A Very Ruybalid Christmas

The kids decorated the tree mostly themselves this year!

My oldest son took this picture

We always cut our own tree, this year our tree is small and my son Joel is still asking if we can get a better one next year

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This year I did actually get around to making Christmas cards, but we did not write a letter.  In my family the letter is just a much a part of the Christmas card tradition as the card.  My family usually has a stack of other people's letters on a coffee table in the living that we read as they are received and again as we might want to.  Cards are posted on the wall as well.  With the invention of photo cards, we usually have a fridge covered in beautiful family photos. 

I love to reflect on traditions this time of year because it is one of the few seasons people still focus on traditions.  My mother and her mother and probably mothers before that have always made mince pies.  I do not own a mince pie tin, but I have adapted my recipe to muffin tins.  The danger in making mince pies in muffin tins is that they are much bigger than my mom's cute little mince pies.  One can get away with eating a couple of mom's, but we should probably stick to one pie each.  Sadly I only make my own pastry for these sweet treats as my mom is the one who makes the mince meat each year.  Her mince meat does not have actual meat in it.  It is dried fruit soaked in sugar and brandy, but again I have yet to make it myself.  I need to get her recipe so I can pass the tradition down of course.  My pastry recipe is simple:
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tbsp sugar
cut 1/2 cup of butter into until you have crumble like texture
add one egg and them mix in just enough water to make a smooth dough a few tbsps

My mom's mince meat is also great for making a batch of Stollen as a lot of the ingredients are there.  I just add blanched almonds to the fruit.  We have had Stollen for about the past three years because a bakery in town makes some amazing Stollen and I wanted to figure out how to bake it myself.  I am not sure if I will make this every year, but it is a fun find.

During the Christmas season we try and make gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies at least once.  This year we did not make cut outs, but there is still time.  The kids are just thrilled when I get the red and green sprinkles out.  Our sugar cookies this year had a hint of peppermint extract in them, something I have thought might be gross, but actually ended up tasting great.  Just skip the vanilla and add peppermint instead.  The house smells like Christmas as they bake and they taste like a cake-like candy cane. 

With little kids it is easy to try to hard to create experiences that only make one tired.  It is good to pair things down a bit and figure out what activities best suit your family.  We all like to bake, but I want my little kids to be a part of it too. 

My family made a big deal about the Christmas dinner and my husband remembers fancy Christmas breakfasts.  We combine them all to make a lot of family time at the table together.  We start with eggs, salsa, gingerbread men biscuits, and usually some fruit.  Then the rib roast goes in the oven and the side dishes change yearly based on who is around to eat them.  Last year we made french macaroons for after dinner, but I am not sure if I feel like working that hard this year.  I had help from my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law piped them all perfectly.  I have consider brownies cut out like Christmas trees, or maybe some other kind of mini cakes.  That could be fun actually.  We will have to wait and see.  I should have this planned by now, but I do not.  There are still a couple of days.

I guess you could say we focus on food and meals because gifts in our house are usually homemade.  The kids often find them while I am making them.  There are some surprises of course and we all enjoy homemade hats, pjs, sock, dresses, and all.  I like making gifts for the kids because we can add a personal touch to everything.  Just about everything on the tree was made by the kids as well.  Then I know nothing will break on them and everything is fun a playful looking.

Now what does this have to do with a Christmas letter?  It doesn't.  I guess part two of my post will be the actual Christmas letter, hopefully written before Christmas.