Tag: home for the holidays

Down Holiday Memory Lane

Posted on by Jené DeSpain

As a child, Saturday Market was a favorite adventure for my two sisters and I. The gorgeous hand made crafts, notable local characters, cobblestone streets, and Skidmore Fountain were enticing features of wonder to us kids. The holidays were a particularly fantastical time at the market, awash with smells of hot chocolate mixed with fresh made pine wreaths, and sounds of carolers singing along the waterfront.

This last weekend, I went to visit for the first time in many years. A friend of a friend, Nicole Mark, was showcasing prints of her breathtaking shots of the Pacific Northwest at her booth, just down under Ankeny Street. We went to bring her some custom frames hand made for her larger prints, hoping to support her and some of the other local artisans during our visit. The sound of the max rolling along the old Portland streetcar tracks, the smell of roasting coffee, the sights of woodworkers carving into tree bark under the light of their booth’s overhead heat lamps brought back a blend of childhood memories. I wandered around, taking in the soft rain pattering on the tents, mindfully stepping out of the way of puddles and holiday shoppers.

There is something deeply soothing about visiting places that held splendor for us as children as an adult, returning to see if they still hold magic. Aspects of Portland valued by my parents, and hence passed onto me, are found within the environment created each season by the vendors of Saturday Market. Community, expression, creativity, local celebration, diversity.

Just as we were leaving, Nicole offered one of her photos to me as a kind gesture, befitting in the spirit of this season of giving. Each one capturing a beautiful glimpse of scenic grandeur we have come to recognize within the nature scape surrounding Portland; a flowing riverbed, a mountaintop sprinkled with snow, a canyon of evergreens. It was challenging to select one from the array, but in the end, I gravitated towards a photo featuring the view I am most familiar with, home.

Home means different things to each of us. Whether you grew up here or are celebrating your first holiday season as a local in Stumptown, I would encourage you to head down to Saturday Market sometime during 2020. Stop by to visit Nicole and ask her to share the story behind any one of her striking images.

 

Nothing says “Home for the Holidays” like the smell of Cookies

Posted on by Jené DeSpain

As far back as I can remember, my parents have been passionate about hosting. From the color scheme of the table setting to the guest list to the dessert platters, my parents love to throw a party. The epitome of their annual events was always the Cookie Party my Mother threw every December on the evening of the 2nd Saturday of the month. She would carefully select 11 of her friends, have each one of them submit a cookie recipe for her pre-approval, and host everyone over for a festive exchange of all of the spectacular cookies. Each guest had to bring 13 dozen of their home baked, special cookie on holiday plates, 12 to be given to each of the guests and then a 13th to be sampled by everyone at the party. After the evening, the 11 bakers would go home with a dozen of each of the cookies, bringing their holiday sugar haul to a total of 144 cookies to be gifted and devoured over the next few weeks. The exchange was well known and loved by my parents’ social circle, and was a highlight of the season though out my childhood. My two sisters and I would savor the evening’s arrival every early December. As it’s been quite some time since I’ve been home to indulge in this celebration, the memories of this annual festivity remain at the core of my experience of this beloved time of year. I’ve attempted to re-create the magic of my Mother’s cookies each December in my own homes, focusing more on the delights of decorating them rather than their taste. While I don’t have the baker’s touch of my Momma, I’ve discovered the powerful thrill of mixing my own frosting colors and the intricacies of sprinkles application.

If you’re feeling like rolling out some cookie dough and filling your home with the smell of childhood holidays, give this recipe a try:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10402/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/

While they might not be as decadent as a 3 layer meyer lemon bar w lavender icing, these cuties will bring you hours of creative unwinding in your kitchen. I recommend the Nina Simone/Nat King Cole holiday mix on Spotify for your background tunes. Happy Holidays!