Christmas Specials

Christmas season in my family's household has always been a time of not only celebrating Christ but also as a time where we all come together from our various locations and hometowns, putting aside our jobs and schools for this short yet memorable time. Each year, everyone is a year older. New people and new events evolving conversations with laughter are brought to the table, just as some are no longer with us. Perhaps one of the main aspects that remains consistent year to year, is the extravagant meal that everybody takes part in making. This meal is always shared before gifts. As younger children we always tried to rush through the Christmas dinner so we could hurry the arrival of Christmas gifts.

However, as I have gotten older and I spend much more time preparing for this meal with my mom and my sister, I find myself wanting to savor each bite and the fellowship among my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. All of us together at the same table is not a very recurring event. Thus when we all sit together laughing and talking, I realize just how beautiful and perfect this scene is. Given Christmas brings everybody in our family to the same house, it is the meal that we all spent hours laboring over a hot stove and crowded counter tops for that brings us all to the same table. At this table as we each partake of everybody's addition to this dinner. This seems to connect to everybody. It is beautiful. I would not trade this moment for the world.

The meal itself, however, though requiring hours in crowded, steamy kitchens is not a burden to us. My mom and my sister enjoy the blaring of Christmas carols and the constant baking and slicing and crunching. This part, the preparation for Christmas, might actually be my favorite part of the Holiday. I love the decorating and the cooking.

My favorite thing to cook is sweet potato souffle. I am not a fan a sweet potatoes, but when it is baked with a mixture of crunched pecans, brown sugar, and butter layering it on top, it is heavenly. I have made this every year since I was thirteen, and am now able to not use the cookbook. I refer to it as my specialty. First i peel the thin layer of brown sweet potato skin with a knife. With a whisk I crush the sweet poataoes. While this bakes by itself I crush the pecans the with them in a bowl with brown sugar and butter. This is then layered to the already hot sweet potato.

When it is ready, the nutty taste of the pecans blends with the brown sugar, held together by the butter, and is a perfect contrast to the smooth texture, soft compostion, and sweetness of the sweet potaoto.