The days leading up to Christmas are always a busy time at my family's home. The kids are all running around talking about Santa Claus. The boys are all sitting around watching football and eating my sister's cookies. My mom is baking her famous Red Velvet Cakes. Meanwhile, my friends and I are watching mom bake waiting for a little piece of deliciousness. Oh, and somehow my mother convinces us to help her wrap Christmans gifts. These are the holiday traditions that I look forward to every December.
It used to be that I was only a spectator in the sport of holiday cooking. All that baking and making a turkey just seemed like too much work for little ol' me. But recently I've surrounded myself with good people who enjoy cooking as much as they enjoy life itself. During Thanksgiving, we concocted the feast of all feasts. Each person was asked to bring a dish and we pulled out all the stops. For some strange reason, I was in charge of the turkey. I've never done this before, and in order to feed everyone I had to cook not one, but two birds! I tried to play it cool, but the day of the party I was freaking out. Much to my surprise, the turkeys were perfect. Days after that success, I made a sweet potato soufflé and two sweet potato pies. I don't know what's gotten into me.
On my quest to becoming a domestic goddess, I picked up a few tricks that may be helpful to you too. First of all, start early. Find a recipe you love and make sure you have all the ingredients you need before you start cooking. I'm really into fusing family recipes with new things I find on Epicurious or the Food Network. Next, pace yourself. When you have a lot of cooking to do, a simple recipe that should only take 30 minutes might end up taking over an hour. If you're feeling overwhelmed, recruit some help. Every chef needs a sous chef, a line cook, and all that the usual staff of a five star restaurant even if you're just in your own kitchen. Finally, I like to cook with music. If I'm singing and dancing, then I'm putting love into the food. You can taste the difference between someone who just follows a recipe and someone who really put their foot in it, if you know what I mean.
Share the gift of good food this holiday. Cook from your heart. Eat enough that your tummy is full, but make sure you have enough for leftovers. Spread the love.
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