I love the big parts of the holidays as much as anyone. The lights, the decorations, the anticipation. But if you want to know where you’ll usually find our family, try the kitchen.
The children and grandchildren love being part of whatever is happening there. They want to measure, stir, taste, ask questions, and sometimes invent their own process halfway through a recipe. It isn’t the fastest way to get a holiday meal on the table. It’s usually the best way to remember making it.
Not a magazine-perfect kitchen
Holiday cooking with a family can involve flour where flour doesn’t belong, a missing measuring spoon, and an earnest debate about who gets to lick the spoon. I wouldn’t trade that for a spotless counter.
Some recipes get passed from one generation to the next without anyone thinking to write them down. Other traditions start because somebody made an adjustment one year and everybody liked it. The important part is inviting people into the process, especially the kids.
I think often about my Nana at this time of year. I grew up across the street from her, and I was lucky to have that closeness while she was here. When you lose someone young, you become aware that ordinary days together don’t last forever. You may not remember every gift, but you remember the feeling of being welcomed in.
What we hope they take with them
Our grandchildren are growing up with gardens, eggs, animals, and the reminder that food is connected to work. The kitchen gives them the other half of that lesson: what we grow and gather is meant to be shared.
So here’s my holiday suggestion: let somebody little help. Give them a manageable job. Tell them where a recipe came from. And if the cookies turn out uneven, call them homemade.
From our family at Legacy Acres, wishing you a holiday season with good food, laughter, and room for everyone around the table.