Christmas Traditions That Last

Mike and I were celebrating our first Christmas together. We were so excited because of the happy news that we would be having our first baby in July. All I really wanted for Christmas was yarn to knit a baby afghan. Mike wanted to carry on the tradition of a Christmas tree and presents. We both wanted a memorable Christmas but were discouraged about our money situation. Mike had just been cut from the BYU basketball team. We were devastated to think he might lose his athletic scholarship that paid for his education. I was teaching school to support my husband. It was my first year of teaching so my salary was small. How do you have a Merry Christmas with out money?

We decided we had to have a tree. Some or our friends were buying a permit and cutting their own tree. What a great idea! We could save money and it could be something we do every year as a family tradition. It sounded fun to me, so we headed for the mountains to find the perfect tree.

It turned out to be more like “Mission Impossible” than a fun family outing. After trudging through the deep snow and enduring the frigid cold that we were unprepared for, we found nothing that would fit into our little one bedroom apartment. Every tree that looked nice was way too big. We finally settled on cutting off the top half of tree (the bottom half was buried in the snow). It barely fit into the trunk of our car but I was glad to be heading home after freezing my nose, feet and fingers during our search.

When we arrived home, we found a surprise. We took our tree out of the trunk only to find that most of the needles had fallen off of one side. Whether it was the severe cold or the ride home on the freeway, our tree looked horrible and I wanted to cry. Mike reassured me that we could put it in the corner and nobody would see the ugly side. Once I put things into perspective and realized everything didn’t have to be perfect, I felt a lot better. Our Christmas was definitely one to remember and even a happy memory we can look back on and laugh about.

Cutting down our own tree never became a family tradition, but one tradition that has lasted through the years is Grandma’s Christmas brunch. Mike’s parents, Dick and Darlene Atwood, have lived in Spanish Fork most of their married life. They loved having the family over on Christmas morning. Grandma Darlene planned and prepared a brunch for the whole family. On Christmas Eve she would make delicious breakfast casseroles with the leftover ham from our Christmas Eve dinner. She ordered giant cinnamon rolls from the bakery and made Orange Julius to drink. Christmas morning the whole family looked forward to the delicious food and spending that time together.

Things have changed now that Grandma and Grandpa Atwood are in their 80’s. They have 18 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren. Getting everyone together at the same time is hard. Now many family members have their own brunch before coming to visit Grandpa and Grandma, but Christmas Brunch has become a favorite family tradition that has lasted through the years.

Grandma’s Christmas Soufflé
Darlene Atwood

12 slices bread, no crusts
1 cup cooked ham or sausage
1/2 cup chopped green peppers, optional
1 cup grated cheese
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Butter one side of the bread slices. Put six slices buttered side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with green peppers and cheese. Put six slices with buttered side up on top. Whisk eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until set in the center.

Sausage Soufflé

12 slices bread, no crusts
2 cups eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. ground mustard
2 cups grated cheese
1 lb sausage, browned
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter
3 green onions, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup milk

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Arrange two layers of bread in the pan. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk and mustard. Pour over the bread. Sprinkle with cheese, meat, mushrooms and green onions. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes then uncover and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Christmas Cinnamon Wreaths
Marilyn Atwood

2 cups boiling water
½ cup sugar
½ cup oil
1 Tbsp. salt
Cold water and instant powdered milk
2 Tbsp. instant yeast
3 eggs, beaten
Flour

Combine boiling water, sugar, oil and salt in a bread mixer or large bowl. Dissolve powdered milk (enough to make a quart of milk) in enough cold water to make 2 cups of liquid; add to hot water mixture. Add enough flour to make a batter consistency. Sprinkle in the yeast, mixing well. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Add eggs and gradually enough flour to make a nice soft dough but not too sticky. If using a bread mixer, the dough will start to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead with a bread mixer for 5 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes. Let it rise until double in bulk. Punch down and divide into four balls of dough. Roll each into a rectangle about 9”x18”and spread with 2 tablespoons soft butter and a mixture of ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll sugar mixture into dough with a rolling pin. Roll up as you would for cinnamon rolls and seal the edge by pinching it together. Put the seam down and shape into a wreath on a greased pizza pan. Use clean scissors, cut 1 inch slices to within 1/2 inch of the center. Turn each slice in the same direction. Let it rise until double. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or until bread is light brown. Frost each wreath with frosting made with 2 tablespoons soft butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 or 3 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Sprinkle with red and green crystal decors and add red and green cherries if desired.

Orange Julius
6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 to 10 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients, except ice, in a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds, adding ice cubes one at a time until smooth. Serve immediately. For Peach or Strawberry Julius, substitute 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit slices for the orange juice concentrate. With strawberries you can decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons.