{"id":885,"date":"2015-12-23T21:55:06","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T21:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/?p=885"},"modified":"2016-01-09T22:24:10","modified_gmt":"2016-01-10T04:24:10","slug":"christmas-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/2015\/12\/23\/christmas-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I don&#8217;t know a whole lot of Christmas traditions, just the ones we\u00a0use in our family. But I&#8217;m always interested in learning and sharing ideas for making the most of the holiday season. Listed here are some of the ways we bring tradition into our holiday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-892\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/popcorngarland.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-892\" src=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/popcorngarland.jpg\" alt=\"Simple Popcorn Garland\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/popcorngarland.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/popcorngarland-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Simple Popcorn Garland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Decorating:<\/strong> \u00a0I have always loved Christmas decorating though I try to keep it pretty simple. Many years ago I started making popcorn garland for the Christmas tree. Very delicate, very pretty. It takes about 2 hours to make everything I need for our medium sized tree. So it&#8217;s not a big time issue, nor does it require a lot of expense. \u00a0A little work and you have something very special, that cannot be easily found in a store . I use a hot air popper and fishing line, and I turn the country Christmas tunes on satellite. Before you know it, I&#8217;m putting it on the tree. \u00a0You end up with something very, very pretty and unique. Glenn and his sister share this memory from childhood. \u00a0They always strung popcorn garland with their mother and other siblings, and they added cranberries here and there. That sounds lovely, I never tried cranberries. But I think I will add them next year. And perhaps my grandchildren can get in on the fun!\u00a0When the season is past, and it is time to put things away, I cut the line. The popcorn slides right off to feed the birds, out in the \u00a0yard.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-893\" style=\"width: 555px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dressing.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-893\" src=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dressing.jpg\" alt=\"Cornbread Dressing\" width=\"555\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dressing.jpg 555w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dressing-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cornbread Dressing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Cooking:<\/strong> \u00a0I am always asked to make the dressing for the family Christmas dinner. \u00a0I enjoy doing it because I have been trying for 20 years to learn how to make good dressing. \u00a0It&#8217;s difficult when you only make it once a year. Though dryness can be a problem, mine seemed to always to be a bit on the wet side. \u00a0A couple of years ago I stumbled across 2 techniques that have enabled me to make good dressing, reliably. These are very simple tips worth sharing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I used to make up the cornbread several days in advance and let it dry out on the counter, but this presents some problems. \u00a0One year it molded before I got the dressing made, so it was a total flop before I could even get started. Also, it is always possible that a little mouse could get in the house or a roach and they would make a beeline for that cornbread. I now prefer to make it the night before, cutting it into 1 inch squares and keeping it overnight in a sealed container. This is safer and\u00a0more sanitary. On the morning before the meal, I pile it all on a broiler pan and dry it out in a 225 degree oven, along with the white breads, stirring every hour. The white breads (placed on bare oven racks) only take an hour and they are like croutons. \u00a0The cornbread takes about 3 hours. \u00a0It&#8217;s fresher! And since all the moisture which will go back into that bread is made of broth, rather than just water, this method makes a richer, tastier dressing.<\/li>\n<li>Estimate the amount of broth you think you will\u00a0need, add it to the dried out breads and the rest of your recipe, and stir it all up. Allow\u00a0it to sit for 20 minutes. Afterwards, inspect your raw dressing and use clean paper towels to soak up any excess liquid (puddles), before dumping everything in the dish for baking. This is a fail-proof method for eliminating the problem of heavy, soggy dressing. And since I have been doing this I have been able to produce a much better result. It may also work well to dip out the dressing into the baking dish, using a slotted spoon. This might eliminate any hidden puddles and I am going to try it this year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_927\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-927\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Family-Christmas-Dinner1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-927\" src=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Family-Christmas-Dinner1.jpg\" alt=\"Family time at Christmas.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Family-Christmas-Dinner1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Family-Christmas-Dinner1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-927\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Family time at Christmas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Family Socializing:<\/strong> \u00a0A few years ago, my sister began a really nice tradition for our family Christmas gathering. \u00a0Early in the year, she solicited our help through email, asking us to send her our family stories. \u00a0When Christmas came, she had compiled them and made a game with them. She presented a sketchy event and we all guessed\u00a0who it was about. After we found out, that person told the full story and we all learned a lot about each other. \u00a0We have played this game several years now and it is a lovely tradition. \u00a0The first year was absolutely magical!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_904\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-904\" style=\"width: 740px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Reflection_2014_06_10__16h35-740x250.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-904\" src=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Reflection_2014_06_10__16h35-740x250.png\" alt=\"Where do I want to be, this time, next year?\" width=\"740\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Reflection_2014_06_10__16h35-740x250.png 740w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Reflection_2014_06_10__16h35-740x250-300x101.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-904\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Where do I want to be, this time, next year?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>New Years Reflection:<\/strong> \u00a0I never plan to, but the last 10 days or so, of each year, I find myself thinking a lot about the year to come. What are my hopes for the new year? Where do I want to be, this time, next year? I don&#8217;t try to figure out how to make any of it happen at this point, but I spend time thinking about my hopes and dreams. \u00a0I may even make a list, so that when the new year does arrive, I have something to look at and start working on. \u00a0It helps me decide my direction for the next twelve months; it keeps me in a positive, forward-looking frame of mind; it inspires me toward the coming year.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_902\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-902\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-Quotes-For-Family4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-902\" src=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-Quotes-For-Family4.jpg\" alt=\"Have a very merry Christmas!\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-Quotes-For-Family4.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-Quotes-For-Family4-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Christmas-Quotes-For-Family4-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-902\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Have a very merry Christmas!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I am having \u00a0fun with my new blog and I want to thank you for reading and commenting. \u00a0Wishing you a\u00a0merry, merry Christmas and a joyous, new year!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I don&#8217;t know a whole lot of Christmas traditions, just the ones we\u00a0use in our family. But I&#8217;m always interested in learning and sharing ideas for making the most of the holiday season. Listed here are some of the ways we bring tradition into our holiday. Decorating: \u00a0I have always loved Christmas decorating though I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/2015\/12\/23\/christmas-traditions\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Christmas Traditions<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,3,14,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-cooking","category-family","category-helpful-tips","category-occasions","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1092,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions\/1092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cluckeyo.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}