The Christmas Eve tradition at my parents’ house was mom making a huge pot of seafood gumbo. She would come in from her retail job around 3 p.m. and start the gumbo herself, as she didn’t want anyone else making the gumbo.
With the gumbo were the numerous appetizers she prepared or purchased. Mom usually had either her famous coconut cake or pineapple cake as one of the desserts. Her secret for the coconut cake was to use the wet coconut instead of dry coconut for the filling.
When my maternal grandparents were still alive, mom made sure to have both a chocolate pie and a coconut pie because her daddy loved both of these pies.
Eggnog was available which we all enjoyed either hot or cold with just a smidge of nutmeg.
Our family was one who liked fruit cake and often there was one for Christmas Eve. Some years the fruit cake had been doused with rum. Dad had first taught me about the rum dousing when I was sixteen. Most years one of the things I make during the Christmas holidays are rum balls which are made with crushed vanilla wafters, crushed pecans, Karo® Syrup, confectioners sugar and rum.
Growing up we had one Christmas album, the one by Perry Como. It was the one with the red ribbons on it. Our Christmas tree was an silver artificial one with all blue bulb ornaments on it.
Dad’s siblings and their families often stop by for a visit and of course enjoyed the food spread mom had laid out.
Before the gifts were unwrapped, dad would come out with two large garbage bags to put all of the wrappings in it. He thought if he had the bags out, he wouldn’t have to pickup the wrappings later. Well it worked, most of the time. Whatever was left out, we all helped and filled the bags up with the opened wrapping paper.
With my parents and grandparents all gone now, my memories still hold dear to those Christmas Eves. I am not the cook my mom and grandmother were, but the reminisce of the taste of their food is still with me.
