Food is something that is easily taken for granted on a day-to-day basis, but for many it’s a newfound passion around the holidays. It’s funny to see folks really display a sense of pride when cooking their favorite holiday dishes. Betty has her favorite glazed ham, while Peter dazzles his office with his special eggnog.
Cooking has always been a tradition in my family. We eat together, pray together and fight for the last buttermilk biscuit. My dad used to say, “We always cook for a gang of folks because our food attracts a gang of folks.” He would rather cook too much than too little. My family and I grew up with very little, but my dad would hide it well. He often said, “If we have eggs, milk, flour and butter, we can eat like kings.”
My family taught me how to make everything from scratch, so I could see where the finished masterpiece came from. My grandmother would mix in some words of wisdom along with the ingredients, like “It is not so much where you came from but how you turn out that matters.”
‘Tis the season to be thankful for your family and enjoy every moment you are able to spend with them. Unfortunately, my family is out of state and my grandmother has passed, but that has never stopped me from keeping the kitchen working overtime. I roll up my sleeves and whip up a batch of milk gravy and biscuits and I’m right back in that precious woman’s kitchen. The holidays remind me to slow down, savor the warmth of family, and – oh, yes – take a little pride in what comes out of my kitchen.
