I am often asked, “What is your favorite family tradition over the holidays?” I haven’t had an answer because I really like all Christmas traditions. The Christmas tree, the food, the music and attending church…. I just couldn’t single one out.. Until now. For me, hands down, it is the Christmas cards.
I love, love, love Christmas cards. It’s the one time of year I don’t dread going to the mailbox to find another bill or all that blessed junk mail. I can’t wait to see who is doing what. Photo cards are nice but I even like the cards themselves as the paper is nice and the colors are so bright.
My Grandma would tape them around the doorframe of her kitchen. After Christmas she’d let me and my brother cut them up. My brother and I would help mom send out cards by being her stamp lickers, as we‘d stand there taking turns with our tongues sticking out. (Yes, children you used to have to provide a little spit to mail a letter).
I remember bringing old Christmas cards to Birch Grove Elementary School. The teacher would have us cut them in shapes of ornaments. Then we’d glue our school picture to the backs and take them home to hang on the tree as “recycled/remade” presents for our parents. I am sure my mom still has some of those ornaments from first and second grade. We were green when green wasn’t cool.
My sweet neighbor brought me salsa in a gift bag decorated with a recycled Christmas card. Did you know you can take your old cards to Senior Dining in Annandale or Grand Marais and they will “re-make” the cards into “new” cards? This is a great place to shop for handmade beautiful cards for all occasions.
I don’t take my Christmas cards there, though, because between you and me, I am a card hoarder. I just can’t part with them. I make a Christmas scrapbook and glue each and every card I receive in the book. Our family card is the cover decoration. I also cut out everyone’s return address label and then I keep all the stamps in the book as well. I know it sounds overthe top but I have a great secret fear: I think the tradition of mailing and receiving Christmas cards might be dying.
You may not have noticed, but because I keep “detailed” Christmas card records, I am sad to tell you, it is true. Fewer and fewer people are sending cards each and every year.
The first couple of years I wasn’t really sure; a few people wouldn’t send a card, but through the arrival of cards from new friends it all seemed to even out. Then about three years ago I got an e-card…. yikes!
No offense, I found it to be disappointing. I printed the little e-card and taped it to a page in the Christmas card book, but I felt sad. Don’t get me wrong, I know sending cards is a big luxury and a big expense…the cost of the cards themselves can easily be 75 cents apiece and then the cost of the stamps…let’s face it, 44 cents adds up fast. Big difference from the ten to twenty cent stamps of my childhood. You could blink and we would be talking at least a dollar per card.
But as a friend, I am begging you, please don’t let this tradition die an easy death. We just can’t let all forms of communication be impersonal and virtual…email, e-cards, text messaging and Facebook all have their place but I don’t want a “paperless” Christmas card system. I want a card…a signature, a note, and yes, a stamp!
Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
Norman Vincent Peale
As these Minnesota temps dip below freezing it’s time to think HOT …. in my case that means Hot Fudge , Maple Hot Chocolate and Hot Pumpkin Soup
Homemade Hot Fudge
Ingredients
One stick of butter
6 tablespoons cocoa
One cup of sugar
One can of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan. Mix the cocoa with the sugar in a separate bowl. Add cocoa sugar mixture to melted butter. Add the can of milk and whisk together. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla. Serve over ice cream or pour into three half pint jars. Store refrigerated. Makes an excellent Christmas gift.
Maple Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
A dash of salt
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 large marshmallows
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in hot water and butter; bring to a boil. Add the milk, maple flavoring, vanilla and 8 marshmallows. Heat through, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted. Ladle into mugs and top each with a marshmallow.
Hot Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
Soup
1 onion, chopped
16 ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 (14-ounce) cans ready-to-serve chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half-and-half cream
Cilantro pesto topping
2 cups fresh cilantro
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
To make pesto: In food processor, combine cilantro, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until chopped. Add olive oil and process until blended. Set pesto aside.
To make soup: In 3-4 quart crockpot, combine onion, pumpkin and 1 can of chicken broth; mix until blended. Add remaining chicken broth and drained corn. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours until hot and flavors are blended.
Add half-and-half to soup, turn crockpot to high, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve soup topped with the cilantro pesto. Serves 6-8.
Tastes Like Home columnist Sandy (Anderson) Holthaus lives on an alpaca farm in South Haven, MN with her husband, Michael, and their children Zoe, Jack and Ben. Her heart remains on the North Shore where she grew up with her parents, Art and LaVonne Anderson of Schroeder. She enjoys writing about her childhood and mixes memories with delicious helpings of home-style recipes.
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