Holiday Traditions

I love this time of year, Christmastime! We have so many family traditions around the holidays and that is what makes this time of year so special to me! I would love to hear some of your favorite family traditions.  I have always been use to be a stickler for NO Christmas decorations until after our Thanksgiving meal, however that seems to be harder each year to wait until after Thanksgiving.  I do my best to still wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate but may sneak some Christmas music here and there.  One of our traditions is a real Christmas tree and my mom has a very special way of putting lights on the tree to make it look amazing, I'm happy to say for the first time in the four years I've been decorating my very own tree I think I may have gotten it close to Mama Gordon standards! She was in town and helped instruct me but I put all the lights on my tree and am very happy with them minus a few bare spots that my OCD self can't quite handle but I'm getting there. Overall, I am very happy with my tree this year and love that I'm typing this blog post while sitting next to my beautifully lit tree with a Sparkling Snow candle burning - may I say 'Tis the Season!

One tradition we have always had growing up is that we make Stromboli while we decorate the house for Christmas! This recipe is easy to make ahead, freeze, and heat when needed!

Ingredients for Meat Mixture
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon fine chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/8 teaspoon oregano
6 slices mozzarella cheese
This year we added pepperoni and salami slices

Steps
1. Brown beef and onion in a skillet.
2. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, garlic and spices.
3. Cook for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Bread Preparation
6 sub buns
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Steps
1. Mix butter, garlic powder and paprika. Split buns and spread on butter mixture.
2. Put mozzarella cheese on bun. Put pepperoni and salami slices on bun.  Spread on meat mixture.
3. Wrap individually in tin foil.
4. Bake in tin foil at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  If you freeze, take out a day before and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy your Stromboli, Christmas music and get ready to decorate your home!

Another family tradition is that each year on Christmas Eve we received matching Christmas pajamas! A few years ago my mom took that special tradition and made it into something that I will always cherish - a beautiful quilt with some of our past pajamas. It is BEAUTIFUL and one of my favorite Christmas decorations to pull out each year.

 

There will be plenty of baking posts around the holidays but I just wanted to start off the season with some of my favorite traditions - don't forget to send me some of your holiday traditions tablespoonsandtastingforks@gmail.com

One last photo to leave you with, this is Harrison first Christmas tree and he seems to like it!

 

Merry Christmas