CatsPajamas

There is a thread going in the Nar Anon forum, and I thought I should start one here as well.

What are your favorite holiday recipes? What are your favorite holiday traditions?

Some of us are single for the first time this season, and others have certainly had changes within their family unit. What are you going to do that you've always done? What are you going to do differently this year?

And what yummy treats are you going to make to share??

Hugs

~Cat

mazey

Prolly nothing too different this year. But, when I was divorced from my first husband and had kids 12 & 13, we made several changes and it helped alot! The main thing was I planned a nice breakfast and used the Good Dishes and made it a very nice sitdown breakfast for the 3 of us, made cheesy eggs and monkey bread and that has become our tradition. We won't have unexpected guests late in afternoon to drink the night away this year. Thanks be....
Lasagne for night meal and lots of cookies/snaks! Wagon wheels, the traditional Thumbprints and fudge, peanut butter cookies and cut outs bought, cuz I can't roll dough!

CatsTail

Me, I'm just going to visit family, go to meetings, and take it easy, tune out the holidays as much as possible.

Cat

CatsPajamas

Cat T,

Remember to let go of any expectations, and just enjoy things for what they are. Take a drive and look at the lights, go somewhere and enjoy the holiday music.

Be extra good to and gentle with yourself.

Hugs
~ Cat P

Pick-a-name

Still not sure of are exact plans....but they are low-key. Will be seeing family (my dad has an open house after church on Christmas Eve);my side all live basically around the area, so for years we have planned our get together for a day or two after Christmas...this year it will be a dinner at my brother's on the 27th. Everyone brings one of the food dishes and we all get to spend the time visiting and eating lots of good food!

We did put the Christmas tree in a different place this year and last. My daughter,her boyfriend and I put it up when she got home from school Friday. She brought more "Christmas cheer" (no,NOT drinking reference!) into the house,too!

Happy Holidays to all of you!

StandingStrong

I've actually been giving this topic alot of thought lately. In having made a new friend at work this year, she often talks about different traditions that she has with her children that started after her and her ex split up many years ago. Sadly, we don't really tend to have any.

The first Christmas that xAH and I were apart, I had no power. It was a horrible Christmas and I spent the better part of it alone, pouting, and feeling sorry for myself.
The second Christmas was during a time of a period where xAH and I were trying to work things out and I spent alot of time with AH.
This year will be the third Christmas, our divorce is final, and my oldest son is 18 and this will be our last Christmas with him still being at home and considered a kid as he will be graduating this year. So really - this Christmas is going to be odd in many ways for me.

Cecilia

I used to go to the Outlaws but Ive had enuf of them. Theyre ticked at me now cause I said I had other plans. My plans are not to be abused by them. LOL They need to find something else to amuse themselves besides me.

Just me so I guess Ill just go to Moms and stay as long as I can stand it and then come home. Mom will be happy. I may need to be sedated. Havent decided when to visit my grandmother. She has dementia but I still think she knows us sometimes

Truthfully Id like to just sit home alone and order a pizza.

Cecilia

I used to make this for Christmas morning. Nice to have warm coffee cake in the am without having to get up early..

Overnite Coffee cake

Cream until light and fluffy.
1/4 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar

Add and mix well.
2 eggs
8oz sour cream


Combine and then add to batter and mix well
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9x2 pan.

Combine and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
1 1/2 cups firm pack brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped wa;nuts
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Cover and chill overnight. Next morning bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. makes 15 servings.

LizzyP

I am just so enjoying peace this season. I didn't get any gifts for anyone, I didn't get into that frenzy. I did a few Secret Santa things, that was an incredible gift to myself. Yesterday I baked my usual Christmas cookies, for distribution at this gathering I went to last night.

My Christmas traditional cookies: Russion Tea Cakes (also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes) and chocolate chip cookies. And, having anything chocolate around.

I'm not at the house, so no decorating to do. The friend I'm staying with, she has a little tree that is just perfect. No muss. No fuss. I put out two little angles next to my bed, that is it.

My friends will be out of town for Christmas, so I plan on getting together with other friends in the area who don't want to make a deal out of Christmas, maybe get together for dinner, and that be it.

sunwish

Christmas Eve we go to my Dads for brunch and gifts then at 4 to Moms for more to eat and gifts. Then I will be taking the kids to the 11pm x-mas eve candle-light church service this year. I used to go when I was a kid and loved it. I don't know how they will be after the long day but I am looking forward to it. I had planned on AH being w/ us during the day x-mas eve but turns out he didnt ask for it off in time and will have to work. Less stress for me. Christmas morning I make a big breakfast after the gifts are opened up.
Enjoy your holiday!

ohmari

i spent a lot of time on presents for my friends and donated money to some charities and on christmas day i'm going out with friends, no way am i staying home on a day of happiness!

deax

Yep, last year I had a boyfriend to buy Christmas presents for and I was happy and thought my family was stifling but basically intact, though I had no contact with my dad.

This year I have no boyfriend having realized my ex was a liar beyond all comprehension, have re-connected with my dad, and realized how hurtful my mom and brother can be.

New Year's Eve is also my mom's birthday, 4 mins after midnight. We usually spend it together as a family. This year they're going to a banquet hall place for a big New Year's Eve part with unlimited food and alcohol, $145/head. Sounds nice- but it's with my brother and all his friends. And I'm not ready to make nice with my brother just yet. He's made no effort to reconcile with me whatsoever and his MO has always been to let time erase past hurts. No more. I'll be polite, I'll exchange Christmas presents, but I won't go that far. Sounds simple, but not going along with what my family chooses for me is HUGE for me. Of course my family is now telling me that I'm ruining their holiday, but I'm not ruining anything for anyone. For once I'm doing what feels right to me. For New Year's Day, my mom's actual birthday, I already bought her a gift and I'll take her to dinner.

So I'm spending New Year's Eve all by my lonesome. All my friends will be away for the holidays. And I'm actually fine with that. I don't get too bothered by that stuff, and I'm gonna do corny things like journal some reflections and my intentions for the year, etc. The only thing that bothers me still is others-- what my neighbors will think if they see I'm home, etc. But it's ok, I don't really owe anyone any explanation.

Other than that, I also said I would keep gifts simple and I did. Didn't drive myself crazy figuring out what to get, and spent a respectable amount of money (only slightly more than I said I would). If people don't DIE OF ECSTASY from what I gave them, so be it. It never made them treat me any better or differently when I did spend tons of money on what I thought was the perfect gift. (shrug)

That's it for me. As for treats... meh, I'm not too domestic, but mom, grandma and I will of course make Struffoli, it's an Italian Christmas thing we do every year, it's like honey balls with sprinkles. We use a recipe that's been around for years and I wouldn't be able to tell you much (again, not super domestic) so I looked it up online for anyone interested!
http://www.recipezaar.com/106526

CatsPajamas

Everything so far has been great~ we need more entries in our book!

This year I enlisted my sons to help me shop. Each one is helping me to get a few small presents for the others' stocking. They have enjoyed it much more than I thought they would!

~Cat

lilac

MMMM..............We are having Christmas at my sister's this year. I was always out of state with AH's family. Probably been 10 yrs. at least since I was with MY family at Christmas.

Gonna put on p.j.'s and make s'mores (on the electic smores maker, never tried it before) with my sisters and 4 year old nephew on Christmas Eve.

Instead of a big Christmas dinner, we are doing appetizers.