Category Archives: Holidays

Christmas Decorating and Hallmark Movies

My Mexican Christmas tree…before I started adding ornaments this year!

The day after Thanksgiving is my day to get the Odom home into the Christmas spirit! With Eddie’s help, we brought down all the boxes in the attic that I planned to use this year.

A few years ago, I took a bit of time after the new year and organized my Christmas boxes and labeled everything by room. This makes it easy to get the decorating done and also pack everything back up after new yeas. I also have quite a few boxes of things I’ve used over the years but I’m not ready to part with yet. Who knows? Maybe my kids will want to use some of these things at some point. We shall see…

I always start in the family room with the mantle. Luckily, Eddie was still hanging around and was able to help me with lights on the mantle greenery. The pre-lit garland decided it was done but I’m liking the strand of lights I replaced it with because the light seem brighter and there are more of them. After that, Eddie went off to work on his “to-do” list and I was left with Hallmark Christmas movies and the rest of the decorating.

The mantle is decorated and Hallmark Christmas movies are on the TV…

It’s become another tradition for me to watch all those sappy Hallmark Christmas movies as I’m decorating. Honestly…you can predict the outcome to every single one and yet I cry at the end of them all! It’s just like the those Hallmark commercials…they get me every time!

The only thing I changed up a bit this year was my Mexican Christmas tree. I’ve bought quite a few new items this year and so I decided to retire a few older items. I added the grab bag ornaments I found thrifting recently. I also added all the tin ornaments I bought in Austin, Texas recently. I bought a few sugar skull items at Sojourns in Birmingham a few weeks ago…they went on the tree too. A few older items are a must every year, especially the crosses and my Virgen de Guadalupe ornament. Mexican Santa ornament and my Christopher Radko -Feliz Navidad ornament (a gift from a friend) are always on the tree. It’s the one tree I generally decorate myself so I take my time and enjoy the process.

Sunday night we decorate the family tree with the entire family – and we only decorate with Hallmark ornaments. I guess you could say Hallmark is in our blood! Another tradition…

Turkey Day 2015

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My first Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing – all by myself!

I have a confession to make…this is the first year that I’ve prepared an entire Thanksgiving meal by myself. Yep…that’s right! I’ve never in all my life done this…but this year I decided it was time.

We had already celebrated Thanksgiving with the extended Odom family last Saturday. My brother-in-law, Terry, did the honors where the cooking was concerned. We brought the “big” cookie and some great wine. Before my sister-in-law passed away, she and my other sister-in-law typically did all the cooking. We had quite a banter going back and forth about the food. They would tease me because I didn’t cook and so I was always given the task of bringing the drinks and desserts. This usually consisted of pies from Costco. (FYI – This was before the big cookie made it’s appearance in recent years.) I joked that my culinary expertise was so great that I had sold my pie recipe to Costco so why should I make them when I could buy them! In reality, I told them one year not too long ago, that it didn’t make sense for me to cook since they were both so good at it! It was the truth too, not just a line to get out of doing the work. Their Thanksgiving menu was always fabulous!

Over the past few years, I’ve wanted to learn more about how to make our Zuniga traditional Thanksgiving meal – in particular the turkey and stuffing – so I asked my mother to teach me and my daughters what to do. I took pictures of the process and also wrote the directions down – which I can’t seem to find now. She loved doing this with us and we a blast learning her method of cooking. Anyway, my mother went to Chicago this year to be with my sister and her family and since Eddie and I were going to be home with two of our three kids this Thanksgiving, we decided to get a turkey and make a traditional meal. Rather, he bought the turkey and “I” made the traditional meal!

Deviled eggs…a little mayo, mustard and sweet pickle relish. Delish!

I made the stuffing (or dressing) and stuffed the bird close to midnight last night. I had enough for a casserole dish of dressing on the side. I also made deviled eggs because these are a staple at every Thanksgiving meal! The heavenly aroma of turkey woke me up early and my husband nudged me out of bed so I could check on the bird and turn the oven off. We got up to make breakfast for the family – my daughter Anna Marie and her new hubby Ryan came by for French toast before heading out-of-town this afternoon. While they were here, I made the other preparations… peeled potatoes, got the mac and cheese ready, green beans and almonds in a pan and finally, took a shot at making giblet gravy. It was a little thick (I think I used too much flour), but it did the trick and everyone seemed to enjoy it on their food.

Enough food for an army!

My brother-in-law and sister-law, Allen and Rhonda came over to join us for our Thanksgiving meal. It was a small group but it was really nice and relaxing once we got our plates fixed and sat at the dining room table to eat, talk, laugh and share stories.

Pumpkin pie and apple/cranberry pie were the dessert choices. I’ll have one of each please with a little whipped cream! It was a great day and I’m tired now but it’s a good tired. I feel great about being able to make this wonderful meal for my family and we have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow and the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving y’all! I hope you and your family had a wonderful day together too!

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Bring the Big Cookie Saturday

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At every Odom gathering, there is never a shortage of food. Even those years when we said we would keep it simple and not go all out, we did. We just can’t help ourselves!

Eddie and I are generally in charge of bringing desserts and so we’d go by Costco and pick up their pumpkin pie, apple pie and assorted cookies. Sometimes we’d mix it up and throw in a key lime pie. Honestly, there was never a shortage of sweets either!

Then one year I decided to bring a cookie cake from Great American Cookies. These cookies have always been a hit with our kids. Heck, they’ve been a hit with me too! So we took the cookie that year and you guessed it, it was hit with everybody there…not to mention the cute turkey design for the occasion!

This year, we were in the process of planning our Odom get-together at my brother-in-law’s house in Jasper via text message when he texted – “FYI y’all bring the big cookie Saturday.” Our reply…”you got it!”

And so, I think it’s safe to say that a new Thanksgiving family tradition has been born…the Big Cookie! Oh…and we sometimes have it at Christmas too!

Family Traditions

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Odom cousins – Thanksgiving 2014 – on Mimi’s swing in Jasper, AL.

Family…like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. I love this quote…

This time of year, I start thinking a lot about family traditions. I’ve often thought that some day I would write them all down from what I remember doing as a child and add all things we did when my own children were little. The one constant though all this is family. Whether the tradition remains today or has morphed into something different…we do these things because we want to connect as a family and make it a part of our story.

Family traditions can bring you comfort and strengthen the bond you have with your family. They teach you the value of immediate and extended family and how to take the time to be together. Creating and maintaining traditions is easier when your children are young. It becomes a little more challenging when they get older and get married or move away. It definitely becomes a juggling act at that point! Some traditions run their course…like breakfast with Santa and going to the annual lighting ceremony at the local mall. These traditions are driven by age. Others change because the dynamics of your family change.

For my Zuniga family, Thanksgiving has always been the major holiday to celebrate. Before my parents moved to Alabama, I would make the trip to Chicago every Thanksgiving to spend the week with my sisters and parents and do so many of the things we always did together over the 10 years that I lived there. Traditional activities ranged from shopping at Oak Brook Mall and hoping there would be a little snow, getting up to watch the Macy’s Day Parade while the turkey was still cooking, then fighting to get the first taste of stuffing from the turkey. This was always a battle with my youngest sister. I would sneak into the oven with a spoon and sample the dressing when no one was looking – beating my sister to the punch – although I’m sure my mother knew! At some point during the visit, we would watch WGN’s family classic movies. Those movies were the staple of every Sunday afternoon in the Zuniga household when I was in high school. Certain sounds and smells bring it all back. Certain music does too as we would gather around the piano and play and sing along. All the Zuniga sisters were in choir and we all knew the same music. My grandmother used to say we could have been the Lennon Sisters – she and my grandfather loved Lawrence Welk!

My husband (Eddie) has always been adamant about attending the traditional Odom family Christmas lunch each year. It was the one time of the year we got to see his father’s extended family all at once. The lunch was originally pulled together for his grandmother (Mama Odom), and when she passed away, the Aunts decided to continue the tradition. Eddie made sure we were represented each year. If one of the kids had a conflict due to sports or scouting activities, he would take the kids available and make the trip to the lunch and see everyone. Now so many of the children are married with children of their own – a whole new generation of Odoms are enjoying the gathering. I do hope it continues…

My sister Kanista with my girls, Emily and Anna Marie – Thanksgiving 2004 in Birmingham, AL – having a girls lunch at Cantina at Pepper Place.

On the Zuniga side, when all my sisters used to travel to Alabama for Thanksgiving with their young children, we would spend Wednesday before Thanksgiving having lunch and shopping and then come home to get things ready for our big dinner. The husbands would take the kids to a movie and spend the day with them and give he moms a break. As the nieces and nephews got older my sisters began staying home – they all live out-of-state. Soon it was just me, my mother and my aunt (mom’s sis) and my girls having lunch and doing a little shopping. When my Aunt passed away, we just stopped going. It just didn’t feel the same. In recent years, my mother has mentioned missing the “old days” when we all used to spend that day together. I understand her longing for something that held such great memories. It’s hard to move on sometimes, especially when something was so enjoyable. We resurrected the tradition a bit these past few years with mom and my girls and added something new. We’d come back to my house and get turkey preparing lessons from mom. It’s been fun for my girls and I know my mother has been thrilled to pass along her turkey making expertise to all of us!

Making Thanksgiving turkey with Nana! My girls learn how to make stuffing!

One of the first Mimi Swing Photos I took of the Odom cousins…

When my youngest child Emily was just a year old, a major tradition emerged with the Odom children. I began taking pictures of my three children (Charlie, Anna Marie and Emily) and my twin nieces (Kate and TJ) on their grandmother’s outside swing. We would take “the Mimi’s swing” picture at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas – any holiday when we’d all get together. But for some reason, Thanksgiving was the one holiday that really stuck. Over the years, we’ve added the older Odom grandchildren, great-grandchildren and significant others to the photos. This year at Easter, we even added my niece TJ via iPad when she couldn’t make it home. It was that important for the kids to have everyone present and accounted for on the swing no matter what the holiday. I love this swing tradition so much and especially at Thanksgiving! Seeing the way the family has changed and grown over the past 21 years is priceless to me and I know it is to my brothers-in-law too, as we all get older and look back.

The Odom cousins in Mimi’s swing – Thanksgiving 2014 – TJ, Kate, Anna Marie and Emily – Charlie always standing in the back!

One thing is for sure, family traditions evolve and change, that is a given. But I have a feeling we will always be taking a swing picture of the Odom kids at Thanksgiving. And for that, I will always be thankful…

Ten years of swing photos – I had this framed for my mother-in-law (Mimi) and it hung into her house until she passed away in 2011.

Leaning how to make mom’s Thanksgiving turkey with my girls in 2013. Mom and I had just finished stuffing the turkey!

Thanksgiving turkey making shenanigans with Nana…although I don’t think my mom knew what they were doing in the background!

Christmas Music in November?

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My large collection of Christmas music at home…I like adding a few new cds each year!

Every year in early November, the Christmas music begins on a local radio station. Now, I love Christmas music, but listening to it in November…that’s a bit too early for me. I mean, hello? Remember Thanksgiving??!!!

It does prompt me to begin researching new Christmas albums about to be released for the year. I have a rather large collection of Christmas cds and I really enjoy adding to it every year. Of course, some years are better than others. If I buy a new cd or two, they go directly into my car so I can listen on my way to work and back the month of December.

This past weekend I was at Michaels and stumbled upon some Christmas cds in the midst of all the crafting items and Christmas decorations. (Honestly, trying to find Thanksgiving decor was difficult…) My sister, Kanista and I had been talking about the group Pentatonix a few months ago. She had just discovered them and went absolutely head over heels for their music. They released their last Christmas cd – That’s Christmas to Me – in 2014 and somehow I missed getting it last year. I spotted it in the array of Christmas cds at Michaels and so I bought one cd for Kanista and one for myself. On my way home, I broke my own rule about “no Christmas music before Thanksgiving” to give the cd a listen…it is FABULOUS!!!

I also bought another new cd – a group called Straight No Chaser. I don’t event remember how I discovered this group several years ago. Their cd – Under the Influence – was released in 2013. I remember thinking I would pick it up two years ago and then never did. I can’ wait to give this one a listen in December! (Yes! I’m waiting to open this one up!)

Each year the week of Thanksgiving, I go through and select a few older cds that I’ll listen to in December. There are always a handful that make the cut every year – no matter what! There’s The Andy Williams Christmas Album for one. This one brings me back to when we were living in Puerto Rico and my mother would play the vinyl album on our Magnavox combo tv/record player/radio unit. There are certain songs that make it Christmas for me and one of those is hearing Andy sing “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I also sang this song with my show choir group in high school so I’m always singing along in the choral version. I just love it…so many great memories with that song!

Christmas with Dino was a recent purchase but again, these song by Dean Martin are oldies but goodies! I have always LOVED Dean Martin – he reminded me of my dad in a lot of ways…at least the person I saw on TV when I was growing up. Dino makes the cut every year. I’ve grown tired of the many renditions of the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” but not when Dean Martin sings it! Makes me wish I had been around during the Rat Pack Days!

The Carpenters Christmas Collection – what more can I say. I am always blown away by Richard Carpenter’s musical arrangements. Karen Carpenter’s voice is a given – it’s timeless to me. I mean, didn’t we ALL want to BE Karen Carpenter when we were growing up? That voice! Merry Christmas Darling” always gives me goosebumps. Incredible to think that the lyrics to this song were written in 1946 by Richard and Karen’s choir director and twenty years later – when Richard was his student – the director gave the lyrics to Richard and he composed the melody! There is one other song on this two cd set that isn’t well-known – Little Altar Boy – that is simply gorgeous. If you haven’t heard it I strongly encourage you to give it a listen.

Ottmar Liebert is a German guitarist, songwriter and producer and is best known for his Spanish influenced music. You would find him in the new age/jazz section if you were looking for a cd. I was first introduced to him in 2001 by my cousin Nelinda when my sister and I were visiting her in New Mexico. She had one of his cds playing in the background as we enjoyed a meal and chatted. Perfect “set the scene” type music and Ottmar quickly became a favorite of mine. His cd called “Christmas Santa Fe” is one that I used to always play on Christmas Eve when my family was larger and we would gather at my house to enjoy my mother’s enchiladas, rice and beans, salsa and margaritas!

Last but certainly not least…I found a compilation cd set called La Parranda by Fania records. The album describes itself as representing “the essence of Latin American music.” Fania was a New York based record label that became known for promoting salsa music. It features music by Hector Levoe , a well-known Puerto Rican salsa singer, and Willie Colon, a salsa musician. This music always takes me back to Christmases in Puerto Rico. I have always liked this cd title because Parrandas are a Puerto Rican tradition where a group of friends or family members, go unannounced over to a neighbor’s house very late at night to sing traditional Puerto Rican Christmas carols. The songs are called “aguinaldos” or gifts. I remember doing this as a child and bringing maracas and “guiros” to accompany the songs. A guiro is a Latin percussion instrument made of a hollowed out gourd that has parallel notches cut in the side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce the sound. I remember everyone would argue over who got to play the guiro. It was always the coveted instrument! Great memories but doesn’t music do that to us? It takes us back in time and lets us relive our precious memories…

Meanwhile…I’m getting these cds ready to load in my car so I can enjoy the sounds of the holidays, my way… What Christmas music makes your holiday special? Let me know!

The Zuniga-Odom Family Altar for Dia de los Muertos – 2015

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Zuniga-Odom altar 2015

My altars this year were very similar to last year. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to change things up a bit but I didn’t plan very well. So, I’ll hold those ideas until next year…

Meanwhile, I did add more to my dining room table altar! I always use a pair of two-tiered plate stands for different events and gatherings at my house. Since I bought the cute male and female sugar skulls at Target, I used those on the top place and scattered marigolds on the bottom plate. It really made the table explode in color!

Something new on my altar/table this year is the two tiered stand – a great place to put my new Sugar Skull in top hat decoration (from Target) – just add marigolds!

I have to admit, it’s hard to take everything down. I’ll be doing that this weekend but the candles – the battery operated flicker kind – make the dining room and living room so beautiful at night.

Until next year…Feliz Día de los Muertos!

One of my favorite photos with my dad…

The Zuniga siblings my grandfather (far right) Apolonio Guerrero (Polo)and his siblings.

My dad, Praxedis Sotelo Zuniga, in his T-bird. Photo taken in Bangkok, Thailand. His handkerchief, rosary and Air Force pin.

My dad’s Leica camera…next to a tequila shot set I bough in Mexico many years ago.

Zuniga family crest on a cloth bag – these were given out at a recent Zuniga family reunion.

My coffee table altar with pictures of my mother’s family – her parents, sister, grandparents… My pup, Lucy helped by watching.

A favorite photo of my grandparents and aunt – Onnie and Louise Stone and Gail Stone Thomas.

Zuniga family photos – my dad, his siblings and parents (front photo) and my grandparents Zuniga on their wedding day (photo on left).

Zuniga-Odom altar at night

Day of the Dead 2015

Tamales…Deliciousness in a Corn Husk!

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Tamales…so much deliciousness in a corn husk! (NOTE: You don’t eat the corn husk!)

These little tasty meals have become synonymous with a local nonprofit I’ve been involved with for over 10 years by the name of HICA…as in “OH! You’re on the HICA Board?! I love your tamales sale!”

HICA’s tamale sale is back this year after a little “siesta” last year. If you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area, you can pre-order right now until August 1st through the HICA website. After that, the next window to order will be November 22 through December 11 through the website. You can choose from three types of tamales: pork with red sauce, chicken with green sauce and (my favorite!) pepper & cheese tamales. The cost is $30 per dozen or $18 for 1/2 a dozen. (Remember…this is a fundraiser!) Tamale pick up will be at the HICA office on December 18th.

Not having the tamale sale last year was a big decision for the board and fund development committee. HICA had just purchased a building – a new home – in Homewood, AL, and there was so much happening to get the building settled and also pulling together our 15th anniversary event – or quinceañera – with the Birmingham Barons last June. We just didn’t see how we could pull it off successfully with so much going on so, after much discussion we decided to cancel the sale in October and notified our tamale supporters of this decision. We know people were disappointed but they understood and we promised to bring the sale back this year. Personally, I’m so glad it’s back because pulling this fundraiser together is a true labor of love for those of us who’ve been involved over the years and have seen it grow.

HICA Volunteers making tamales one year in partnership with the Culinard.

HICA started the tamale sale 13 years ago around the Christmas holiday time as a fundraiser for the organization. That very first year, supporters, board members and Hispanic community members got together in a volunteer’s kitchen and made hundreds of tamales into the wee hours of the morning to sell to the community at large.

The idea was to bring a little bit of Mexican culture and food to Birmingham. In addition, tamales are a tradition around Christmas time to Mexican families. Many people who have been exposed to the HICA tamale sale over the years have embraced tamales as their own tradition now too!

I have so many stories to tell about the tamale sale which I will do throughout this year leading up to the tamale pick up date on December 18. I’ll also share a few tamale recipes along the way. But for now, you have 8 days to pre-purchase your tamales! Go ahead…you know you want to!

HICA has been grateful to the Piggy Wiggly in Homewood for many years for supplying grocery bags to contain the tamale orders.

Here are a few fun facts about tamales from the HICA Website in case you need a little more encouragement to try them:

Tamales date back to the time of the Aztecs
Tamales can be sweet with fillings such as cinnamon and raisin or fruit.
There are around 1,000 types of tamales available all around Mexico. Every region has its own variety of tamales.
In Mexico, tamales are often eaten during festivities, such as La Candelaria Day (Feb 2), Mexican Independence Day, Day of the Dead, Las Posadas and Christmas.
A Mexican tamale called the Zacahuil is three feet long and weighs about 150 pounds.
Tamales are not only part of Mexican culture, they are also part of Latin American culture.

Sparkling Sangria on the 4th of July!

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All the ingredients gathered in the Boondocks Gang kitchen and ready to go!

Several times a year, my husband and I get together with a long-time group of friends. We call ourselves “The Boondocks Gang.” This name came about many years ago when we were having dinner at a little place in Guntersville called Boondocks. We thought we needed a name and that just seemed perfect for us.

This year we decided to gather for the Fourth of July. We always have a theme – of course, this year’s theme was a no-brainer! We had plenty of patriotic hats and red, white and blue USA beads. Sometimes we even have a signature cocktail thanks to my sweet friend Karen, who loves throwing things together and creating the perfect drink.

I had tried a fabulous white wine sangria at Melt Restaurant in Avondale a few weeks ago and have been thinking about it ever since. So, I suggested we make a sparkling sangria for our signature drink this time. We (the girls) had just spent our usual first full day at the lake making our thrift store jaunt…funny how we’ve gotten into a certain routine with our trips! Always fun…we love looking for bargains and then coming back to the lake house and recalling our day over wine or other cocktails. This time we couldn’t wait to get started and got right into sangria making! I almost couldn’t get everyone to slow down enough to take the preparation photos!

A pretty shot of the oranges – waiting to be squeezed into the mixture.

Before I get into the recipe we used, I thought I would add a quick little history of Sangria. I was surprised to read that sangria was first introduced to the United States at the World Fair in 1964! Sangria has its roots in Spain. It is traditionally red but can also be made with white wine or “cava” which is the Spanish version of sparkling wine. There is also an interesting post called “Blood, Wine and War: The History of Sangria” that talks about when the Romans conquered Spain and were the first to plant the vineyards that produced the red varietal grapes that make the best wine. They called the drink Sangria which meant “blood” because of its red color. (The Spanish word for blood is “sangre.” ) The SangriaSecrets.com website also has some interesting recipes I may try too! Their Cranberry-Orange sangria sounds interesting…

Now back to present day…

Karen remembered a recipe from Columbia Restaurant and quickly looked it up on her phone. Honestly, what did we ever do without Google and our smart phones? We started with a full bottle of Cupcake Prosecco. Next we added Brandy, Grand Marnier and Rose’s Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed oranges and a can of Sprite (lemon-lime soda) followed. Oh, and Karen never measured a thing…she’s just that good! We cut up limes, more oranges and added a maraschino cherry to each glass. Finally, we added ice to the pitcher and began pouring. I have to say the glasses looked beautiful! We all grabbed our glasses, gathered in front of the fireplace while my husband took several pictures of us posing with our sparkling 4th of July cocktails.

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I thought this would be a girls only drink but the guys were watching us make this refreshing beverage and wanted some too! So, on to making pitcher #2! Sorry, no picture of the guys drinking this fruity drink. They wouldn’t pose…

SALUD!

Cheers from the Boondocks Gang ladies!

One of our outtakes!

Salud!…from me and Karen!

Birmingham Chinese New Year Festival – Part 3

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This is the third and final of a three-part post about the Birmingham Chinese Festival Association and the annual Chinese New Year Festival.

One of the things I love the best about festivals is getting to photograph them. Cultural events are guaranteed to give you a lot of colorful options and the Chinese New Year festival is no exception. This past year, I arrived at the festival a little late – so I missed the opening ceremony and the dragon dance. I was a little disappointed about that, but as I entered the Boutwell Auditorium the acts on the main stage immediately got my attention and I almost ran up to them to take photos!

During the entertainment breaks, I walked through the exhibits…the first booth that drew my attention was the Confucian Academy. There I spotted not one, but two men dressed as Confucius helping each other with their beards! Adorable! Later one of the men posed with me for a picture while the other one was busy writing names and other phrases for people in Chinese.

A little further down, a long table was set up with books, interesting knickknacks and some watercolor paintings. The chicken got my attention right off the bat. I don’t know what it is about chickens but I could probably be a collector if I’m not careful. I think they look beautiful in a kitchen. So, I quickly grabbed it up for $10 and asked if the artist was nearby because I wanted to meet her and also get her to sign the painting. Her name was Karen, and she also told me her Chinese name. I sure wish I could remember it now but when I repeated it to her, she said I was saying it correctly which made me happy. She then posed for a picture with me along with the painting. Turns out, I was at the Troy University Confucius Institute’s (CIT) table. I know Troy has a very robust international program and it was great to see them in Birmingham for this festival so more people could learn about it.

For the remainder of the time I was there, I stood in front of the elevated sound and light system and took pictures of the stage performances. Everything from yoga dancers to sword dancing to a guy juggling a large chinese vase and finally a guy balancing on numerous stacked chairs. Everyone of these acts so colorful and leaving the crowd anxious for the next. Here are a few of my favorites from this past year. Sometimes, it’s hard to narrow them down!

Mexican Wedding Cookies – My Favorite Christmas Cookie!

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Every year I have my annual Christmas cookie swap party. Everyone brings 12 dozen (yes! you read that right!) of their one favorite cookie and you leave with 12 dozen different cookies. I have the party the first week of December so that everyone can enjoy and share the cookies during the month of December for family gatherings, to use as gifts, or just eat them all themselves!

The cookies I make every year without fail? The Mexican Wedding cookie! It is my all time favorite cookie and it was my dad’s favorite cookie as well. I remember my mother always making these cookies for him and how much he loved them. He had a sweet tooth for certain things and Mexican Wedding cookies was one of those things!

My mother passed her recipe down to me and I am proud to say I can make them almost as well as she does. This year I decided to document the process in photos. They are an easy cookie to make and oh so good! But as I was making them, I was curious about their origin. I mean, where did they get their name and why were they also called Russian Tea Cakes?

So I did a little research online and found a great history from Chef Miguel Ravago, co-founder of Fonda San Miguel in Austin, Texas. I noticed his mother’s recipe, that he shares in the cookbook – Baking From the Heart – includes cinnamon. My mother’s does not, but it got me interested in trying this at some point. It reminded me of another favorite Mexican cookie – bizcochitos that I also love and can’t get enough of when I visit my family in New Mexico! My cousin Nelinda makes a bizcochito to DIE for!

Chef Ravago says the origin of this cookie is Arabic and was taken to Mexico by the Spaniards. They are called Polvorones de Canela – polvorones meaning “dust” because the cookies are covered in powdered sugar and canela – meaning cinnamon. He recalled how his mother would always have these cookies baked every week to have after church to enjoy along with a Mexican chocolate drink. But polvorones are also part of most Mexican weddings – they are gathered into a pyramid at the receptions making a gorgeous white centerpiece and stacked very high so everyone can reach them. At weddings these cookies are best enjoyed with a glass of anise liqueur – according to Ravago’s grandfather.

Here is my mother’s recipe: 1 cup butter or margarine; 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla; 2-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour (do not use self-riding flour); 1/4 tsp. salt, and 3/4 cups finely chopped nuts (I use pecans). Mix butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour and salt together; blend in. mix in nuts. Chill dough.

You then heat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough in 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Cookies do not spread. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until set but not brown. While still warm, roll in confectioners sugar. Cool. Roll in sugar again. This recipe makes about 4 dozen 1 inch cookies.

I still don’t know why these are called Russian Tea Cakes…but they will always be Mexican cookies to me.