December often arrives with a jolt, leaving many of us scratching our heads wondering where the year went and why our neighbors already have decorations up when we only just remembered to buy our holiday cards (or is that just me?). It is a month of gluttony, indulgence, mumblings of diets in January and the scurrying of feet across the packed tiles of the mall, but December is also a time for remembrance, teary eyed moments of reflection when we unpack the holiday decorations, roll out the heirloom dishes and invite Harry Connick Jr to sing to us while we sip warm cocktails and wear our finest holiday attire. December is a whirlwind of laughter, celebrations and last minute scrambles that see this month pass just as quickly as it arrived. This December I will be….
Celebrating St. Nicholas Night: We spend a week looking at boxes of decorations, and one lonely advent calendar waiting for the 6th of December when we deck the halls, sing fra-la-la-la and tuck our letters to Santa in our boots and leave them by the door before we go to bed. While nothing compares to the wonder of Christmas, in our home, St. Nick’s night is on equal ground, filled with just as much anticipation, excitement and holiday charm.
Having a love/hate relationship with my kitchen. Our last home was our dream home, it took 18 months to gut, refurbish and decorate, every inch of it was carefully thought out, loved and enjoyed…our kitchen especially. Our current home is a blank canvas waiting for attention, the kitchen included, which means that every second I spent in it is a second spent drafting up plans, dreaming and wishing it would change to better suite our lifestyle. I love what it could become, I loathe what it is, and knowing that I will be tethered to it for the next 30 days baking, cooking, drinking, eating and cleaning, I know that I will love the memories being created in it, but loathe how impractical it is every day. My goal this month is to love it for what it is and set our differences aside, even if for just 30 days.
Making Tamales: Tamales and December go hand in hand in Arizona, and this year I am embracing this tradition with my fullest enthusiasm. As a child I grew up watching my grandmother roll them, tie them and sip from her wine glass while she waited for the beauties to emerge from her steaming pot. As with most cooking tasks, she made it look effortless…..I may do my cooking at 3am to avoid onlookers and the opportunity to start over again should my first batch be a screaming failure.
Serving up Persimmons: My husband’s favourite fruit and only available for a short time between November and December. These orang beauties have origins that go back to ancient China and are an excellent source of vitamin A & C, and are rich in fiber. To ripen a persimmon, place it in a punctured brown paper bag and keep at room temperature. Store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to three days. There are so many cooking options available, they are especially lovely in winter breads and cookies, but we often serve them in a fresh winter fruit salad.
Enjoying fresh seasonal foods like Chard, Curly Kale, Cabbage, Leeks, Navel and Blood Oranges, Apples, Pears, Chives, Rosemary, Thyme, Cranberries, Pomegranates, Quince, and Rhubarb will be in your green grocer this month. Wild game like Pheasant, and Goose are freshest in December, and fish like Anchovy, Bream, Cod, Haddock, Hake, Halibut, Herring, Sardine, and Sea bass are a few of the fresh fish your fish monger will be selling this month.
Shopping for fresh seasonal flowers like Acashia, Alstromeria, Amaryllis, Chrysanthemums, Cyclamen, Ginger, Helleborus, Holly berry, Lisianthus, Narcissus, Orchid, Pepperberry, Phlox, Protea, Star of Bethlehem, and Tulips.
Making salt dough ornaments: The family tree is our traditional tree, with heirloom ornaments, that are hung with care long after the children go to bed….but the Kitchen Tree is genuinely the heart of our Christmas thanks to the combined efforts of the whole family not only making decorations, but trimming the tree in pure half hazard delight. Making salt dough ornaments fills the kitchen with laughter and mess and is a great way to kick off the holiday season.
Caring for my holiday ornaments: 11 months is a long time to hide away in storage only to be revealed and expected to look fabulous. Take time when unpacking your ornaments to give them a little TLC and they will sparkle all month long:
- Have a dry clean paint brush on hand to gently dust them;
- Use warm soapy water to wash sap away from plastic ornaments and garlands;
- Wash your tree stand out with hot water and vinegar before using it to keep it free from bacteria;
- Mend & repair any decorations before using them and don’t be afraid to discard old and tattered ones.
- Get rid of newsprint & wrapping paper that you store your decorations in, the ink will only damage them further.
Recommended Reading
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