A few of my favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

My friend, Mary,  triggered memories today when she sent me an email  about black walnut divinity.  I started thinking about my favorite Christmas memories when I was a child.  Here are some of them.

• Big, fragrant oranges and grapefruits, a whole box full of them
• Nuts and an old fashioned nut cracker, watching tv,  and picking out my favorite ones, pecans and brazil nuts
• Snow ice cream
• Drinking steaming mugs of hot cocoa after playing outside in the cold
• Orange rinds and cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove
• Russian tea, Mother always made it with Tang, spices and instant iced tea, then we would spoon the mix into mugs of hot water to drink
• Lebkuchen, we made those wonderful, spicy cookies every November and then stored them in big tin containers until Christmas, they were so good, I have the recipe, handed down for generations, I need to make them again…
• Chex Mix, cousin Sue’s was always the best, chocked full of pecans and cashews, not only Chex cereal, but Cheerios and Kix, too,  and Bugles and pretzels, and seasoned with garlic, and spicy hot with lots of Tabasco
• Midnight mass on Christmas eve, the candles, the poinsettas, it was just magic when I was a child
• Opening gifts on Christmas eve, the anticipation of what doll I would get for Christmas. That was the best part, I always got a new doll, every year…
• Aunt Ruby’s Mexican Wedding Cookies, still a family tradition
• Homemade candy, my favorite was called bologna candy, it was a date nut roll, we made it every year.  And that wonderful black walnut divinity and homemade fudge, chocolate and my favorite, peanut butter

As I reread my list, it was all about food, wasn’t it? And it’s still all about the food…  That little girl never quite grew up, and this year I have a new doll to play with, a real, live one.  Baby Abby’s first Christmas.  What a wonderful Christmas this is for our family….