living room, for DAYS. We still remember that year–“the year of the BREAD.” It was delicious. I have to admit I have not made it since, because once we added children and a dog, there was no safe place to dry the bread. 🙂 I love reading your blog. It brightens every day. 🙂
OK< OK, maybe I'll make it again this year! 🙂
It’s me again, the FACS (home ec) teacher. You are on my home page so I see when you post something new. Enjoyed your travel blogs! My tradition is stopping at our local antique shops after thanksgiving to see vintage holiday decorations and enjoying the wonderful cocoa and cider. A recipe box would be wonderful for my cooking classroom!
Happy holidays!
Cooking classroom . . . how I loved those when I was in high school!
Dear Susan,
I can’t Thank You enough for this blog and the joy it brings me. So glad you posted about oiling the spoons because I have a question. Realizing recently that I didn’t have any wooden spoons (go figure), I bought some at the store but haven’t used them because I didn’t know if they needed “conditioned” beforehand. Should I oil them before I use them?
The recipe box is darling. I collect cookbooks and enjoy finding older ones at flea markets and such. The box would be a wonderful gift for my daughter who is in college and getting her first apartment next year. She’s already mentioned that she needs to copy some of her favorite recipes from my box to take with her. I could do that for her and include them with this darling box if I win!
My favorite holiday tradition seems sorta silly when I think about it. But here goes…..We always watch the Peanuts holiday shows: The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving and of course A Charlie Brown Christmas. They’re all part of the whole holiday season atmosphere!!! Can’t imagine the holidays without them.
Thanks again and Welcome back home. (Enjoyed the trip with you.) This is truly the time of year for “nesting”. God Bless!
My sister would not think your tradition is silly as that’s hers too! As for the spoons, just wash them in warm soapy water, let them dry thoroughly and yes, give them a thin coat of oil. They will gather patina over the years if they don’t accidentally land in the dishwasher!
My favorite holiday tradition…hmm…I have two. The first is our advent wreath. I love to dim the lights, light the candles and read the scriptures. We sing the same hymns and my kids love this time. The other is baking gingerbread cookies with my Mother’s recipe. She used the recipe for years baking big gingerbread cookies with her first graders and then we baked them at home. Now I bake them with my kids using one of the original recipe copies that she wrote in her hand and ran off on a purple ink duplicating machine (I am telling my age by knowing what a duplicator is – the younger ladies who read this blog will have no idea what that is!!!) Would love that little wooden recipe box – the gingerbread cookie recipe would fit right in with all that coziness!
Yes I do think it would!!
Thank you Susan for your beautiful website filled with all of your lovely touches of HOME…a feeling I cherish each day as a homemaker for almost 31 years. I have a very special holiday tradition to share. I am of Dutch descent and I have celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas on December 6th with my children for 30 years. During the first week of December I read chapters from an old book called “Kersti and Saint Nicholas” (this enchanting story takes place in the Netherlands) to my three children at bedtime. Each Saint Nicholas Eve my children set out their shoes for the good Saint to fill with candies and small toys. Before going to bed my children each read a sweet little poem about Saint Nicholas. In the morning our children found their shoes filled with special little gifts and Dutch chocolates. On Saint Nicholas Day my kitchen was (and still is) filled with the aroma of Dutch Pea Soup, Gouda cheese, hot Brot (breadrolls) and a Dutch Apple Cake all sugary and cinnamony along with Dutch Sweethearts for dessert (a large cut-out Gingerbread Man and Lady). Before our Dutch meal I read a special prayer about Saint Nicholas and we enjoy a delicious Dutch supper together. I began this tradition 30 years ago after the birth of our first child and it continues today in our family. Now with three grown children we give each of them, along with our four Godchildren a gift for Saint Nicholas Day each year and we continue to enjoy having this special Dutch supper with our adult children when they come home. Family tradition is so important to me and it has been so special to read how other families celebrate the upcoming holidays
on your blog ~ along with the precious memories of their grandmothers and mothers recipes and recipe boxes which are such wonderful family treasures
and a special bond between the generations of women in so many families.
Wishing you a happy autumn. ~Debbie
I’m loving reading about all the traditions too, thank you so much for telling us about yours, it sounds magical!
Christmas tradition in our home involves a formal “dress-up” candlelight dinner after church on Christmas Eve, with lots of good food (special recipes :-)), laughter and conversation, followed by our gift opening. At bedtime, cookies and milk are set out for Santa, along with carrot sticks for the reindeer. We sometimes sprinkle reindeer food (cracked corn) on the front lawn, too. After the little ones are in bed our son-in-law takes a broom handle and creates reindeer footprints in the snow around the corn. Christmas morning is our “jammy brunch” . . . we again set the table with our best dishes and have candlelight (yes, in the morning!) but everyone comes in their pj’s or some form of comfies. After brunch we open our stockings and then spend a relaxing day together. I have several of your Christmas Memories books, Susan, and I set them out each year for the kids and grandkids to look through. I started with the birth of our first grandchild and have continued from there. Thank you for helping me take care of our treasured memories!
Dress up really helps the photos look good! So does Jammy breakfast! Thank you Jeanne!
hi susan cute box. would love the recipe nancy
You’re in, Nancy!
Well, my favorite holiday tradition is a table cloth I started many years back for Thanksgiving. No matter who comes to Thanksgiving (and every year it seems to be different) I have everyone write something or things they are thankful for on it in colored Sharpies….and then, later thru the long winter nights, I embroider their notes onto the tablecloth. I treasure that tablecloth! : )
That’s such a great idea . . . I found a picnic cloth like that at an antique store ones, some of the dates under the signatures were from the 1940’s and there were outlines of little hands on it too!
You’ve reminded me to oil my cutting board. I am rather lax about that, I’m afraid. But what a difference it makes!
Favorite holiday tradition…I think it has become our Christmas Coffee Cake. I found a recipe many years ago in a magazine put out by Whole Foods and I made the coffee cake the next Christmas. Well, my husband now insists on it every year. It’s a Christmas morning tradition.
xo
Claudia
Sounds delicious Claudia!
Oh what I would give for even just the recipe card in your handwriting! I have started recipe boxes for both of my girls and every time they help me prepare something, I write up the recipe for them and put it in the box. When they were young, I used to do this as a secret but then I worried if something were to happen to me that they would never know I had done this for them (the recipe boxes were hidden for years). Once they were teenagers, I gave them their recipe boxes for Christmas one year, and we continue to add to them. Not really the holiday tradition story you requested, but rather an important recipe tradition that I think my girls will cherish more and more when they are older 🙂
I’m sure they will Brenda! Such a wonderful gift.
Hi Susan!
I read your Blog first thing this morning and should have commented then, but had too much to do. I loved the train trip you took us on! I grew up in CA, but my grandparents lived in NC, so every summer we made the trip to see them on the train. That brought back so many memories – would love to go on another trip in a sleeper car like you!
Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday! I just love everything about it – mostly the turkey and pies making heavenly smells in the house. Then the day after, making Turkey Soup!
Thank you for your Blog – I look so forward to it. Thank you for the give aways too. I love reading all the comments and wouldn’t let myself comment until I had read them all! Would love to give the little box a home in my country kitchen, so keeping my fingers crossed! Love and Blessings, Gloria
PS. I loved the spoon your Dad made and my husband, Roger is going to try and make me one (might have to abbreviate my name though – LOL!).
Yes, initials are always nice 🙂 ! Thanks for coming back to comment! I’m with you, love reading what everyone has to say!
How sad that someone parted with a family recipe box, but how fortunate for one of us. This will be a little treasure box for someone to open and explore. You’re most thoughtful! Thank you!
Thank you Madeline!
Hi Susan welcome back! Our favorite holiday tradition is Grandchild Christmas Cookie Baking Day!! The kids love it and I get each of them their own apron and chefs hat. Decorations and sugar and sprinkles and flour everywhere! Then the next day we package them up with pretty boxes and ribbon and deliver to family and friends! Even our dog helps by eating dropped cookies!!
Sounds like lots of fun! Kids are so lucky to have you!
Wow! How do you pick! A dear friend just gave me a fall leaf door hanger. Love fall colors!
My favorite Christmas tradition is being wrapped in the love and laughter of family. Enjoyment of twinkling lights, soft Christmas music, the dancing glow of the fireplace, the aroma of special foods and the magic of home.
When we were kids, Santa always brought new underwear and socks, Ugh! But through the adult years, I’ve kept up the tradition with new socks for all the siblings and spouses. Now I get to add my son, his wife, and our new granddaughter, Daphne! I’ve changed the color of the socks over the years so that we all got red one year, yellow the next, etc. Over 25 years or so, there is a rainbow in our sock drawers and lots of laughter and reminiscing! I’m hoping that this family tradition will be picked up by the next generation and the laughs and love will continue.
They would miss those socks now if you stopped!
I am convinced that in a former life, I crossed the ocean on the Mayflower! Nothing thrills me more than Thanksgiving celebrations, and I make every attempt to share the joy with my family by keeping a Family Thanksgiving Scrapbook. It is filled with pictures of family Thanksgivings (some dating back to the 1950’s), prayers, poems, songs, jokes, recipes, stories, craft ideas, pressed fall leaves, Thanksgiving projects and stories created years ago by our school aged family members, and the telephone number for the Butterball Turkey Hotline! (It doesn’t bother me at all that it is now called the “Thanksgiving Manual” instead of a scrapbook!)
The book, also, contains a page for each year on which all who are present write what they have been most thankful for in the past year. In order to give future generations a clear picture of who we really are as a family, we tend to lean toward the “less lofty” yet memorable events in our lives: “So thankful we finally sold the old 100,000+ miles station wagon.” “Thankful that the hairdresser was able to fix my hair. I’ll never to cut my own bangs again.” “I’m thankful I’m not still commuting to Cleveland.” etc. etc. The book has grown to two volumes, and it makes for great reading and great memories every year.
And more of a treasure every year! Love it!
Thanks for blogging…I enjoy coming here and finding special thoughts and memories, and lovely, lovely photos and paintings. I’m not at my desk anymore, I’m there with you, sharing giggles and recipes — speaking of which, the box is adorable! Our last few Christmases have been so different; one of our sons is estranged from the family (his and his wife’s choice) and it seems there’s a hole in the family circle. We are focusing on traditions, new and old, and concentrating on our blessings, and they are many. I’m praying that someday soon we will all be together, singing carols, reading in Luke 2, and sharing yummy foods!
Holes happen in the best of families, but there’s a hole anyway, and a loss. There’s always hope where there is life. So sorry, but I love how you handle it!
Such a fun post, Susan!
I actually have an old wooden recipe box that was my grandmother’s and a few of her handwritten recipe cards and cookbooks with her notes. One of the cookbooks is called A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband and was published in 1917. So much fun to read. I wrote about it a couple of years ago. http://becoming-g.blogspot.com/2008/02/thousand-ways-to-please-husband.html
My mother made dozens of assorted cookies to share each Christmas. One year, while baking with her grand-daughter, she absentmindedly grabbed a bottle of red food coloring instead of a bottle of vanilla and added it to her chocolate crinkles. Ever since then we have added red food coloring to our chocolate crinkles at Christmastime. My mother left us 14 years ago today and there isn’t a day that I don’t miss her…and her red tinged chocolate crinkles.
That is just perfect! What a charming memory of your mom!
Well, I know its only October, but all this “holiday tradition” talk is getting me so excited for Christmas! My favorite tradition is what my family calls “The Christmas tree game.” We turn off all the lights, except for the tree lights, drink our rum and egg nog, and play I -spy with the ornaments. For as long as I remember, we have added at least 5 new ornaments to the tree each year, so there are many many ornaments to choose from. and its so fun to think of clever clues to give to the other family members. It started out as a game we played as kids, but every Christmas, when we are all back together at my parents’ house, the clues and laughter never get old. 🙂
Lovely!!
Well seeing as how my birthday falls on Christmas, I love EVERYTHING about the season! The music, smells, tastes and general excitement always put me in a cheerful mood. I think just spending time in the kitchen, making goodies for family and friends is my favorite tradition. It always puts a smile on my face when I know someone has enjoyed what I made!
This is my favorite time of the year, summer is over and the yard is done for 6 months and on too Halloween and thanksgiving and start planning the home made gifts. Our house now has quilts hanging of pumpkins and others harvest things for the seasoning. The front porch has pumpkins that will be their until after thanksgiving. Then, everything is put away and house is clean from top to bottom and out comes Christmas quilts, Santa and our Snowman.
Cook book and recipe boxes are the greatest thing to have to start planning the meals for the season. Sally
Sounds very festive; we are such a creative group here! Thank you Sally!
Welcome Home Susan! I’ve loved going along on the ride with you and Joe. I’m hoping to make the cross-country trip to California next summer with my own girls and you have given me so many happy spots to look forward to. My mom made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins many years ago and they have become a delightful addition to our fall tradition. My girls were excited that I made them for our Sunday dinner this week. Doesn’t it feel great when the people we love are excited by our cooking?
It feels wonderful!!! Such an inspiration to do more! 🙂
hi susan..love your blog and your recipes and all the girls’ comments. so comforting to read..glad your trip was successful and so very fun….just adored the pictures and inspired to try the train. Several years ago, I wanted to coax my grandchildren into the kitchen…so i started, what is now one of our most beloved holiday traditions…each child has their own all ready assembled gingerbread house to decorate any way they choose. There is a ton of royal icing for glue and more candies, marshmellows, m&m’s, peppermints, neccos, skittles, even Peeps snowmen than you can shake a stick at!! the kids are so creative….it’s a blast to watch them..the kitchen is a total disaster, everything is sticky, but they leave, proud as punch, with their houses to enjoy for the Christmas season.
So glad you are “coaxing” and snowman peeps seems just the way to do it!
Hi Susan! You are such a kindred spirit! A tradition in my husband’s family is to make a cranberry “necklace” for the Thanksgiving turkey. Older children can have fun helping to string the cranberries as we all wait for the big meal. The necklace looks gorgeous draped on the golden bird.
I bet it does!
Christmas Eve Soup! It’s a bacon-y, potato-y, corn-y chowder. I serve it in my hand painted (with the words to “The Night Before Christmas”) soup tureen. It would NOT be Christmas without it. Just ask my boys. (If I win, I’ll tell you the wonderful story of how the soup tureen came to live at my house, and how, when we bought our log house, the entire kitchen had to be designed around a “home” for it.) 🙂
Lisa, I almost hope that you will win this instead of me so I get to hear your story! That is saying something since I want to win this alot… Karen
Hi Susan,
I am relatively new to your blog and just love reading about your adventures. I feel a special closeness to you as I too am a huge fan of cooking and cats (I have 3 of them and love them so much).
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is having the extended family over for a huge Italian seafood feast on Christmas Eve and watching everyone make pinching motions with their hands to signal the arrival of the stuffed lobster onto the table. I cherish old recipes and things of old. You are truly an inspiration to me.
Thank you Lucia, love the pinching motions!
During the Holidays I love to bake cookies and breads or create/sew gift items for family members and dear friends. Since I’m now retired, two years ago I started a new annual tradition for my lady friends who are still working. Lunch includes a make-your-own sandwich and salad bar accompanied by a bowl of homemade soup with leftovers packed to go. Before lunch they enjoy looking at the Christmas tree and decorations throughout the house, including those in the bathrooms. Last year’s bathroom theme was Santa Claus and “decorations” included a letter (taped to the mirror) from my husband detailing how good he had been all year and how he would love to receive a Harley!
Thank you, Susan, for sharing your well-loved daily activities. I look forward to your “show and tells” which enrich my life and lift my spirits. You are a special blessing!
What a fun party, and husband!
Hey there SB <3
Thank you for telling us how to care for our wooden things!! I told my husband your tip about the salt and lemon juice…he is eager to try it out!!
I adore the little wooden recipe box!! It would fit right in with my favorite holiday memories!! Cooking in my Grannys kitchen in Louisiana! Her floors are old weatherd brick and she has a complete wall of floor to ceiling windows looking out over the lake! Me and Granny, my Mom and my Aunt all standing around her super long island chopping, mixing, stiring, talking and laughing. Every now and then one of the men will wander in for a sample. But, mostly it's just us girls! Sharing secrets and a little gossip!!
I have some recipes they wrote for me in their own handwriting!! The fact that they wrote them down for me makes it all the more special!! Thank you for the chance to win such an amazing prize!!
As my Granny would say…. Happy Fall Y'all 🙂
xoxo donna marie
Love the description of the kitchen, it sounds wonderful….Happy fall Donna Marie!
Oh dear Susan – how happy I would be to give your sweet recipe box a cozy home….the first cake of the season would be baked in your honour! Matter of fact, even if I’m not the lucky gal who wins, the caramel apple cake will STILL be dedicated to all lovely things autumn and YOU (many thanks already from my husband 🙂
You are adored!
Thank you Tamra, that is so nice to hear . . . say hi to Him for me!