the 12 ways of christmas (part 1)

While we really wish we had the Ellen Degeneres-type capability to shower you all with a bonanza of gifts we, well, don't. So instead, allow us to help you get into the spirit of the season by sharing the little traditions our friends turn to during the most wonderful time of the year. Here goes Part 1 of our 12 Ways of Christmas...

#1 celebrate in style  I love entertaining at home. There's something naturally cathartic about thinking of a color scheme, setting the table, getting the best cake possible and trying something new. Another reason why Christmas is special is that friends come home from abroad, which makes coming together even more poignant. I once hosted dinner for a best friend who had turned vegan. What others might see as difficult to pull off was actually fun—and I loved the food, too! I also finally got to use some gold lattice napkin holders from a home store in Singapore, new blue plates I discovered at my suki store, and an idea to use corks for place holders. I just love how everything, and everyone, comes together when I entertain for the holidays. – Naynay Montilla

#2 blend traditions  Since I got married, the one sure thing about Christmas in my place is on December 24th, when my wife’s family comes over for lunch. They bring tamales and broas from their hometown of Sariaya, Quezon and we enjoy them for merienda at around 5 pm  (after my home-cooked lunch) with coffee or tea. Being the only "outsider", I eat this with banana ketchup (it's a Yulo thing) and freak everyone out in the process. This year, I plan to buy some Caviteño tamales and stage a "showdown" just for fun. December, by the way, is the only time I ever see these treats so they’re now one of my markers for the season. – JJ Yulo, Pinoy Eats World 

#3 dress the part    Though we don't have any formal traditions when it comes to dressing for the holidays, we are making new ones as we go. Lately I like dressing my family in thematic (but not identical!) outfits since the coordinated clothes look great in photos. This snapshot was taken on Christmas Eve. At the time, I was designing the outfits for my high school reunion. We had a back and white color scheme—and I decided to go with the same idea for my family.  In fact, the bolero of my youngest daughter was just made from retaso! – Michi Calica Sotto, fashion designer

#4 remember those you love  My husband, two sons, and I have been living away for a total of eight years. Though it would be ideal if we came home each year to celebrate, there have been times where we've spent Christmas in our host country instead. While we miss the warmth of getting together with extended family, we've enjoyed having to make new traditions for ourselves, and we also relish the quiet and the chance to spend time with friends that have become family to us. The first time we spent Christmas away from Manila we decorated our tree with Christmas balls. Each ball had the name of a family member or friend that we would have surely seen were we in Manila that year. We called it the "family and friends tree" and it’s since become a tradition of sorts. After years of living in different places, it now it feels like we take a part of where we’ve been with us, and everywhere we celebrate Christmas is home. – Dana Coscio-Mercado

Cheers!

tata & anna

To view Parts 2 and 3:
http://thegrosgrainribbon.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-12-ways-of-christmas-part-2.html
http://thegrosgrainribbon.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-12-ways-of-christmas-part-3.html

yummy mommies

Here’s the honest truth: I only ever have to plan meal menus when my parents and older sister are abroad (the time I lived in NY hardly counts as dinner always meant something I could eat in one bowl with a fork). The rest of the year I dabble at whipping up side dishes, experimenting with desserts or merienda, pulling together streamlined potluck events, and dreaming up dinner party and come-for-brunch menus. 

So when Yummy’s newly christened editor-in-chief Liz Yap asked me to profile different moms and their grocery, menu planning, and meal preparation habits, I approached the assignment as an archeologist would. I went deep into the wild, observed, and processed my findings.

I wanted to cover a broad spectrum of make-it-happen moms, and was lucky enough to have four fab friends give into the pressure of being my subjects: a single mom slash hip grandma, a mommy to a huge brood of five, one who needs to factor in the special needs of a child with health concerns, and a busy executive assistant at a pr/advertising firm.

 I was in awe of their many little tips and tricks and as I said on the Yummy contributor’s page: coming up with family meals is part military operation, part magician’s touch! But my favorite part was discovering that there really is no “right” way to go about things and (as all of the subjects were relieved to hear) it’s all about finding what works best for you and your brood. (So to all of your one bowl + fork cooks out there, be not ashamed!)

Incidentally, Anna was one of my originally reluctant subjects. And of course, I’m making—I mean, asking—her to share some of her thoughts on the matter again here. Thanks, Anna! And thanks to Krissy, Jing, and Zara—the other yummy mommies who so kindly let me into their hearth and home.

Tata 

P.S. Here’s what Anna has to say :)
 

Thank you, Tata, for this feature. It actually made me think more about how things work at home, since at this point I really have been going by feel.  I learned to be more grateful for the people who help me get everything done, and it showed me that we’re all just trying to make things work in the best way we can.  I loved the tips from the other moms, and how the common denominator is that all of it is done out of love. I don’t claim to be a fabulous cook, but I can rely on thoughtful and fun details like cookie cutters shapes for sandwiches and Japanese soy sauce containers so my kids feel their meals are happy thoughts from mom. 

(Check out the full feature entitled "Feeding the Fold" in the October 2012 issue of Yummy magazine!)