Seasonal Sundays: Christmas with Kids

Christmas is a magical time for kids, and what better way to celebrate than with festive treats made just for them? and often right alongside them? This week's recipe collection is packed with fun, easy-to-make sweets and treats (and even a few veggies) that will bring joy to little chefs and their families. Let’s make Christmas even sweeter, one recipe at a time. And here's hoping there's a keeper or two for every auntie, uncle, nana and papa and all who have special kids in their lives.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

As always, thank you for inviting me into your InBox. I do so hope to kickstart your food imagination for the coming week ... PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Here it comes, people! Here it is!

This week, I saw a "guy" wondering in pixels if it was still "too soon" to start prepping for the holidays, then proceeded to list a looooong list of gatherings and guests arriving from out of town. He's Jewish, his wife is Finnish. I thought, yeah, she's been prepping for weeks. Do you see that tree with all its sparkly lights, the one where the chairs usually sit but they've been moved elsewhere so the tree shines through the front window? those glass candlesticks topped with colorful round candles? those beribboned gifts hidden in the closet? Yeah. I thought not.

Kids, even the kids get in on the action, right?

In my family, Santa delivered a present or two to open on Christmas morning. But the stockings? Everybody filled everybody else's stockings. It was so much fun, the kids especially loved picking out little gifts, often practical chapstick or toothpaste or deodorant. On Christmas Eve, one by one, we'd drop our stocking stuffers into the stockings all lined up along the fireplace. Some years, we needed big Christmas gift bags to supplement: I still have them, the tags labeled "Mom" and "Ted" and "Nana" and "Grandfather" and "Auntie Al" are in the kid-hand of men now in the 30s. Time marches on.

But our stocking practice switched the kids' concept of Christmas gifts from "receiving" to "giving and receiving". It was a remarkable moment, the year my then-little nephew Alex, perhaps six or seven, announced on the phone, "Auntie Al, we have so many presents to give!"

I carried on the tradition with three of my husband's grandsons, now lanky teens and young men.

Yesterday, I introduced the tradition to two of the great-great nieces. And oh, it was g-r-a-n-d.

Here's how it went down, first for the eight-year old (A) and the five-year old (J), wearing our jingle bell necklaces and Christmas headbands.

The first stop is for making a list, checking it twice but I think that forevermore, shall include hot cocoa and a cinnamon roll! We talk through "who" we're shopping for, the people we love most, immediate family, pets, grandparents, aunties and uncles, maybe some cousins, maybe a babysitter, maybe a BFF, and "why" we're shopping, because while there's lots of excitement about "getting" presents, there's a big inside happiness when we're "give" presents too.

We also talked about how this shopping trip is for "giving" presents, not for buying treats for ourselves. This is a hard one, especially after filling a cart with fun gifts for everyone else!

But A was all in, she "got it" though, lol, she also made sure which "suggestions" I should offer to her little sister. J had a harder time walking away from things she wanted for herself but I was really proud, she moved from resistance to okay in a matter of minutes.

Then we talk money, and the kids put real bills in the purses they've brought along, special, to reinforce that the presents they select are from them.

And then we shop! List in hand, we hit the dollar store, roaming the aisles one by one, picking out one special thing for everyone, some times swapping one for another, crossing off the names one by one. I find it quite wonderful, they need little help, little suggestion. They "get" that the gift should be something that the recipient will like.

My best moment with A yesterday? We'd been through the store three times, aisle by aisle when she announced, "I can already feel how happy Mommy and Daddy will be when they see what I picked for them." 😍

My best moment with J yesterday? She picked out her first 15 presents fast, in the first two aisles but then had trouble picking the last one. But when we got to the checkout, she put each gift on the checkout, naming each recipient, knowing exactly what was for whom. These were no random picks. They are from her and for a very specific person 😍

And then? We collected all the gifts in one big sturdy Christmas bag. What, no wrapping? Nope although again, one year, when the twin grandsons were about 10, they gathered up paper and ribbons and bows and put themselves behind a closed the door to wrap their gifts. So much earnestness! So much giggling!

One last thought on this tradition: it's a great one for aunties and uncles and even a grandparent. And it's not too late. It can happen on a whim, even very last minute. I was struck by the number of people in the dollar store who stopped to say, "I did this with my grandkids when they were little". And we were memorable to the store staff! When I came back to the store with J a couple of hours after finishing with A, one young staffperson was thrilled, "I'm gonna ask my sister to do with with my kids." We saw lots of smiles in that store, lots and lots of smiles.

Christmas. It's coming. It's here.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: We have children on our street again! Two girls, a tween and a teen. One shy and creative, the other funny and outgoing. Which one do you suppose built this tiny snowman when we got snow a bit back?

In Praise Of ...

• ... these really high-quality Christmas headbands (affiliate link), all different, all super-cute, all really detailed, all add tons of fun to a holiday gathering, kids or no kids!


• ... a hundred or more crows settling onto the field across the way, at least five scouts in the treetops nearby, kinda noisy but so cool!


• ... my sister, for everything, absolutely everything

Made Me Think ...

• Here's a new Substack whose own sensibility matches my own.
• READ CEOs Are Afraid from The God Podcast. Yeah, God, or if you prefer, god, is talking right to us. Maybe we should listen up. See what I mean?
• TAKEAWAY "The Wall Street Journal wails about “moral decay” because people dared to cheer for Luigi Mangione, the alleged Claims Adjuster. ... The Atlantic warns this is a blinking-and-blaring signal of societal decline. How about Sandy Hook elementary? Or Uvalde? Or Columbine for that matter. Were those blinking-and-blaring warning signals too? Or is it just when a shooting happens to a CEO?"


• Tim Snyder is the most-quoted man in the U.S. right now, his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (affiliate link) the most-recommended book in the U.S. right now. He is an American historian who specializes in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Holocaust. He warns us, Do not obey in advance. His book is a must-read for resisting and surviving America's slide to authoritarianism.
• He's coined a term that's more meaningful than Trump 2.0, Trump 47, etc. and in this Substack, lays bare the reasons why this monogram works, how it's shorthand for what is rising up before our very eyes. It is to "lies" what the NYT calls "mistruths" and "false claims" and .
• READ Why is America "Trumpomuskovia"? A New Name for a New Regime
• TAKEAWAY "In serious times it is important to be creative, because we need the creativity for concepts, and we need the concepts to see the facts before us. Trumpomuskovia is the coming reality, and the word gives us some angles of view. The better we see the new regime, the more clearly we might also see its fractures and weaknesses. Analysis is the first step to action, and analysis begins with the words. I hope that you find this one useful."
• BTW I think Snyder could do one thing better, adding an extra capital letter. It should be TrumpoMuskovia, putting extra emphasis on Musk.

The Words of Wise Women

• I think of Jessica Craven as the organizer who gives us an action list, every day, to save America. I think of Jessica Craven as the organizer who also acts as den mother and encourager in chief. What I don't think of Jessica Craven is as an historian and word dancer. But I was wrong.
• Read Chop Wood, Carry Water 12/9/24 on her Substack.
• TAKEAWAY "And, as the events over the weekend in Syria remind us, history right now everywhere is fairly bonkers as well. It’s a time of great peril and opportunity. These are not quiet times. We are living through a period that will be written about and studied exhaustively. And we are part of it. The actions we take, the decisions we make to either fight back or give in, the determination we show to keep wrestling our democracy away from autocrats and oligarchs—or to hand it over to them without a fight—they matter tremendously. Not just for us, but for the whole world." ~ Jessica Craven, 12/9/24


• This should be required reading by every single damn American. Maybe it should be required to be written on blackboards 100 times.
• READ Letters from an American 12/11/24 by Heather Cox Richardson
• TAKEAWAY "... [President Biden] laid out the extraordinary successes of his administration as a benchmark going forward. The president noted that Trump is inheriting a strong economy. Biden shifted the U.S. economy from 40 years of supply-side economics that had transferred about $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% and hollowed out the middle class. By investing in the American people, the Biden team expanded the economy from “the middle out and the bottom up,” as Biden says, and created an economy that he rightfully called “the envy of the world.”" ~ Heather Cox Richardson, 12/11/24

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Christmas for Kids

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes that with seasonal flavors that are ...

• ... fun to make with kids
• ... fun to eat for kids and kids-at-heart and even an occasional scrooge
• ... nothin' fancy, nothin' complicated, nothin' overwhelming

• FUN for KIDS! Thomas the Tank Engine Vegetable Trains Easy fun for birthday parties, holiday gatherings and more.
• ANOTHER TAKE Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter Just wait for the compliments!

• THE RECIPE Reindeer Rations aka Dog Chow for Kids, Bunny Pellets & Black Cat Bites, you pick the name.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Fudgicles Just 3 ingredients, no popsicle molds required.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Microwave Caramel Corn No mess, no fuss in a paper bag. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cook Popcorn in a Microwave in a Paper Bag How to make airpop popcorn in the microwave, just popcorn kernels, a paper sack and NO oil. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Easy Easy Magical Jello Bites Guaranteed to make kids' eyes light up! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Strawberry Milk Not a smoothie, almost a milkshake.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix How to make hot chocolate mix from scratch, for a crowd, for gifts, for home. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding Sweet and satisfying but won't ruin your diet. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Perfect M&M Cookies First grabbed, first to disappear. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake Dark, moist and chocolate-y, even two or three days after baking. Fun sprinkles?!

• THE TRADITION A Birthday Cake for Jesus: A Story My sister's gentle way of keeping the spirit of Christmas. (PIN This)
• AND ANOTHER How to Plant Lenten Grass (Easter Grass) An old Finnish tradition, good to mark the season of Lent with children. (PIN This)

What's Brand-Spankin' New?! Two New Recipes This Week!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Winter Bitter Greens Chopped Salad A tangle of freshness, a celebratory salad for everyday and occasions. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Finnish Christmas Stars (Joulutorttu or Tähtitorttu) Much beloved by Finns across the world. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Bourbon-Apple Cider Cocktail A simple, straight-forward seasonal cocktail, just three ingredients. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Finnish Glögi (Hot Red Mulled Wine) Scandinavian-style hot red wine mulled with spices, fruit and for good luck, an almond. (PIN This)

December: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Finnish Meatballs Light and flavorful meatballs, perfect for make-ahead entertaining. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TRADITION Homemade Swedish Potato Sausage A picture essay of a grandmother passing along a family recipe.

• THE RECIPE Swedish Red Cabbage & Apples Savory not sweet.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cabbage Noodles Ribbons of soft, silky cabbage, almost like pasta.

December: Trending

• THE RECIPE Perfectly Cooked Roast Beef An easy-to-remember formula. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Slow-Cooked or Slow Cooker Pot Roast Three easy tricks for tender, moist and flavorful pot roast. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE World's Best Green Bean Casserole Yesterday's comfort food made fresh. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Roasted Green Beans with Rosemary & Walnuts Quickly roasted at high heat.

December: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• THE RECIPE Sugared Cranberries Just two ingredients and a few minutes of time. So festive for the holidays!
• ANOTHER TAKE Cranberry Salsa An explosion of flavors with a Christmas vibe.

• THE RECIPE Christmas Cauliflower Healthy roasted cauliflower with ribbons of festive red and green.
• ANOTHER TAKE Healthy Red & Green Green-Bean Salad Pretty for Christmas, healthy for year-round.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• December 21st (Saturday) - Winter Solstice (Official First Day of Winter)
• December 23rd (Monday) - Christmas Adam (Adam & ... get it?!)
• December 24th (Tuesday) - Christmas Eve
• December 25th (Wednesday) - Christmas Day
• December 25th - Jan 2nd - Hannukah
• December 26th (Thursday) - Boxing Day
• December 26th - 31st - Kwanzaa
• December 31st (Tuesday) - New Year's Eve

• A COLLECTION OF MANY YEARS My Christmas Recipes Christmas baking, food gifts, special stuff for kids, Christmas meals and more.
• ALL THINGS SWEET Holiday Baking Cookies, bars, quick breads, cakes, candies and more.

• THE COLLECTION New Year's Recipes Bringing the year to a close in style.

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2019 Mid December (Week 51)
• 2020 Seeking Big Joy in 2020 (Week 51)
• 2022 Cookie Season (Week 51)
• 2023 Show-Stopping Desserts (Week 51) (PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Santa's Holiday Grab Bag (PIN This)
• Let's Bake for a Cookie Swap (Week 49) (PIN This)
• Simple Thanksgiving Sides (Week 48) (PIN This)
• Unexpected Thanksgiving Desserts (Week 47) (PIN This)
• Substantial Soups (Week 46) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for December

• DECEMBER's COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for December, tons of ideas!
• LOOKING AHEAD Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for January, back to healthy eating

• BUT DON'T MISS THIS Celery & Apple Salad A celebration of celery and celery leaves.
• AND THIS Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad An unexpected combination of ingredients with a Middle Eastern feel.

Good to Know!

• HOW TO How to Remove Pomegranate Seeds, Three Quick & Easy Ways Easily separate the seeds (technically, arils) from a whole pomegranate. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cut an Orange for Slices

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• December 15th — National Cupcake Day (Ha. There isn't a single cupcake recipe on Kitchen Parade!)
• December 17th — National Maple Syrup Day (maple syrup recipes)
• December 18th — Bake Cookies Day (cookie recipes)
• December 18th — National Ham Salad Day (Easy Ham Salad)

The Best No-Recipe Recipe I Made This Week

Frozen Broccoli + Microwave + Butter = Delish!

Laugh if you will, but frozen vegetables just aren't my thing. But one day this week, Whole Foods was out of broccoli — I know, broccoli! but aren't we so spoiled that there's an endless supply of broccoli? — so I bought a bag of broccoli and threw it in the microwave, then tossed it with salted butter.

Dang. Have I ever been missing out!

PS You're totally allowed to roll your eyes.

Trader Joe's Test Kitchen

For me, Trader Joe's is more of an "ingredient stop" than a prepared-food source. But the other day, I picked up a package of Thai Shrimp Gyoza aka dumplings, ten minutes from box to plate and good!

Next time, I'll add a couple of extra bags for the freezer, very handy to have on hand and under $5 which is way less than the cost of a pizza ...

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

• THIS WEEK We have a freezer of cod, I can't for the life of me figure out how to cook it so it's tender. So this week, I decided to use my much-beloved recipe for Salmon Soup as the starting point for a cod chowder. Since the fish didn't have skins, I skipped making the quick stock but tossed in a couple of skin-on shrimp along with the potatoes and cod. Dang, it was good. (Dear Sitka Seafood Market, Please send more cod.)
• THE RECIPE Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) Finland's "soul food," fish and potatoes in a creamy chowder broth. (PIN This)



• THIS WEEK A baked potato is such an easy supper, it's one of my favorites. But for a slow-baked potato, plan ahead by at least two and possibly three hours. Really. So Good!
• THE RECIPE (Sloooow) Baked Potatoes (How Long to Bake a Baked Potato) One Hour Is Just Not Enough.

Something to Read

So Husbands & Lovers is way out of my, um, let's call it appreciation zone. You can tell by the cover, it falls into what publishers and fans call a "romance novel". But I pull book recommendations from dozens of sources, add them willy nilly to Libby, the library app that lets you download Kindle-style and audiobooks, all for the price of a library card, i.e., free.

This practice works for me, because if a book doesn't grab me in the first 10% or so, if I can't remember the characters or more, I don't care about the characters, back goes the book, the next one awaits.

But this romance held my attention, I even finished it in a few days.

• THE BOOK Husbands & Lovers (affiliate link) by Beatriz Williams


• WANT MORE OF A CASE FOR ROMANCE NOVELS? Even 18 months later, The Case For The Romance Novel And How It's Enhanced My Life (+ 30 Of My Favorites) from designer/stylist Emily Henderson. She claims that these books (1) are an antidote for anxiety in a world full of angst (2) help her sleep! (3) at night, replace social media, bad Netflix and even a glass of wine and (4) "puts her in the mood" which is useful in a long-term, monogamous relationship. That's quite a recommendation! Bring on the romance novels!


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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