Balancing Christmas - Trees, Presents, Food, & Negotiating Traditions
Original December 24th, 2020 - Encore December 16th, 2021
Balancing Christmas the original aired on December 24th, 2020.
An Encore was released on December 16th, 2021 with new intro and freshening up.
My brother Matt is here!
We were both born and raised in the USA but somehow both ended up marrying Europeans. Listen to hear how Christmas was for us, what it has become now that we mix and match traditions with our partners, and how we embrace the magic of the season with our kids.
Episode Tangents Include
- Real versus Fake Trees
- Hallmark Ornaments
- When to open presents
- Food, food and more food
- Where does Santa live
- How much pressure should parents put on themselves?
***Spoiler Alert***
Please DO NOT listen to this episode with children.
There is chat about Christmas morning and more. We do not want to be responsible for the crushing of their dreams.
The Photo Above: We took formal Christmas photos through our childhood. The best part – They all have the same background. Thanks JC Penny! This photo is the year I had chicken pox for Christmas. Shout out to parents tending to sick kids over the holidays. Please give all credit for these outfits to my mom.
Delicious Inspiration for Holidays
The Top 5 from This is Finland – Although we will not make it ourselves, when visiting Finnish family, ham and casseroles are always on the Christmas menu.
Archipelago “Black” Bread (Kustavilainen Saaristolaisleipä) – We serve it with sour cream, salmon or rainbow trout roe, diced red onions and a crack of pepper. This is a must have item regardless of where we celebrate.
Gingerbread Cookies (Piparkakut) – We enjoy our cookies with blue cheese on top. It is delicious at any time of year.
Seven Fishes – Each year there were slight changes but popular items included shrimp cocktail, calamari, a stuffed ravioli, a breaded fish filet, and crab cakes.
Baked Brie – You had to move quick if you wanted some of this before our Uncle devoured it all. We ate it on top of sliced green apples.
The Punch – I, Meghan, had one job and it was the punch. Sprite, Orange juice concentrate (in the cylinder cardboard packages from the freezer section) and lime sherbet. No idea where the idea came from but it was a holiday staple.
Rumtopf – My Brother’s favorite holiday beverage (Glühwein is a close second). He reminds his mother-in-law months in advance because it takes months to make.
Roasted Goose – The main dish for Christmas is a Goose. For my brother and his family, they also have duck on the 24thor 25th.
Rotkohl – Red cabbage is a traditional German side dish. My brother eats more of it living in the US than I do living in Germany.
Kitchen Family Episodes
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