Holiday Stovetop Simmer

One of my family’s more recently adopted traditions is our version of the holiday stovetop simmer recipe that is all over Pinterest.

I just started doing it within the last few years. As I’ve said before, it really takes some effort to get into the holiday spirit here in Florida. This tradition was born out of a desire to recreate the Christmas memories from when I was a child. My mom had several siblings and they all grew up, got married, had children, and/or acquired pets. Everyone lived within a few hours of each other. Even after my immediate family moved to Florida, we all used to gather at my grandmother’s farmhouse in Maine. Local friends would drop by for a visit or to bring gifts or food. Other extended family would come over to visit or to share a meal and catch up.

It was a large house with acres of land, but everyone would crowd together in the heart of the house: the kitchen. This was the one time of year we would all be in one place at once and we wanted to take full advantage of it. Even if the cooking and cleanup was done, we would still gather together at the kitchen table. The conversations, connections, and laughs we shared there fill my heart.

As an adult, the holidays are quieter. My grandmother passed away several years ago. People have moved to different parts of the country. My cousins have grown up, gotten married, and are now sharing holiday time with their in-laws and extended families. We don’t all get together for the holiday season anymore – instead, we do our big family gathering for Christmas in July.

We celebrate the holidays now with a much smaller group, but to me Christmas memories are of family and noise and abundance. And so I wanted to recreate that feeling. This holiday stovetop simmer recipe reminds me that those memories are still within my heart. I hope that we are building special memories for our son as well.