Shanti0608 said:

PositivityNYC said:

it keeps for a month...?

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

You called Genesia old.

PositivityNYC said:

MoniGram said:

What is Christmas pudding?

it keeps for a month...?

After Christmas

Christmas puddings have very good keeping properties and many families keep one back from Christmas to be eaten at another celebration later in the year, often at Easter. Constance Spry records that it was not uncommon to go so far as to make each year's pudding the previous Christmas.

Cerebus said:

Shyra said:

It's not the same anymore since the death of my dad. My family is very small, only mom, my brother and me. Sure, there are cousins, but for some reason, we don't keep in touch. They all live out of state and are grown with their own children and grandchildren, so we've grown apart. Since my brother and I never married and had families, we spend all our holidays with our mom, who just turned 86 yesterday. So on major holidays my brother and I go to her retirement community where a holiday brunch is always served.

That made me think, perhaps we should all aim to visit a retirement home for the holidays? There has to be a lot of lonely people during those times.

Shyra said:

One thing I do miss about Christmas morning is making oyster stew with my daddy. I was a "Daddy's Girl," and anything my daddy did or ate, I wanted to be a part of. So he taught me how to make oyster stew, and it was a tradition for just the two of us (my brother and mother didn't like oysters) every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning.

My Dad always made oyster stew for Christmas! Every christmas eve he'd cook it for dinner and after we ate we kids would usually open our gifts on Christmas Eve and get treats and snacks in our stockings Christmas morning. I think with 5 children, it was easy to let us open them the night before so they could get some sleep! I just remember my parents being fried frazzled stressed all the time. I guess five kids will do that!

My Dad always cooks for the big holidays or when any of us come visit.

Your tradition just made me feel like a big Heel. I don't go home often. Although she's getting better, or I'm less reactive, my mother is a handful. It's better to deal with her from a distance. But my dad doesn't get to see us as much. But we did fly home for his 70th birthday in August and surprise him with my sister and a big birthday dinner. It just doesn't make up for the years in between.

MoniGram said:

PurpleJedi said:

Tamales for breakfast? Do you make the "sweet" ones with raisins for Christmas? (I never tried them before).

We watch the Charlie Brown Christmas video every year (and "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" every Halloween!).

No, I too have never had them, but I have heard they are really yummy.

I watch The Great Pumpkin too...."I got a rock"

When I was like 7 or 8, I was in Honduras for the Holidays and my aunt took me to a neighbor's house where they offered some to us.

Between the raisins and the white creamy sauce on top (I can assume it was probably sugary) it really grossed me out.

But now I would love to try one!!!

MotorBootyAffair said:

For the past 4 years, considering that I'm the artist/ musician / dj in the family, I compile a Holiday Compilation for family members that I give out at the annual Holiday Party. I try to blend in mostly the older recordings, maybe a couple of spiritual tunes, and add a soundtracky-holiday instrumental in there. I even ripped that bit from Sanford and Son, when Fred sang the Christmas Song accompanied by a ukelele. So far I've come up with these cuts..

1. 1. This Christmas by Patti LaBelle
2. 2. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love
3. 3. Christmas In New Orleans by Louis Armstrong
4. 4. It Must’ve Been Ole Santa Claus by Harry Connick jr.
5. 5. O Holy Night by Johnny Mathis
6. 6. My Favorite Things by Yolonda Adams
7. 7. Mary’s Boy Child by Harry Belafonte
8. 8. Merry Christmas, Baby by James Brown
9. 9. Sleigh Ride by Ella Fitzgerald
10. 10. Silent Night by The Temptations
11. 11. Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow by Aaron Neville
12. 12. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by Mariah Carey
13. 13. Joy To The World by Whitney Houston
14. 14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Luther Vandross
15. 15. Back Door Santa by BB King
16. 16. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Ellis Marsalis
17. 17. Up On The Housetop by The Jackson 5
18. 18. O Little Town Of Bethlehem by Mahalia Jackson
19. 19. White Christmas by Otis Redding
20. 20. All Because by BeBe & CeCe Winans

This is my new christmas song that's on my holiday mix...

Ignore the special guy trying to act. Just listen to it!!

Bonquisha Christmas!

PunkMistress said:

Shanti0608 said:

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

You called Genesia old.

I would never do that!

Do you think she will share her Christmas pudding recipe??

Shanti0608 said:

PunkMistress said:

You called Genesia old.

I would never do that!

Do you think she will share her Christmas pudding recipe??

Sure, I will!

You'll have to give me a minute, though. I always have to halve it. This recipe makes pudding for a friggin' army. I don't know who the friend who gave it to me thought I was feeding.

Shanti0608 said:

PositivityNYC said:

it keeps for a month...?

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

Thanks Val..now I know

Holiday Traditions:

Avoiding certain relatives at family functions and try to keep the peace between feuding relatives. Getting the obligatory invite to a function.

On the plus side:

Meeting up with friends for the holidays.

Get together with my fun and friendly relatives.

Putting humor back into the Holidays.

johnart said:

PurpleJedi said:

It's the day that the three wise men visited baby Jesus.

http://www.studioporto.co...eyesmagos/

When I was a kid in PR I got both.

I remember clipping grass to put in a shoebox and sliding the shoebox under my bed (food for the camels ). In the morning the gifts were in the box (if they fit). Then my poor mother had to throw the grass out where I wouldn't see it later.

Reminds me of the time when I was about 7. My mom and I had baked cookies and that nigh,t before going to bed, I insisted on leaving cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. I picked out what I thought were the prettiest of the cookies and put them on a plate. Christmas morning, the first thing I did after looking at all the gifts under the tree was to see if Santa ate the cookies. Sure enough, they were gone! Santa had come and eaten the cookies!

Fast forward a few hours. My dad asked me to get him some cookies from the cookie tin. I opened the can, and what did I behold? Yep, the very cookies I had put out for Santa. Needless to say, I was verrrrrry suspicious of Santa's "humanity." But you know what? I was such a naive and gullible child, I just got my feelings hurt thinking Santa just didn't want my cookies. I believed in Santa up until I was about 11 years old!

Genesia said:

Shanti0608 said:

I would never do that!

Do you think she will share her Christmas pudding recipe??

Sure, I will!

You'll have to give me a minute, though. I always have to halve it. This recipe makes pudding for a friggin' army. I don't know who the friend who gave it to me thought I was feeding.

No rush. I might not get around to making one this year. Christmas pudding is all over the place here. I have never bought one from the store that I was impressed with yet.

aww! great thread. I love reading everyone's stories.

Dani, GREAT idea bout the thankful box..think I might adopt it if you don't mind!

Val, You've inspired me to start a family tradition of helping others.

for us, Thanksgiving is always at our house, we used to go here or there depending on who was having it but...now that I have kids I just cook a big ol turkey meal and who ever would like to join us is more than welcome. Some years it's just us and the kids, some years my mom and her husband come, some years a brother in law and family come. My dad would almost always come.....man I miss him.

As for Christmas, My brother has a big ol party the saturday before christmas. It's an everybody kind of party, kids, adults, friends, his family, his wifes family...my brother usually makes some kind of cocktail like a vampire martini or something red and we all get a little drunk it's a great time.

Christmas day for us is just at home, with the kids and presents and I usually cook a ham or a big roast or something. I'm usually bored stiff by 4pm....and wishing something was open.

Shorty said:

aww! great thread. I love reading everyone's stories.

Dani, GREAT idea bout the thankful box..think I might adopt it if you don't mind!

Val, You've inspired me to start a family tradition of helping others.

for us, Thanksgiving is always at our house, we used to go here or there depending on who was having it but...now that I have kids I just cook a big ol turkey meal and who ever would like to join us is more than welcome. Some years it's just us and the kids, some years my mom and her husband come, some years a brother in law and family come. My dad would almost always come.....man I miss him.

As for Christmas, My brother has a big ol party the saturday before christmas. It's an everybody kind of party, kids, adults, friends, his family, his wifes family...my brother usually makes some kind of cocktail like a vampire martini or something red and we all get a little drunk it's a great time.

Christmas day for us is just at home, with the kids and presents and I usually cook a ham or a big roast or something. I'm usually bored stiff by 4pm....and wishing something was open.

Hope you and the family have a great holiday!

Shanti0608 said:

Genesia said:

Sure, I will!

You'll have to give me a minute, though. I always have to halve it. This recipe makes pudding for a friggin' army. I don't know who the friend who gave it to me thought I was feeding.

No rush. I might not get around to making one this year. Christmas pudding is all over the place here. I have never bought one from the store that I was impressed with yet.

I had an awesome one from Harrod's once - but it cost an arm and a leg for just a teeny-tiny pudding.

I will immodestly say that I think mine is just as good. I use a bottle of very good Polish porter and a good slosh of Southern Comfort. And I don't use any raisins or fluorescent fruit. I put in stuff like dried pears, dates, figs, cherries (tart and sweet), cranberries and wild blueberries. For the bread crumbs, I use a wonderful, naturally fermented country bread that is made locally. And I make my own toffee sauce to top it.

I have seen family members who hate fruitcake (and even dried fruit by itself) actually lick their pudding plates.

Genesia said:

Shanti0608 said:

No rush. I might not get around to making one this year. Christmas pudding is all over the place here. I have never bought one from the store that I was impressed with yet.

I had an awesome one from Harrod's once - but it cost an arm and a leg for just a teeny-tiny pudding.

I will immodestly say that I think mine is just as good. I use a bottle of very good Polish porter and a good slosh of Southern Comfort. And I don't use any raisins or fluorescent fruit. I put in stuff like dried pears, dates, figs, cherries (tart and sweet), cranberries and wild blueberries. For the bread crumbs, I use a wonderful, naturally fermented country bread that is made locally. And I make my own toffee sauce to top it.

I have seen family members who hate fruitcake (and even dried fruit by itself) actually lick their pudding plates.

That sounds good to me actually. I am a fruit cake hater!

I do not understand ruining a good cake with dried fruit.

I love puddings with alcohol in them.

Shanti0608 said:

Genesia said:

I had an awesome one from Harrod's once - but it cost an arm and a leg for just a teeny-tiny pudding.

I will immodestly say that I think mine is just as good. I use a bottle of very good Polish porter and a good slosh of Southern Comfort. And I don't use any raisins or fluorescent fruit. I put in stuff like dried pears, dates, figs, cherries (tart and sweet), cranberries and wild blueberries. For the bread crumbs, I use a wonderful, naturally fermented country bread that is made locally. And I make my own toffee sauce to top it.

I have seen family members who hate fruitcake (and even dried fruit by itself) actually lick their pudding plates.

That sounds good to me actually. I am a fruit cake hater!

I do not understand ruining a good cake with dried fruit.

I love puddings with alcohol in them.

By the time I've finished adding the booze (and letting it soak for a couple days), that fruit is anything but dry.

OMG I am SUCH a fruit cake LOVER! I can't explain it, I just love the stuff. Dark or light, dried fruit or not, heavy and dense or light and airy - all of it.

In regards to the chowder talk up above, my Mom makes chowder every Christmas eve. It's one of our very few unbroken traditions. She used to just make clam chowder, but over the years due to vegiterians hanging around and then people who weren't fond of it she started making corn chowder, too. Now the corn chowder has gotten so good most people have a little of both, often in the same bowl.

We also use generational tree ornaments. This year my mother, sister and I will all have ornamnets on our tree that belonged to or were given to us by our great grandparents, grandparents, parents (Mom), sisters/brothers (me and my sister, my mom and her sister and brother) and my neices and nephews.

Otherwise, although it's definitely our most celebrated holiday, we change things up a lot. My sisters birthday is very close to Christmas, though, so we sort of just celebrate the season from the week before through New Years Day.

Cerebus said:

OMG I am SUCH a fruit cake LOVER! I can't explain it, I just love the stuff. Dark or light, dried fruit or not, heavy and dense or light and airy - all of it.

In regards to the chowder talk up above, my Mom makes chowder every Christmas eve. It's one of our very few unbroken traditions. She used to just make clam chowder, but over the years due to vegiterians hanging around and then people who weren't fond of it she started making corn chowder, too. Now the corn chowder has gotten so good most people have a little of both, often in the same bowl.

We also use generational tree ornaments. This year my mother, sister and I will all have ornamnets on our tree that belonged to or were given to us by our great grandparents, grandparents, parents (Mom), sisters/brothers (me and my sister, my mom and her sister and brother) and my neices and nephews.

Otherwise, although it's definitely our most celebrated holiday, we change things up a lot. My sisters birthday is very close to Christmas, though, so we sort of just celebrate the season from the week before through New Years Day.

Genesia said:

Cerebus said:

OMG I am SUCH a fruit cake LOVER!

I'm convinced a lot of the hate is just because people think that's what you're supposed to do. Or, and I know this is true, they tried ONE piece of fruit cake and never went back. There's so much joking about how bad fruit cake is, like it's just one singular thing with no variation, but that's totally not the case.

Cerebus said:

Genesia said:

I'm convinced a lot of the hate is just because people think that's what you're supposed to do. Or, and I know this is true, they tried ONE piece of fruit cake and never went back. There's so much joking about how bad fruit cake is, like it's just one singular thing with no variation, but that's totally not the case.

You should taste my mom's fruitcake. It's mostly fruit and nuts - the cake is just there as "glue."

She stores it wrapped in cheesecloth (it lasts for months), and occasionally "bastes" it with more booze.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Genesia said:

Cerebus said:

I'm convinced a lot of the hate is just because people think that's what you're supposed to do. Or, and I know this is true, they tried ONE piece of fruit cake and never went back. There's so much joking about how bad fruit cake is, like it's just one singular thing with no variation, but that's totally not the case.

You should taste my mom's fruitcake. It's mostly fruit and nuts - the cake is just there as "glue."

She stores it wrapped in cheesecloth (it lasts for months), and occasionally "bastes" it with more booze.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My grandmother used to make fruit cake every Christmas from scratch. She would start a month in advance so by the time she mailed the cakes, they were "ripe." She did the whole ritual thing with the pouring of the brandy/bourbon or whatever liquor whe used over the cakes every day and wrapping them in cheesecloth and then in waxed paper and then putting them in those cake tins and then in a box wrapped with the brown paper and string. Oh, the memories!

One year one of the physicians brought a store bought fruit cake to the office. I had never seen a fruit cake so pale and shaped like a brick. Have mercy! That was the best damned cake! I have been searching for it ever since.

PositivityNYC said:

Shanti0608 said:

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

holy cow, that's a lot of work!

looks tho..

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

We're making Struffoli.

...which I always made with my mommy and neither of us would stop eating until they were gone at the end of the holidays and we were both ready to vomit.

[img:$uid]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i9/jgascot/MB2A15_Struffoli_lg-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Genesia said:

Cerebus said:

OMG I am SUCH a fruit cake LOVER! I can't explain it, I just love the stuff. Dark or light, dried fruit or not, heavy and dense or light and airy - all of it.

In regards to the chowder talk up above, my Mom makes chowder every Christmas eve. It's one of our very few unbroken traditions. She used to just make clam chowder, but over the years due to vegiterians hanging around and then people who weren't fond of it she started making corn chowder, too. Now the corn chowder has gotten so good most people have a little of both, often in the same bowl.

We also use generational tree ornaments. This year my mother, sister and I will all have ornamnets on our tree that belonged to or were given to us by our great grandparents, grandparents, parents (Mom), sisters/brothers (me and my sister, my mom and her sister and brother) and my neices and nephews.

Otherwise, although it's definitely our most celebrated holiday, we change things up a lot. My sisters birthday is very close to Christmas, though, so we sort of just celebrate the season from the week before through New Years Day.

I've never really had fruitcake. Once I tasted a slice of some nasty fruit-infused cake-thing from one of those giant gift-sets that businesses send to their clients.

I wouldn't count that as even being real food.

But hey...I have had really strong (authentic fruit-filled) sangria while eating cake...does that count somehow?

johnart said:

PositivityNYC said:

holy cow, that's a lot of work!

looks tho..

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

We're making Struffoli.

...which I always made with my mommy and neither of us would stop eating until they were gone at the end of the holidays and we were both ready to vomit.

[img:$uid]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i9/jgascot/MB2A15_Struffoli_lg-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Ooh...what is that?

johnart said:

PositivityNYC said:

holy cow, that's a lot of work!

looks tho..

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

We're making Struffoli.

...which I always made with my mommy and neither of us would stop eating until they were gone at the end of the holidays and we were both ready to vomit.

[img:$uid]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i9/jgascot/MB2A15_Struffoli_lg-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Awww, that's so sweet! I thought I was the only one who still used that term of endearment at "this age."

johnart eats fried balls for Christmas.

Genesia said:

johnart eats fried balls for Christmas.

Those balls look pretty tasty, though. Tee-hee.

I want to make this stuff now. Christmas pudding. Struffoli. Fruit cake. Y'all need to stop!

PurpleJedi said:

Genesia said:

I've never really had fruitcake. Once I tasted a slice of some nasty fruit-infused cake-thing from one of those giant gift-sets that businesses send to their clients.

I wouldn't count that as even being real food.

But hey...I have had really strong (authentic fruit-filled) sangria while eating cake...does that count somehow?

Now THAT sounds good to me.