Food traditions

With Pancake Day around the corner, I'm reminded there are a lot of traditions and holidays centered around food. I haven't always followed these traditions due to being busy or just plain lazy. But now that I'm a mom, it's up to me to introduce traditions to my family and make these days special. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without gingerbread cookies, after all. Think about all the traditions and holidays we use food to commemorate. And even if it's not as simple as a cake on one's birthday (though that's a pretty important food-related tradition!) you have to admit we tend to use food as a way to celebrate almost everything. So I'm going to make a commitment to pay more attention to these foodways traditions in the future and give Charlotte special moments. I have visions of presenting homemade goodies to her and family on special days and even of her helping me prepare meals and treats when she gets older.


Thankfully, I have a good few months before she is able to eat solid food. It will give me time to reflect on my own family's traditions and food moments as well as my cooking/baking repertoire . Though she will be just old enough to try a few bites of these reindeer gingerbread cookies (with pretzel ears, chocolate chip eyes and a Smartie nose) come Christmas time. I made these for the first time this past December so maybe it will be our first food tradition!