A Christmas to Remember.

I am not at all religious. Not even in the slightest. And yet, as a child, I grew up celebrating Christmas day each year. I mean we would go all out in our silly, over-the-top decoration of the living room (thankfully for my dad, not the entire house), the preparation and indulgence of the massive turkey dinner, with all of the trimmings that nobody really wanted and to top it off; the unnecessary expenditure on gifts. Still, we would all force the festivities down a right treat, in the end. I remember the event being somewhat fantastical as a kid, but as I have grown older, some of that charm and novel shine has simply lost its razzle-dazzle for me.

Tis the Season: For the sheer delight of our children.

The season often gets me thinking of the sheer lengths we will go to, for a simple smile... just so we can see the elation on our children’s faces; it really is magnificent. I remember my poor, wonderful mother would pre-cook the turkey the night before - a task that would go well into the early hours of the morning; it was no easy feat. On Christmas day, at eight o'clock in the morning she’d make her way through the freezing cold house just to spend the next two hours peeling and trimming potatoes along with the dreaded sprouts for a brood of four excitable children and an annually grouchy husband. The rest of the morning was spent prepping the sauce and veggie, cleaning and warming the house, washing-up, tending to an obligatory cut or burn and ultimately, conjuring up a spectacular, but humble little feast. She does this pretty much solo every year with some of the kids eventually chipping in as we got older. This is my nostalgic attachment to the Christmas Yuletide – my mother’s remarkable efforts.

Now that I am a mother myself, with three beautiful children, I too, find myself dancing to the all too familiar beat of the Christmas ritual; and a great performance it must be if I can create a few ecstatic smiles and wonderful memories with my own loved ones.

So, in dedicating this year’s annual cooking marathon to my amazing mother’s lifelong efforts; have a warm, merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Happy Holidays.