My family is pretty traditional, and basic with the food. Growing up the highlights of Christmas day were turkey and ham (cuz there was always a gob of us), the scary green jello/whip cream salad, and homemade sweet-bread rolls (nom nom nom). But what was the best on both sides of the family were the treats.

On my Dad’s side, my Grandmother always made Divinity and I learned the process from her. It was one of my favorite things to do with her each year. Another thing she made was Red Cake. Yes, it deserves the capitalization. I KNOW I have a picture of it around somewhere but I can’t find it (bah!). The recipe calls for something like 3 bottles of red food coloring–and this was back in the carcinogenic-red-food-coloring days. That thing glowed. It was covered in fluffy white frosting and she had a plastic Santa in his sleigh for the top.

Well-loved blue Fiesta cup used in making fudge by my Grandfather.

On my Mom’s side, my Grandma and great Aunt always cooked up a storm including the previously mentioned rolls, cookies galore, and candies. But the most “famous” item was actually made by my Grandfather: fudge. Now, his recipe wasn’t all that secret and I got it from him a couple years before he died, but the method was unique. See, he didn’t measure ingredients like everyone else. He used a fiesta cup. The blue one. That’s missing a handle. Had to be that one, nothing else would do.

When my Grandma passed away this summer and they were cleaning out the house, Mom grabbed the battered blue Fiesta cup and sent it to me. I have my own fudge recipe which the my family LOVES, but this year I’m thinking we’ll have two kinds. And Divinity. And perhaps even a red cake, sans glow.

-30-

Growing up we always had real trees for our Christmas tree. Since we lived in the mountains of Colorado, that’s really no surprise. The suckers were everywhere. Since we had plenty of family in the area, getting the Christmas tree was turned into an event–not something you could just walk outside and get.

A bunch of the family would get together and we’d caravan to some remote forest and then trudge out in search of the perfect tree (yes, feel free to pause and picture Christmas Vacation, now one of my Dad’s favorite Christmas movies by the way). Us kids would get cold and cranky because really, what did we have to do but look at a bunch of trees that look remarkably like the ones outside our house.

The boys enjoying the magic of the Christmas tree, circa 2001

But in the end, we’d have the tree and we’d all caravan back to one house and have a Chili feed. I don’t remember for sure if someone stayed behind to tend the food, if they just left the pot on (I wouldn’t think so…), or maybe warmed it back up. But we’d eat and visit and officially kick off the holidays.

Later, the tree would come into the house to warm up for something like 3-days, allowing it to thaw out and the branches ‘settle’. Then Dad would move in with his drill and the ‘filler’ boughs so that the tree would be perfect. Serious.

We’re a *little* more relaxed these days. We went with an artificial tree back when our kids were born and we realized we’d be traveling during the holidays to be with family. We couldn’t NOT put a tree up beforehand and we didn’t want to come home to a pile of needles in the carpet either. Our trusty tree has served us well and now my elder son is old enough–and tall enough–he helps put it together.

While my memories from my childhood are great and I feel a little bad my kids don’t have something similar, I’m sure they have their own version. And in the end, it’s about those memories. And the magic.

-30-