If you are looking for a way to get together with people this Christmas season, without much work for anyone, and sharing the expense, may I recommend a pot-luck taco bar?
Last night I had a fun taco-bar fellowship with some of my girlfriends. It was a super-quick way for us to just grab a bite to eat for dinner and make the best possible use of the 45 minutes we had to hang out, catch up and share all that's new in our lives. Actually, the conversation turned to family Christmas traditions--so really, all that's "old" in our lives! ;)
I love to hear people's traditions and what they recall most in terms of childhood holiday memories...the things that really stand out in their minds and make Christmas, well...Christmas, for them.
Surprisingly enough, I bet if you ask your friends the question "What do you remember most about Christmas" it would not be the gifts, but rather the small things. One of my friends warmly recalls a yearly gingerbread man, dressed in frosting "lederhosen", made with love, and sent to all the children in her family by an elderly relative.
For me, I recall all the little Norwegian traditions of Christmas at my grandparents' house--lefse, the first-course of oyster stew, the lutefisk (ok I never actually ATE the lutefisk), and the coins left under the plate, to be kept by the head of the household, until after the new year, in the hopes that the amount would multiply exponentially in the year to come! Funny thing is, my grandparents lived in a small, humble, single-wide mobile home, but at Christmas everyone fit in it just fine! No one worried that it was small, or humble. There was a welcoming spirit, and room for everyone: aunts, uncles, children, tree and tables. It was not the size of the home, or the elaborateness of the décor that made it special; it was the people.
Those old Norwegian family traditions are not all carrying through to the new generation. Some are. Lefse simply will not be put out to pasture! But now there are also new traditions, specific to our family, and Christmas unfolds much the same way each year.
A taco bar may not seem very Christmas-y, but it helps that someone also brought Christmas fudge and cookies, and adorable little pecan tassies, and we had some Christmas music in the background--a little 45 minute respite to sit, eat, laugh, and just be in the moment together. The best part is no one really had to go to a lot of work. We all brought bits and pieces of the meal. One person brought cheese, one tortillas, one salsa, two brought treats, etc. Paper plates, Christmas napkins, and we were all totally happy. No need to obsess. We met in a central location, had folding chairs and just held our plates on our laps. No need for anything more. I find that if you just put out a list of what food is needed, people fill it. My part was taco meat. I made it up on the stovetop and transferred it to a warm 4 qt crock--my "travel" crock with the lock-down lid. It stayed nice and warm for serving, and the leftovers patiently waited on "low" for 2 hours after our meal, until I was ready to store it in the fridge.
Now, in a pinch I'll use taco seasoning from Costco, but I far prefer to make own--it tastes better and I know exactly what's in it, and can alter it to my family's tastes and needs. I also like to use organic corn starch in my taco seasoning, so that I know it's GMO-free.
Taco Seasoning
Originally this recipe came from www.recipezaar.com and is called "Fajita Seasoning Mix". I just increased the cumin, used organic cornstarch, changed the amounts of some other seasoings, and switched the sugar for sucanat. I quadrupled the recipe because I go through a lot of it.
1/4 c. organic cornstarch
2 T, plus 2 tsp. chili powder
1 T. salt
1 T, plus 1 tsp paprika
1 T sucanat
1 T, plus 2 tsp chicken bullion (I use Vogue Cuisine brand--it's reduced sodium, gluten-free and no MSG, available in health food stores)
4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
Combine ingredients, and store in a glass quart jar in the fridge. 2 TBSP of the finished mix equals 1 pkg store-bought seasoning. I usually also add water when I go to season my taco meat...I don't know...1/4 cup? Just add a little, and then add more if you need to.
Enjoy the season friends. Don't be overwhelmed by "entertaining". The main thing is to just do it. Share a meal, or even just a cup of tea and a cookie. It doesn't need to be difficult, and no one is examining your house with a magnifying glass! It's the fellowship that matters, not the gourmet cuisine. Just like it's the yearly childhood gift of a special gingerbread man, and not the expensive gifts that remain in their minds years later...it's the time together, and not the elaborate-ness of the spread, or the perfection of your house that people will remember.
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