Saturday morning, I woke up with one exciting thought, “It’s potica making day!” And it was and it was good. I get so excited to make (and yes eat) potica, its as if potica making day is in itself a holiday. Eating a few slices still warm from the oven, seemed to make the holiday season come alive for us. It is this baking tradition that I remember from my childhood and one that I continue to share in adulthood, a tradition that Jeff too has embraced has one of his own that makes the holiday season so very special. As I share loaves of potica with folks in the coming weeks I’ll be sure to remind them that potica and Christmas are a magical combination.
As I was making the potica on Saturday the snow started to fall. Later the wind began to howl. Both the snow and wind continued all weekend. It was a perfect weekend to stay inside and bake and knit. I did plenty of both and finished assembling a few boxes for mailing later today.
These Christmas care packages have become a tradition for us in the last few years and one I’m fairly certain that’s been embraced by everyone who receives one. Jeff and I both enjoy putting them together and it becomes quite a challenge to fit as much as possible into those flat rate boxes and still getting the cookies to the recipients without them turning to crumbs. We still have a few more boxes to assemble in the next week, but for the most part we’re winding down. I think I enjoy doing them a few at a time as opposed to doing them all in one weekend much better. Doing it this way means folks get less variety of cookies, but its much less overwhelming for us and it seems to get the sugar consumption to a minimum here in the Two Frog Home.
What traditions do you enjoy the most this time of year?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Kathie,
What do you do to keep the cookies from crumbling in the mail? Thank you.
Rita
Rita,
The cookies pictured are rather soft and shouldn’t crumble. But we’re careful to pack with lots of shredded newspaper padding.
When I pack crunchier or fragile cookies, we pack them so that they’re stacked as if in a tube. We then roll that plastic bag tube in bubble wrap and ship that way. We’ve had great success with that.
Both of those traditions look like fabulous ways to kick of the holiday season Kathie! Have never tried potica but it looks yummy. Love the care packages too. I’m sure anyone would be pleased to receive those.
With us the holiday season always starts with cooking, baking and decorating for our St Lucia celebrations:
http://createdwithlove.typepad.com/created-with-love/2009/12/st-lucia-day-celebrations.html
I also get busy in the kitchen, filling simple paper cones with Swedish treats for our neighbours. They in turn come with treats for us at Ramadan.
So many traditions, reading favorite inspirational collections, clinging to my red & green themed decorations because they remind me of my childhood. The best of all, joining my siblings and their families on Christmas eve night for dinner & fellowship. This year our oldest brother will come in from Tenn. He’s only here once every 3 or 4 year. So looking forward to it.
One simple one we’ve already done. On the night we decorate our tree our tree, we turn out all the lights except those on the tree, curl up on the couch with all the cats around us, and listen to our favorite Trans-Siberian Orchestra holiday album, which always brings tears to our eyes. (Yes, to the Cat-Herder’s too!)
Baking has commenced.
And soon we’ll watch “We’re No Angels,” the C-H’s favorite Christmas movie. I think it’s because it’s the only Christmas movie I know of that shows the tropical Christmases he grew up with, complete with sweat, decorated palm trees, and little kids asking “what is this snow the Christmas songs talk about?”
Hi Kathie,
Despite my dearest desires, yeast breads just don’t work (in my house? for me? I haven’t figured that one out yet…); In your estimation, could this lovely potica be made with a quality frozen or refrigerated dough from the grocer’s? I am thinking a sweet dough, such as a brioche, might be the way to go.
Thanks for your insight!
Shawn
Shawn,
I think it could work, just roll it thin. Brioche would most assuredly be the best choice for this, though a challah could work too I think.
Perfect! thank you.