Happy New Years Everyone! I hope that everyone enjoyed their nights and welcomed in 2010 with great Food, Laughter and Company! I know I sure did! We celebrated with great Food and friends and brought the new year in with laughter and joy! I guess the bubbly helped!

Our Hosts graciously served us a meal to die for! Ham that melted in your mouth, deviled eggs, Cheese bread with a surprise, salads and Gravlax which is a cured Salmon. This sure set the pace for welcoming in 2010, and the night was a true success!


2009 was an interesting year to say the least, and I am really looking forward to what 2010 will bring.

After the last Post we made our way to Winnipeg to celebrate Christmas with my very large family! I tell you, it sure is nice now that my parents live in the same area! What a treat to be able to get from one house to the next within 15 minutes as opposed to 40!

My parents have been divorced since I was very young so Christmas has always been a bit hectic, going from one house to the next! Usually there are dinners, lunches etc covering three days! I am always amazed at how we make it through each year with all the food and celebrating! I came out a bit rough for wear this year with another nasty cold, but it was well worth it!

Before anything can really start there is of course the decorating of the tree. When I was growing up this was a huge deal for my Nanny and Grandpa on my Dad's side and it was rare that I was not there to help decorate! My Mom has carried on this tradition and waits for me to decorate when she knows I am coming home.

One of my fondest memories growing up was going to my aunty Irene's and seeing the whole family in her modest basement and enjoying some amazing food! Although we don't all gather on this night as we once did, the food and company are just as amazing!

The Polish Tradition is to start things off on the 24th with a meatless dinner, but before we start any eating and celebrating we take a moment to give thanks for all that we have gained throughout the year and pay respect to those we have lost.
Then we each get a piece of "Oplatek", a thin wafer that symbolizes the body of Christ. Quebecers, you know this Osti and in English this is the Host you take at church at communion.

We take this wafer and go around the room wishing health, happiness and prosperity, to all our family members and friends present. With each exchange you break a piece off of the other persons wafer and eat it, and of course seal the deal with lots of hugs and kisses. Although I am not Religious, this has always been a special part of the night for me and it sets the tone for the rest of the night! I suppose this may explain why I am such touchy feely girl! Gotta get those hugs in whenever I can!


So what's on the menu?

Fish cakes made from Pickerel, wild mushroom pirogies and the more traditional potato and cheese perogies, pickled hering (which I have yet to acquire a taste for) homemade crepes (Naleśniki) filled with a dry cheese and cinnamon mix and slathered in strawberry sauce. Breaded shrimp and Kutia, a poppy seed, wheat and honey mixture. An what table is complete without homemade pickles! Mmm I am salivating just thinking about it! Then there is Desert! Honey cookies, Short bread cookies, sweets and this year Trifle! Nope not polish but it sure was good! I even tried a a honey and clove liquor from Poland called Krupnik. I was sure that it had medicinal powers due to the honey, so I had a few shots to keep my cold at bay.

Christmas Day is a whole other ball game, this is for the serious eater! We had a huge buffet set out and the amount of food was not for the faint at hart! Can you believe my mother actually thought we may not have enough for our 30something guests! Two turkeys, one freshly cooked and the second smoked, cabbage rolls, Bigos which is a baked sourckrout and meat dish, ribs, meatballs, pirogies, salads, ham, potatoes, veggies.... and that is not even starting to look at the deserts! I think I have gained 5 pounds just writing about all of this!

Desert was just as crazy! Butter tarts cookies, Puffed pastry filled with cream, blueberry cheesecake Nanaimo slices, and of course the Chocolate fountain! Luckily they only weigh your bags and not you on the return flight! I actually had one carry on filled with leftovers! I am so Polish!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season. For those of you that are away, travel safe and see you when you get back!
I wish Everyone Happiness, Laughter and Health in 2010!