traditions

I've not been very good at Christmas.  Decorating was never my strong suit, and doing the same thing year after year just hasn't happened.  But I'm hoping to change all that as we anticipate a new family member to be with us next year! 

On Christmas Eve last year, we were in "shagz" (Dexter's parents' house in the country) and I made a big batch of chili.  Even though it is hot in Kenya in December, I thought that would be a fun thing to start.  So I made it again this year!  Perhaps some day I'll be in a place where a hot chili tastes good to the bone on Christmas Eve.

 2009 cooking on a jiko (small charcoal stove)

2010 Dexter's mom checking it out

This year I served it with cornbread and cheese -- two things I couldn't do last year because of no oven and no refrigerator.  

Since most of Dexter's family was with us Christmas morning and we were having breakfast together, I decided to make cinnamon rolls! It is so great because I can make them the night before, let them rise in the fridge over night and pop them in the oven in the morning.  I'll definitely do this again.

After breakfast Dexter read the Christmas story from Luke 2.  

Gifts are not common in Kenya -- in fact, we didn't exchange anything at all! I wouldn't mind that being a tradition carried on even though I do like to receive (and give) gifts.  As a compromise, I made banana bread for everyone to take home.  This is a simple recipe that I've been using for 10 years and love.

we needed to make it official, like I was giving an award

I also wanted to bring a bit (more) of American culture to the mostly Kenyan festivities yesterday, so I had the kids (or kids at heart) decorate Christmas cookies.  None had done this before but all had a great time.

And lastly, I want to have some Christmas cookies that I make each year.  I might have done more, but I only had a working oven for a week, I didn't have all the necessary ingredients for the gingerbread men I wanted to make, and I got sick one day last week. Whew.  So here's what I did make:  peanut butter cookies with a peanut butter cup inside, gingersnaps, and snickerdoodles.  The one thing I over looked was something with chocolate in it!  Next year.

I guess we're off to a good start at establishing some traditions that I hope we'll carry with us into the years to come.  Are there things you'd recommend we add to the list? What do you do?