Holidays are the best excuse to eat all the food you want… right? It’s a time of indulgence and we should not be ashamed. Around the world, everybody has their own special recipes you’d probably like to try.

    “I’m not really into sweets so I crave all the savory things like turkey and mashed potatoes.” Jennifer Windell, a Gresham citizen and mom of two said.

 Others crave similar things around holidays, “I usually crave cookies or sweets and mashed potatoes and gravy,” sophomore Devin Singh said.

Traditions are a big part of the holidays for some people.                      Many stick to those traditions for the rest of their lives, passing it down to their children.

 “My grandma’s homemade noodles and my mom’s clam chowder are a must around holiday time.” Windell said, “I also make my kids hot chocolate a lot this time of year, nothing special but they really seem to love it.”

 Whether the tradition includes food, drinks or going to someplace specific for the holidays, traditions show the history of the family and allow family members to connect to past generations.

Windell’s Hot Chocolate Recipe:

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Preparation: Whisk together cocoa, sugar, salt and about 2 tablespoons of milk in a saucepan on medium-low heat until cocoa and sugar dissolve. Then add in the rest of the milk, whisking occasionally until frothy. Add in vanilla extract and voilà!

There are many weird foods that people probably wouldn’t expect to be on someone’s list of favorite holiday foods, “One weird thing my family has around the holidays would be a dish that my aunt makes, it’s like a squash casserole,”  Singh said. “ But we usually eat whatever each family brings in and makes. I help out with the cooking as much as I can”

A popular tradition among families is making holiday cookies. The warm welcome of the smell of fresh-baked cookies puts people in the holiday spirit. Whether it’s sugar cookies, shortbread cookies or snickerdoodle cookies, they all satisfy our taste buds.

Easy Shortbread Cookie Recipe (Makes 16 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup softened, unsalted butter.

½ cup sugar.

2 cups all-purpose flour.

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour gradually. Then press the dough into a non-greased baking pan. Poke holes with a fork for even baking. Bake for about 30-35 minutes leaving them golden brown. Cut into the desired shapes while still warm. Serve with Confectioners’ sugar sprinkled over top and enjoy!