Growing up, Christmas was the most anticipated holiday of the year. Much of this was due to my Mom, who really went all out on Christmas, from decorations to baking – always with celebrating the true meaning of the season in mind. She was an original DIY-er before it was cool to be one! We’d bake everything under the sun, make homemade ornaments from dough and glitter, nativity scenes from cardboard and paint, and we’d stage Christmas plays.
So, when I had my own children, there were so many traditions that I wanted to pass on to them. But the season is a busy one, and there are only so many things you can fit in, right? As a result, our family has lots of traditions but we don’t incorporate all of them every year. I realized I didn’t really know what food traditions were the most important to my kids, so I decided to ask them.
Me: I’m writing a post about favorite holiday foods that we make every year. What’s yours?
My daughter: Hot chocolate.
Me: Hot chocolate?
My daughter: Yeah, cause I want to make homemade peppermint marshmallows this year to go with the hot chocolate. And, Christmas cookies, of course.
Me: Oh, marshmallows would be fun to make. By Christmas cookies, do you mean sugar cookies?
My daughter: Yeah, sugar cookies. I LOVE decorating them with all the sparkles and those little balls that look like jewels.
I’m not sure why I didn’t ask her what her favorite holiday foods were before this post. I could have saved myself a lot of time by reducing my baking list to just two items. But, to be fair, I needed to ask my son the same question.
Me: So, what’s your favorite holiday food that we make each year?
My son: Cinnamon rolls.
Me: The ones we have on Christmas morning?
My son: Yeah.
Me: Any others?
My son: As long as we have those, I’m good.
And, because he was studying for finals, that was pretty much the extent of our conversation! Yes, I definitely should have written this post a long time ago. I can now cross off fudge, ginger cookies, cashew caramel bars, toffee, date bars and snowballs. But, I can add a new food to add to our traditional lineup. Here’s the recipe forhomemade peppermint marshmallowsthat we’ll be enjoying.
What’s your favorite holiday food and why?
10 Things You Don’t Know About…
- My favorite foods are cheeseburgers and crème brulee. But not necessarily together. Close seconds are potato salad and chocolate-chocolate cake.
- Family is everything! I have huge extended family, and we find just about any excuse to gather or travel together.
- I love to bake. Scones, cookies, breads – you name it. A lot of what I bake, I share on Sacfoodies. The past few years, I’ve been decoding gluten-free baking, which has been…interesting.
- I’d rather read than do just about anything else. Happiness, for me, is scouring bookstores for hard-to-find books and signed first editions.
- If I could live anywhere, it would be on a ranch. Though I do see how this could turn into an “I Love Lucy” meets “Bonanza” situation.
- I’m “Homeland” and “Outlander” obsessed. I could talk Carrie Mathison and Jamie Fraser all day.
- I’m a Zumba instructor. This ensures I can eat more hamburgers and crème brulee.
- What’s on my radio? Country, top 40 and NPR.
- Favorite movies? We’re big on family movie night, which usually means spy thrillers, inspirational sports movies or English period films.
- Favorite quote: “Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.”
Farmhaus Fresh in Granite Bay
Set back along the busy thoroughfare that is Folsom-Auburn Road is Farmhaus, a gem of a restaurant with a delicious menu, farm-to-fork appeal, a nice wine list and a relaxing patio. You might just miss it if you aren’t looking carefully. I should know, since I’ve passed it a number of times thinking, That looks interesting. So glad I finally had a chance to drop by.
Along with a couple of friends, we enjoyed several small plates, salads, bottles of wine and dessert. Under a gentle May sun, on their spacious patio, we savored the steak and potato small plate special, sizzling prawns, goat cheese crostini, a few of their salads, and their delicious crème brulee. Everything was fresh and flavorful, cooked to perfection, and served with care.
My one regret? They were out of the Smoked Pastrami Fries. Guess that means I’ll be heading back soon. Happy hour, anyone?
Farmhaus
8230 Folsom-Auburn Road
Granite Bay, CA 95746
916.772.3276
Reservations suggested
Earth Day Eats
In honor of Earth Day, here are a few of the SacFoodies’ favorite earth-friendly eats:
Megan Foster: When it comes to beef, grass fed is all I eat. My favorite brand is SunFed Beef (particularly because my fiancé raises the cattle!). I like that SunFed beef is grass fed, locally raised on California ranches and sustainable. I feel good knowing that the animals are born and raised in wide open spaces, handled with care and consume only the wild grasses nature intended them to forage on. It’s available locally, too!
Maria Kniestedt: I love supporting certified farmers’ markets. My favorite is the one on Sutter Street in Historic Folsom. Not only do I get fresh local produce, I love seeing what’s in season and getting to know the people who produce the food I feed my family. It’s one of the ways we can support and preserve California’s family farms.
When we posed the question to friends and family, no one was shy about sharing their favorite ways to support eco-friendly food. Here were a few more suggestions:
- Farm Fresh to You offers home and office delivery of organic produce in various sizes for surprisingly affordable prices.
- Many grocery stores offer sustainable products, such as Wild Planet’s Wild Albacore Tuna.
Tell us, how do you support Earth Day, every day?
13th Annual Folsom Wine & Jazz
Feeling like enjoying a little wine and jazz? Head to the Folsom Community Center this Saturday, March 14 from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM for the annual Folsom Wine & Jazz event, featuring the Folsom High School jazz band and jazz choir, as well as the Sutter and Folsom Middle School jazz bands. Organized by the Folsom High School Music Boosters, this event supports excellence in music education at Folsom High School.
There will be a wide variety of regional wines, such as Carvalho Family Winery, Clos du Lac Cellars, Renwood, Sobon Estate and so many others. There will also be local beers to taste, from both Lockdown and Sudwerk Brewing Cos., as well as food from La Huaca, Sutter Street Steakhouse, Back Wine Bar, India House, Great Harvest Bread Co., Hawks, Willow Cafe and Sweetery, and Jake’s Desserts – to name a few.
For a full list of vendors, and for tickets which are $40 each, go to FolsomMusic.org.
Cheers!
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