New Recipes, Old Traditions

This week the Etsybloggers have a choice between Christmas recipes and traditions or Christmas spotlight of their shop. I've already bored you all, talking about the Christmas items in my shop, so I thought I'd go the recipe and tradition route.

I've enjoyed many Christmas traditions throughout my life. As a child I would spend Christmas Eve at Nana's house. It probably started to make things easier for Santa, but continued all the way through high school. We'd get in the car around 9am and drive across town back to my house where we'd have waffles and strawberries for breakfast and open stockings and presents. Then we'd have an open house style party all day, for people to come and go as they pleased, and stay as long as they liked. When I was little I tried to stretch out present opening all day, so I'd open one gift every hour or so, impressing the adults on my ability to contain myself and savor the spirit of Christmas.

We've aged, gained some family, lost some too. I have a job in health care that requires working some holidays. It seems hard to keep traditions going forever. A current holiday tradition for me is Christmas Eve at my in-laws' house. We have Chinese food for dinner (a nice variety including General Tso's Chicken which is my favorite). Their tradition for many years has been opening presents on Christmas Eve, then my husband and I save most of our presents to each other for Christmas Day.

I will end with a new holiday recipe that I made this year for a holiday party at work.

Chocolate Chip Fudge Wreath Cake:

Yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding (3 oz.)
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
5 eggs
1 pkg. (12 oz.) chocolate chips
Greased and floured bundt pan

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together the ingredients, adding chips last, pour into a well greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cake from pan and allow to cool in pan for 1 hour before removing.

Apply a thin layer of green frosting (I used cream cheese frosting). Apply a thicker layer of the frosting wiping the spatula gently across the surface in a circular and outward motion to give it a textured appearance. You can decorate the wreath with candy or frosting to your liking. I used those expensive new Raspberry Almond M&Ms which have a foiled looking outter shell. I thought they looked like pine cones, the remaining candies looked pretty in a candy dish (for a couple days anyway). I took two rolls of strawberry flavored Airheads Extreme and tied a bow for the wreath. You could probably use fresh berries if you can find any this time of year to decorate it with as well.

Christmas tree ornament picture borrowed from Diane.