Our delicious Christmas Tradition.
There’s no mistaking the arrival of Christmas at our house. About a week before the big day, the kitchen goes through a two-day transformation as the resident chef gets busy on her annual mass production.
My wife Joan has a tradition which is well loved by our family and neighbours. She makes Christmas bread. Not just little loaves of bread but beautiful big loaves of twisty bread that is filled with dried fruits and fills the house with a heavenly smell.
After all the kneading, chopping, mixing, rising, baking and cooling, she decorates each loaf with a smattering of fruit and nuts, stuck in place with some icing. Then the loaves get all wrapped up and delivered to each of our neighbours, often while they’re still warm.
Our son Byron loves them so much that every year he reminds us he wants nothing else for Christmas.
There’s always a big beautiful loaf left over after the rest are given away. That’s for the family and it’s a big part of our breakfast on Christmas morning. Traditions are a good thing. Especially when they taste good. And it’s just one of the things that makes me proud of my wife.
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Yum. I can smell it now… we are blessed to have Joanie. Hugs to you, thanks for making me feel like I was in the kitchen with you both.
We’ll save you some, Sue!
Your lucky neighbours! Wish my sister was closer, especially at this time of year. Merry Christmas. Love your big sister
Wish you were closer too, Charlie. Thanks.
Beautiful! Wishing you a Happy, fun filled Christmas!
And the same to you, Helmi! Thanks for reading!
Thanks for including us in your tradition! We enjoy Joan’s delicious fruit bread every year!
Sandy & Sid
And we always appreciate the Antipast, Sid and Sandy! Thanks!
We love this tradition too – especially as we eat it! Thanks Joanie for all your thoughtfulness & hard work.
We’ll keep you on the list, Jeanette! ; )
Yummy!!! Wonderful story. Best wishes to both of you for a wonderful Christmas.
Chris and Rita
And Merry Christmas to you and Rita, Chris! Our trip together in June was a definite highlight of the year.
My mum’s the cutest!!! How do I get on the distribution list??
Maybe you have to change your address! Or make more noise!
What a nice tribute to Joan ,,, would like the recipe since there are no houses for sale in your neighborhood..Bev
Thanks, Bev. We’ll get one for you and keep you posted on any real estate oppourtunities!
Wow what a fabulous idea. I would love to get the recipe. It would be nice to be able to share something joyful with my family this year. Would your wife kindly share her recipe?
Hi Sandie, Thanks so much for replying. I checked with my wife and, with our kitchen renovation, she has no idea where it is buried and it won’t be unearthed for some time. However, she does use a recipe from Canadian Living.