Granny's and Grandkids Treats

Sometimes we forget that modern times is so fast paced,technology focused and instant gratification thus we do not pass on tradition from years gone bye. I do my very best to spend time with my family and have foods, activities, conversations, and crafts geared toward no electronics needed. It amazes me that many people hurry and scurry through holidays and dismiss tradition time together with all the old fashioned ways as to time consuming. That is sad because then children grow up on a fast hurried track and do not know to take the time with themselves, family, and friends to just relax while the turkey, ham, or duck is in the oven.

When I am fortunate for my adult children to have time off from their daily work and home schedules and grandchildren to have time off from school, sports, and the computer I make it a point to celebration traditional ways with them. For example, my adult grandchildren visit and we make their parents favorite treats, holiday "smiles" which are the "smells of holidays" like Styrofoam balls decorated with cinnamon toothpicks and glitter. While we are making marsh-mellow fluff and Skippy natural peanut butter mini sandwiches, periodically basting the "bird" we also make hand made bells on yarn strings out of Reynold's wrap. Additionally, we do not turn on the TV or computer, use hand whisks not bread machines, and make our own butter.

Many of my favorite memories now are how they react to old time ways, sitting down having conversations that are just fun not solution oriented, easy and slow not rushed with a button on email or chatting and most of all face to face. One funny example is making french fries that my grandson requested to make as his favorite food for the holiday. I asked him,"How do you want to make your french fries?" His response was,"Duh, go to Kroger's and get them frozen or go to Wendy's and buy them!! My response was, "Duh, then you would not be making them, right." He thought long and hard, turned red and smiled saying, "I confused "make" with "get, I guess." That's okay I said, "Many people do that no matter how old they are:)" He and I proceeded to hoe potatoes from a neighbor's yard last summer but he did not associate those home grown potatoes with "French Fries". So we went to a local farm and talked with our neighbor about how to grow potatoes and harvest them, sell them or buy them, and how to cook them." The look on my grandson's face was worth a million gifts for me; he understood the difference now between "making something and getting something". He and I also planted sweet potatoes in an old clay pot that I made and he is in charge of "harvesting" it :)

I recall as a child that the smiles came not just from store bought gifts but just from the "smells of holidays" like bread baking, the pot of orange slices and Cinnamon sticks simmer on the stove, and the holiday trinkets from my childhood I have kept; like my favorite decoration of cinnamon sticks tied to a holly branch with a bell on it which is now 50 years old. Making gifts, sharing home made apple cider and home made breads is such a wonderful memory. I suppose the grandest gifts we can give anyone is making treats together to share which we give to neighbors, postal carriers, police and fire fighters in a stocking with envelopes of hot cocoa, tea bags, and coffee packets with a holiday cup and some home made brownier and all wrapped in hand designed paper. It's a personal thing with family, friends, and neighbors as it is old time ways to bring joy, peace, and comfort during our ultra fast paced non personal computer generations. Now try to remember what made you smile as a child, parent, and grandparent as you prepare for the hub bub of Holiday's no matter what they are anything hand made will create traditions to last for generations.