The well-known and nostalgic lyric “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” conjures memories of good times with family and friends. For some, preparing for the holiday means shopping for those perfect gifts. For others, it’s finding and decorating that perfect tree or untangling last year’s lights to create the perfect festive outdoor display. And for still others, it’s bracing for the children to be home during winter break.

While those activities can certainly set the tone, my favorite way to get in the holiday mood is to plan and prepare my menu for Christmas Eve and Day. Cooking and baking are favorite pastimes of mine any time of year but their importance grows at Christmastime.

Years ago when the tradition of a large Christmas Eve open house paused, I started a new tradition for my family. I took one of my children’s all-time favorite meals and made it extra special. The classic grilled cheese and tomato soup transformed into a gourmet offering. A homemade creamy tomato basil soup infused with pureed butternut squash and topped with freshly shaved parmesan cheese was accompanied by a simple or decadent made-to-order grilled cheese sandwich. With no less than four varieties of cheese and bread to choose from, each family member’s sandwich could also include avocado, tomato, spinach, bacon, ham, turkey and jalapeno jam.

It’s a beautiful sight as we all gather in the kitchen to create our own individual holiday masterpiece.

The ease of this Christmas eve meal left plenty of time to organize and prepare for my family’s main event: Christmas morning brunch. An array of breakfast meats joins cheesy potatoes and an assortment of cold salads, especially my nearly famous Waldorf salad (included in the Gazette’s 2022 Holiday Traditions Cookbook inside today), because what says holiday like fruit, nutmeg and heavy whipping cream?

But the guest of honor on these festive late mornings were the cheese blintzes – a sweet cheese-filled crepe wrapped like a burrito and topped with warm raspberry syrup. Preparing this dish with my husband’s help was a gift to my mother who didn’t cook much but always knew what she wanted on the menu. Time-tested favorites paired with a new addition each year highlighted the day.

Spending this weekend baking cookies with family, I reflected on the joys of the season. Food brings people together and that to me looks a lot like Christmas.

Candace Wolf is publisher and editor at the Daily Mining Gazette. She can be reached at cwolf@mininggazette.com.