Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Eve!
For those who have been keeping up with me, you know that I've been deathly-ill; slightly dramatic, but I'm sure you get the point. Thank you all for your concern, but KK is back! Right in time for the holidays --YES!
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Sure, I love gifts, giving and receiving, but it's also because I love my family. When Christmas is a few weeks away, we always have the discussion of who's hosting, followed by the dinner menu. Every year, without fail, we talk about changing the menu and cooking less. However, every year, without fail, there are just certain items we cannot not have: Roasted chicken, pot roast, ham, fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad, collard greens, sweet potatoes ( excuse me, I'm salivating ), corn bread, stuffing, veggies, someone debuting a dish they saw on the food network, someone else making their famous cake and/or pie, sweet potato pie or pudding, depending on if we have pie crust, and last, but not least, the cranberry sauce. This list makes me smile.
For those who have been keeping up with me, you know that I've been deathly-ill; slightly dramatic, but I'm sure you get the point. Thank you all for your concern, but KK is back! Right in time for the holidays --YES!
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Sure, I love gifts, giving and receiving, but it's also because I love my family. When Christmas is a few weeks away, we always have the discussion of who's hosting, followed by the dinner menu. Every year, without fail, we talk about changing the menu and cooking less. However, every year, without fail, there are just certain items we cannot not have: Roasted chicken, pot roast, ham, fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad, collard greens, sweet potatoes ( excuse me, I'm salivating ), corn bread, stuffing, veggies, someone debuting a dish they saw on the food network, someone else making their famous cake and/or pie, sweet potato pie or pudding, depending on if we have pie crust, and last, but not least, the cranberry sauce. This list makes me smile.
Christmas is about the people we share it with and the fun times we have with them. What's better than turning on the music in the kitchen and hearing your favorite Christmas song, right as you're about to mix the eggs for the morning's breakfast with the family? Who can recall a greater feeling than the youngest in the house running around screaming, ' It's Christmas! It's Christmas!'? Lastly, when you get that phone call from your cousin who can't make it because of the storm, and five minutes later, he's ringing the bell as a surprise; what's better than that?! The movie moments of the Christmas season are what makes it magical.
When the food is all ready and everyone gathers around the table to say prayer, who can forget that one uncle who captures everything in the blessing of the food: those who are here, those who wanted to be here and those that couldn't make it; those seen and unseen; family, friend or foe; stranger or friend yet to be discovered; first Christmas with the family -- we get the point. As soon as we say Amen, someone is strategically placed in front of the plates, so they turn left to pick up their plate, right to grab a fork, and slide straight to the beginning of the food line. Pssh, talent I tell you.
Complete silence. Everyone has their plate and every morsel of food is savored, followed by a random grunt or mmhhmm, because this year's food, believe it or not, was the best the cooks have ever done ( Don't get offended or too excited, they say this every year ). After everyone is finished eating, the showdown: Who will be the first to stand up and take the plates to the garbage. Side-eyes, followed by an ever so gentle laugh, in search of who will make the first move. Then it happens -- a brave soul either tries to make a run for it and fails, or someone, absent-mindedly, gets up and forgets the duty of garbage collector. This year, hope it isn't you.
Now, everyone is free to move and here comes that same uncle, calling for a dance off. We're motioned to the family room and it's time to get down! Shake off some of those calories by showing off the latest dances. Although all of the kids are now over 14 and understand the value of a dollar, you still have that one aunt who is willing to give a dollar to whoever wins the dance contest. O and believe you me, it's a crispy one. The rush of 20 - 30 year olds run to the floor working HARD for that dollar bill, yet and still, they won't win. The soul train line starts and the adults go down memory lane, recalling the dance moves of their time. Someone does the snake, the kid 'n' play, and the 'please baby please' ( please tell me someone in your family does these dances as well ). Queue the uncle again, who ask some of the young boys to teach him how to dougie. Imagine Wolfe Blitzer, during the Soul Train awards, not too far off. The couples do their dances, the sisters and brothers do a quick number, yes, I am and will always be Beyonce, and then we culminate in the newest version of the electric slide. Cha cha now ya'll!
We've all worked up a sweat and it's time to sit down, relax and open gifts. This is probably the only time the kids pay attention because they don't want to miss their name. Boxes are passed, hugs and kisses are given freely and with the blink of an eye, the gift exchange is complete. The host of the house turns on the tea pot, takes down glasses, different types of teas and coffee, juxtaposed to the milk and sugar; it's time for dessert and a movie. We're all in the living room comfortably watching a good movie until the real sounds of the season begin: snoring.
Everyone finds their room for the night, if we're all staying in the house, or we make our way towards the door. Christmas is over. What do you remember most? Sure we're happy about our iPad, but could you believe all of the sweat on uncle's shirt after he showed us how low he could go? Love the new shoes, but please tell me grandma wasn't serious with that outfit she had on today. I know my sister is going to brag to all of her friends about the watch I bought her, but let me not forget to send my cousin an email asking her for that recipe. Get my point? The gifts are spectacular, but as for me, all I need and want for Christmas is my family. Christmas is a joyous time and outside of all of the gifts, what we really want is to be around people who love us just as much, if not more, as we love them.
The English language is tricky. Did you know that Christmas has love, happiness and family in it? You just can't see it. Who woulda thunk it ;-)
Happy Holidays!
Smoochis :-*
KK
When the food is all ready and everyone gathers around the table to say prayer, who can forget that one uncle who captures everything in the blessing of the food: those who are here, those who wanted to be here and those that couldn't make it; those seen and unseen; family, friend or foe; stranger or friend yet to be discovered; first Christmas with the family -- we get the point. As soon as we say Amen, someone is strategically placed in front of the plates, so they turn left to pick up their plate, right to grab a fork, and slide straight to the beginning of the food line. Pssh, talent I tell you.
Complete silence. Everyone has their plate and every morsel of food is savored, followed by a random grunt or mmhhmm, because this year's food, believe it or not, was the best the cooks have ever done ( Don't get offended or too excited, they say this every year ). After everyone is finished eating, the showdown: Who will be the first to stand up and take the plates to the garbage. Side-eyes, followed by an ever so gentle laugh, in search of who will make the first move. Then it happens -- a brave soul either tries to make a run for it and fails, or someone, absent-mindedly, gets up and forgets the duty of garbage collector. This year, hope it isn't you.
Now, everyone is free to move and here comes that same uncle, calling for a dance off. We're motioned to the family room and it's time to get down! Shake off some of those calories by showing off the latest dances. Although all of the kids are now over 14 and understand the value of a dollar, you still have that one aunt who is willing to give a dollar to whoever wins the dance contest. O and believe you me, it's a crispy one. The rush of 20 - 30 year olds run to the floor working HARD for that dollar bill, yet and still, they won't win. The soul train line starts and the adults go down memory lane, recalling the dance moves of their time. Someone does the snake, the kid 'n' play, and the 'please baby please' ( please tell me someone in your family does these dances as well ). Queue the uncle again, who ask some of the young boys to teach him how to dougie. Imagine Wolfe Blitzer, during the Soul Train awards, not too far off. The couples do their dances, the sisters and brothers do a quick number, yes, I am and will always be Beyonce, and then we culminate in the newest version of the electric slide. Cha cha now ya'll!
We've all worked up a sweat and it's time to sit down, relax and open gifts. This is probably the only time the kids pay attention because they don't want to miss their name. Boxes are passed, hugs and kisses are given freely and with the blink of an eye, the gift exchange is complete. The host of the house turns on the tea pot, takes down glasses, different types of teas and coffee, juxtaposed to the milk and sugar; it's time for dessert and a movie. We're all in the living room comfortably watching a good movie until the real sounds of the season begin: snoring.
Everyone finds their room for the night, if we're all staying in the house, or we make our way towards the door. Christmas is over. What do you remember most? Sure we're happy about our iPad, but could you believe all of the sweat on uncle's shirt after he showed us how low he could go? Love the new shoes, but please tell me grandma wasn't serious with that outfit she had on today. I know my sister is going to brag to all of her friends about the watch I bought her, but let me not forget to send my cousin an email asking her for that recipe. Get my point? The gifts are spectacular, but as for me, all I need and want for Christmas is my family. Christmas is a joyous time and outside of all of the gifts, what we really want is to be around people who love us just as much, if not more, as we love them.
The English language is tricky. Did you know that Christmas has love, happiness and family in it? You just can't see it. Who woulda thunk it ;-)
Happy Holidays!
Smoochis :-*
KK
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