Every Christmas growing up I remember my mom pulling out this cookbook that was a compilation of recipes my great grandmother used to whip up in her kitchen. The one my mom chose to use was Strawberry bread. It was amazing. Perfect mixture of the tart berries and a sweet breakfast bread. She would make one batch and then another. Checking her list over and over. Who would be lucky enough to get a large loaf...usually my teacher earned large loaves and my brother's teachers got the mini loaf...just kidding if that was true it would be because I took so much more stress and work than my brother. After the baking was complete and the loaves had been allowed to cool. Each loaf got dressed for the holidays. This usually meant red or green cellophane, and in the early years a piece of that puffy yearn everyone used on packages...then we graduated to curly ribbon...and finally ended up with the wired ribbon used today. No matter what the smell of this bread baking means Christmas to me. I have even made it a couple of times for the Bug's teachers and my friends. Mine never looked quite the same as my Mom's...I had big chunks of berries in mine and my bread was brown instead of the lovely shade of pink that my Mom always achieved. I only found out the reason for my differences a couple of days ago. My mom ran the same type of kitchen as my grandmother. Stay out of the kitchen until it is time to set the table. So I was never present when the mixing of the batter occurred. Now I know it is a good idea to drain most of the juice from a package of frozen berries and then puree them...also before completing the mixing process add a few drops of red food color. Viola...no huge berry chunks and a pleasant pink hue. My mother is not magic...I am not a complete goon in the kitchen I just did not have all the pertinent information. Oh well this is about the wrapping. The crinkly of cellophane the joy in making the perfect bow...these things I can do..and I can do them well.
Abrupt change of topic
I also love shopping for wrapping paper. I wait patiently for the day after Christmas and then I pick all my papers for the following year. I go through each roll thinking about what person would love the paper dotted with simple ornaments...who would love the paper with the whimsical little penguins? By the time I leave the store I have a roll chosen for every family member. That way I will have a great variety of papers under my tree. An explosion of color and holiday joy that is fit to be under a tree covered in handmade ornaments and the hodge podge of ornaments the Bug and I have been given every year since we were born. I may not get the gifts wrapped and under the tree until Christmas Eve, but Christmas morning that tree is a sight to see. Man...I want to write about my tree now. That was the prompt for today and I did not think I had anything to say about a Christmas tree. I was wrong. So tomorrow...tune in...I will let you all in on the way tree decorating went as I grew up and how it goes now.
To the moon and back my lovelies!
Sarah
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| Can you jut smell it...I can and t is AMAZING! |
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| This is the idea, but I think my tag might look a little different! |
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| This girl is creepy looking...but I bet I kind of looked like that while waiting for the first piece of strawberry bread! |
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| Finally...here are some of the papers I have in my closet...lovely coordinated... but different enough that everyone can stilll ahve their own unique paper! |
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