Merry Christmas to all my readers who are celebrating today! It’s been a good day here at our home. My 91-year-old mom is visiting from California, and both of our girls are here, too. We first opened our stockings filled with all kinds of goodies, then enjoyed our traditional maple-pecan twist coffee cake before gift-opening. We bought my mom the new iPad since her old one didn’t have a camera for Facetime. Now with her newest version, we can chat back and forth and “see” each other more often.
I found a moment today to read the Chicago Tribune from yesterday and found a heartfelt letter to the editor that I wanted to share with you. A local 83-year-old woman wrote of her memories in the kitchen with her Italian mother and siblings making ravioli and sauce for Christmas every year, until tragedy struck. The writer’s parents, brothers, aunt, and cousin, all perished in a TWA plane crash in Italy in 1959 near Milan. She couldn’t bear to make the ravioli anymore, as it only made her sad, and her family missed out on their lost tradition of their favorite Christmas dish. Her husband begged and pleaded to not let this tradition die with the loved ones, as the writer was the only one left in the family who knew the family recipe. Now, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all come to her home to continue the joy of making the ravioli, even though her hands are weakening. The generations are carrying on this loving tradition, and as she wrote, her “old heart sings. And remembers.” I can’t imagine a better Christmas gift to give your family – a gift from the heart with enjoyment for generations to come.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and I hope you have a beautiful traditional food for your family, too.
Merry Christmas to all the Vanni’s. We made rolled-out sugar cookies, English toffee, and peanut brittle.