Homemade Goodies and Savory Winter Dinners

Food Glorious Food! Winter brings out my inner 1950’s Grandma. Apron on and something good cooking in the kitchen!

Dec 13, 2023

This is one of the defining factors of the Christmas season. Baked goods, cookies, casseroles, and soups. Living in the Arizona desert makes is difficult to use the oven at other times of the year. But in the winter when the windows are open and a cold breeze is coming in, I get excited to bake and cook.

There is something wonderful about a soup simmering in the crockpot all day!

Food anchors the home. It brings in tradition, culture, and family stories. Food is so much more than nourishment and calories. Cooking reminds us of where we have been, and who we are, and shows love to those who enjoy the meal. Baking often includes unique ingredients and family recipes. It is slow, satisfying work.

My favorite goodies to make in December:

Homemade bread, cornbread, and rolls.
Cookies, fudge, caramel corn, gingerbread cookies
Slow Breakfasts: cinnamon rolls, muffins, banana bread, oatmeal, and egg casseroles.
Soups that cook in the crockpot all-day
homemade applesauce or cranberry sauce – I love how it simmers for hours.

My favorite resources:

Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines
Shaye Elliot at https://theelliotthomestead.com/
My Dad, my mother-in-law, family recipes
Food Network Magazines (& others from the grocery store checkout)

Reflection Questions –

What family food traditions do you have for Christmas time?
What special meals do you make?
How did you eat differently in the winter as a kid?
Who made slow dinners that simmered on the stove all day? What did that smell like?
What kinds of cookies are your favorite to eat at Christmas time?

I am thankful for each year that I have taken the time to prepare my heart and my home. I used to rush through the Christmas season. I saw it as a mile-long list of all the things I had to do. I got through it and made it special for others but on the inside I was annoyed. I often did not feel joyful or cozy. Those things require slowing down which I am not good at.

Christmas is remembering what God has done for us. It is showing others how much we love them by slowing down and being present.

When I do these things, the atmosphere in our home changes radically.