I was excited to be back and even more ready for all of the family traditions that I usually got to participate in over the phone. First up, baking day. I am sure this is a day that many families have and I just would not be the holidays without. This year my mom decided to try at least 4 different kinds of cookies that are not usually the list. Tuesday morning we wake up, we load up the car with boxes of flour, sugar, sprinkles, red hots, frosting, cookie cutters, cocoa powder, butter, nuts of kind and then we packed the kids. This year instead of cramming all 13 of the grandkids in to grandmas little kitchen, Carrie offered up her home and double ovens. We all have experience the pace that is set when there is only one oven and 6 or 7 sheets of goodies to bake. This really sped up the process!!!!
The older kids were a big help. Alex and Tessa were there until the end mixing and scooping, rolling and cutting, chopping and measuring all with a smile. The younger group,which was being supervised by Miranda, just wanted the sugar cookies to be done so they could frost and sprinkle. Tami made a comment a few hours into the project that I just kept on going and going. This is my job. This is what I do day in and day out. I work until that last thing is baked and put away and this was no different.
We had our traditional Christmas eve dinner of beef and chicken enchiladas, which some of my siblings are growing tired of and wanted something different. They all took pity on me when I said this was another thing I was looking forward. We had almost everyone in the same house laughing, talking and enjoying the season. These are the times you always knew would come when you were a child. Everyone grown up with kids of their own in one place for Christmas, I love the feeling and it is even better than I thought it could be.
My nephew Alex loves to cook. I had decided before I left Utah that I wanted to have a cooking day with him. I wanted to think of something fun and different that I could make with him for his family. My friend and boss at work says that his girls love to make gnocchi. I thought that was fantastic idea (Gnocchi are potato dumplings).
The first thing I did when I got home was google "gnocchi boards" to see if any local stores had them in stock. I was in luck, the sur la table in Seattle by the pike place market had them. I asked my dad if he would not mind stopping in and picking one up on his way home from work. He said "send me a text to remind me." So I did and it is a good thing to because when he got to the store he had no idea how to pronounce the work gnocchi. If I had not sent him the text he would have been wondering he store for a while. He ended up showing the sales clerk the text and she knew right away what it was.
I gave Alex the gnocchi board Christmas morning and told him that I wanted to make it with him one night before I left. No one in my brothers family has had gnocchi before except for his wife so this would be a new experience for them all. I showed Alex how to multi task by making the sauce and a salad while the potatoes were cooking. We went through all the steps to make, I must say was nice and light gnocchi. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to share my love of food with Alex and share the evening with my brother and his family with out all of the other nieces and nephews running around. Since I don't live up there I feel like I have not been able to be a part of their lives and get to know the as thy grow up. My brother has wonderful kids and I know he could not do it with out Carrie. I must say all of my siblings have done very well with their spouses and families.
