Cindy and Gail share their holiday favorites!

Since we've asked the authors visiting in December to share recipes and holiday memories, we've decided to do the same amongst ourselves. Cindy and Gail are here today to talk about their favorite things during the holiday season. Do you share any of their interests?

Cindy:

Favorite winter holiday memories?*I absolutely love the creche (nativity scene). It really captures the meaning of Christmas. I remember while growing up how important our Christmas Eve celebration was. Our family would go to midnight Mass, and when we got home we'd place Baby Jesus in His manger. Then we'd share a small meal and each exchange one present.

*My favorite Christmas memory is taking my two nieces, Courtney and Taylor to NYC for a December weekend. We got a hotel room and did all the Christmas stuff you can do in two days. We went to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and visited the tree at Rockefeller Center and shopped at all the Holiday stores! It was a blast!


What do you like to do on Christmas morning?
The first thing I like to do on Christmas morning is lie in bed and say a quiet prayer of gratitude and then run into the kitchen for some much needed coffee!

Favorite winter holiday themed movie?I really like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." It cracks me up because many of us wish so hard that that one day would be so perfect and more often than not, it is anything but.

Favorite winter holiday dessert and TV show?Egg nog rocks and so does "The Charlie Brown Christmas Special."

Gail:

Funniest winter holiday memory?
One winter we were at my grandparents' house for Christmas, and my sisters and I went tobogganing with my Dad on the hill just outside Grandma and Grandpa's house. We were having a great time tobogganing down the near side of the hill, until we looked over the far side of the hill (that went allllllll the way down to the train tracks). Dad said "I bet this side would be GREAT for sledding!" and proceeded to set up and glide down the hill until bailing out almost halfway down. When his howls reached our ears, my sisters and I all remembered what the side of the hill looked like in the summer: cactus plants everywhere. Dad was picking cactus thorns out of his leather mitts and ski pants for quite some time afterwards.

Favorite winter holiday dessert?
Homemade shortbread and oliebollen (Dutch fruit fritters)

Favorite snowy day activity?
Going out to my parents' cabin where the snow is all drifted high, sitting on the sofa in front of the wood stove and warming up with a hot chocolate and a good book after ice fishing out on the lake.

Favorite winter holiday character?
Buddy the Elf (from Elf)

Favorite winter holiday song?
2 favorites: "Six White Boomers" and "The Redneck Days of Christmas" (consisting of: 12-pack of Bud, 11 Wrasslin' tickets, 10 o' Copenhagen, 9 years probation, 8 table dancers, 7 packs of Redman, 6 cans of Spam, 5 flannel shirts, 4 big mud tires, 3 shotgun shells, 2 hunting dogs, and some parts to a Mustang GT).