Christmas in the Kitchen

Spending some quality time in the kitchen again as I try to get things done here before we leave for AZ and the rest of the season there. Of course there are the treats we like to do for people who have been so good to us here as well as those we home teach/visit teach. That has not always been very important to me, but in the last couple of years I have decided that even though I don't know some of these people very well they should be on my list at Christmas. Some of Grumpy's home teaching families won't even open the door to him, one sister is in a care facility and doesn't really know who he is from month to month and I have never been able to catch one of my sisters home to meet her. Nonetheless, I feel it is important they know we do think of them and hope they are doing well. With that in mind I made two batches of toffee, 1 batch of caramels (haven't made those for years) and found a cute idea on LDS living for a simple treat. Got the toffee all packed into the tins in the pic below and am now working on getting the caramels cut and wrapped and some M&M's into something cute. I think Taya is using the M&M idea for her give-a-ways this year. Can't wait to see a pic of how she did hers.




I'm a little frightened so see if the caramels are going to behave and come out of the dish okay. I hope so, otherwise I envision throwing the whole thing in the garbage, dish and all. That would be sad as I really like caramels. And my dish.



I decided to make the second place soup recipe from the LDS Living soup contest since I have made the grand prize winner and the third place winner. It sounded like a great recipe and it didn't disappoint. I will post that recipe on the cooking blog for anyone who might like to try Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup. I know Taya's family has tried it and decided it was a keeper.

Not much else going on here today. I have been going through Nana's recipe file and want to post some more of her candy recipes she made for the holidays. There are a bunch. She has left us such great information and I know if it is in her file, it must be a good recipe. Most of them I have sampled over the years (which is why I am not a size 3) and hope that we can use the recipes she left to enrich our lives and those around us. Food is such a memory stimulus, at the holidays more than ever. I can remember rolling up on the driveway by the back door of their house on my way home from work, or wherever. Most the time Nana was in the kitchen, or sitting at her little round table. This time of year there would be aluminum take-out rounds filled with fudge, penuche and she would be getting some bows out to stick on the tops. The kitchen would smell like candy cooking and I have associated that with Christmas in my memory. To this day when I walk into a candy shop and smell fudge and other sweets, it takes me right back to Nana's kitchen at Christmas. She always did a container of her chocolate fudge and one of penuche for her kids, and usually one or the other for all the grandkids. She would have stacks of round dishes all over the bar in the dining room ready for a bow and delivery. Papa was the delivery service and he would take them to their neighbors and friends. I know they looked forward to her annual candy and for a couple of years after she passed away, people would remind me how much they loved her talents in the kitchen. The fudge especially.

I hope as my children are in the middle of raising their families they will know how much those things we do in the kitchen, the decorating, the choir practices we attend, and all the other little things we do for the holiday seasons impact their kids. Even the shopping trips to Costco for nuts and chocolate chips this time of year are such a part of the memories I have. Sick, I know. I love it all though and am glad I have such poignant and precious things to remember.