Mainely Martha

Last night I was visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. My brother posted a picture on FB of signs near my grandmother’s house. This brought me back to Christmas Past and our then “Griffin Christmas” with our family and my aunt’s family. With 10 children in our family and 11 in hers…it was a full and loud house. But what immediately came to mind  was my grandmother’s ambrosia that she would make every year. It wasn’t that I particularly loved it, but it was a staple that was there year after year as we gathered together to celebrate the holiday.  The only beverage was a classic punch with ingredients of Hawaiian Punch and ginger ale, topped with balls of rainbow sherbet served in a fancy punch bowl with matching glasses. And what fun the “feast” was each year…seriously, I loved it!

Yet after years of this gathering, the passing of our grandmother and the growth of our own families, specifically the addition of “The Outlaws” (mine and my siblings spouses) and subsequently the next generation of Griffin’s, our Christmas Present Griffin Family gathering emerged. The Christmas Present is large and loud, not unlike that of Christmas Past but, I will say the food and drink has evolved…Thank God!  Nothing against ambrosia and fruit punch, but I believe the only sign of marshmallow’s in Christmas Present is in hot chocolate or atop cookies and the punch has been changed to a specialty cocktail…chosen by the host.

Christmas Present blesses us with a bounty of fabulous food; core recipes such as lasagna made with mom’s sauce recipe, mac and cheese which is just as popular with the adults as it is with the kids, Mary’s cheesecake, craft beer often brought by my husband and his partner in crime, my brother-in-law Jesse, and a variety of spirits for mixing. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the addition of an occasional round of quarters or beer pong…

So as times and menus have changed and the family continues to grow with a new generation of “Outlaws” and their off-spring…I am hopeful for Christmas Future. As we continue to grow in number we are infused with new recipes, both food and drink, that become new traditional elements of our menu and time together.
So a toast to Christmas Past and the memories we have shared; merriment for Christmas Present and the memories we will create, and cheers to Christmas Future and the hope for what is to come.