I know it’s hard to choose just one, but since I asked you to comment with your favorite holiday song and/or treat for the giveaway, I figured I should ante up with my own (yeah, not choosing just one, either).
My family was never really into any of the religious aspects of Christmas, but that said, we totally get into this holiday in a BIG way. It was all about Santa and Rudolph when I was a kid, and of course lots of candy and cookies and homemade deliciousness and a big sparkly tree full of special handmade ornaments and cute little critters.
We watch the stop-motion version of Rudolph (”Herbie doesn’t like to make toys!”) together every year, as well as Garfield’s Christmas, and our #1 family favorite, The Muppet Family Christmas.
“Be careful on the icy patch!”
As for music, the tradition that I always remember was listening to Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer with my Grandma, my brothers and my cousins a few weeks before Christmas when we gathered at her house to decorate gingerbread and sugar cookies. We’d also crank the Chipmunk’s Christmas and have a good time trying to imitate them, while decorating our decapitated gingerbread men with buckets of icing, chocolate chips, sprinkles, marshmallows, and even licorice (I have a bunch of morbid-sense-of-humor boys in my family, what can I say?). Grandma would always follow that with ice cream sundaes for everyone, and we’d all go home in a sugar-coma and listen to the Carpenters Christmas Portrait while we helped mom decorate and clean and bake more and more cookies! sugar!
As an adult, though, my tastes are still in the sugar-loving realm, but my musical taste has calmed down a bit, and right now I’m totally completely in love once again with the Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs, featuring lovely lady singers such as Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Fiona Apple, Lenka and Meiko. Very pretty and modern takes on traditional songs. I’m also a sucker for Vince Gauralidi’s Charile Brown Christmas.
As for treats, the chex mix (we add potato sticks, too) never lasts long around here or at my mom’s, especially if the bowl is placed in front of me or any of my brothers, but my all-time favorite is what we called “Air-heads”; chocolate chip meringue cookies. YUM (I might just have to make a batch one of these days)! I also love the cinnamon rolls my mom always makes on Christmas morning, just to tide us over until we can dig into a big brunch or dinner.
::::sigh:::: This is getting me excited for the season! I can’t wait until we have a chance to get our tree this weekend, and get things all festive around here. I’ve been so busy getting ready for all those holiday fairs and orders, and John is finishing up his semester, so it’s been a bit crazy around here. We did manage (well, John did!) to hang lights outside, and finally got all the pumpkins off the porch; the chickens are enjoying them now!
Thanks for all your comments so far; be sure to enter the Holiday Card giveaway by midnight Wednesday by leaving a comment with your favorite holiday song/album or tasty treat!
