Tastes and Traditions
December 5, 2024
By Lydia Zerby
The holiday season is a time to gather with loved ones, create cherished memories and enjoy delicious food. One of the most heartwarming aspects of this time of year is the unique family traditions that unite us, whether passed down through generations or newly created. From festive meals and sweet treats to cozy activities and joyful celebrations, each family adds their own special touch to the holidays. We checked in with Iowa FFP’s partners, farmers and collaborators and asked them to share some of their most beloved family traditions, along with recipes they’ve enjoyed around the dinner table for years. Whether you're looking to start your own traditions or add a new dish to your holiday spread, you're in the right place for festive inspiration!
The “Perfect” Tree-resized.jpg)
By Aimee Bissell — CommonGround Iowa volunteer
My husband and I purchased our first farm several years ago and created a new tradition of finding a Christmas tree off our land. Our family sets out on Thanksgiving afternoon, searching for the “perfect” tree. We load up in a pickup truck, with the dogs in tow, and head out on our journey. The conversations and reflections I’ve had during these trips are endless. Eventually, we settle on a tree that will fill our house with the smell of pine. Decorating the misshapen, sparse, “perfect” tree usually takes hours. As time ticks by, we laugh and reminisce about an ornament or a story from the past. What makes something perfect has nothing to do with how it looks and everything to do with how it makes us feel. Enjoy life’s blessings. Reflect, laugh and spend time with those you love.
A Tradition of Fresh Bread
By Cristen Clark — Food & Swine founder
Baking bread for the holidays is a time-honored tradition that brings warmth, comfort and a sense of togetherness to the season. My grandmothers always served fresh bread as a holiday centerpiece. The process of making bread from scratch is both rewarding and therapeutic, offering a break from the hustle of the holidays and reminding me of special times with my grandmothers. The scent of freshly baked bread will fill your home with an irresistible aroma, creating an atmosphere of cozy anticipation that your guests and family can enjoy together. These beginner-friendly breadsticks complement any holiday spread and are an easy, homemade indulgence!
Soft Garlic Breadsticks
• 1¼ cups warm water up to 115 degrees F, divided
• 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry, instant or bread machine yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3-3½ cups all-purpose flour (depending on weather and measuring technique)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
To a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Proof yeast for 5 minutes until foamy.
Add the remaining water, oil, flour and salt.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until double in size, 30-45 minutes.
Once dough has doubled, punch down to deflate and let rest 5 minutes to relax gluten. Then cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch breadstick/rope shape.
Arrange on a sheet pan so breadsticks are not touching. Spray with nonstick spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove plastic wrap and bake breadsticks for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature registers 190-200 degrees F.
Melt butter, add garlic salt and stir together. Brush onto warm breadsticks immediately.
Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Warm leftover breadsticks in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Special Sugar Cookies
By Mariah Busta — Midwest Dairy Iowa farmer relations manager
Every year, just before Christmas, my mom, sister and I gather for our special baking day. It’s a time to slow down, share stories and whip up our favorite holiday treats — along with the occasional new recipe we’re excited to try! One of our absolute staples is our sugar cookies. They’re a family tradition, made even more delicious by a secret ingredient: sour cream! Over the years, our tradition has grown sweeter as more little hands join us in the kitchen, creating even more cherished memories.
And here's my best baking tip: Always use real dairy products. Swapping in real butter, milk and cream makes all the difference and guarantees a delicious result every time!
Sour Cream Cutout Cookies
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 5½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
Frosting
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk, or more as needed
For the cookies, combine sugar, sour cream, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients until a soft dough forms. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough and cut into shapes. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
For the frosting, beat all frosting ingredients together in a large bowl until creamy. Add more milk to reach desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting over cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.
Our Family’s Christmas Tradition
By Mike Holden — Iowa Beef Industry Council board member and cattle farmer
For the past 20 years or so, our family has had three main traditions for Christmas. The first is celebrating with Christmas dinner, the second is singing Christmas carols, and the third is acting out of the “12 Days of Christmas.”
Our dinner menu always includes prime rib, beef tenderloin, cheesy mashed potatoes and our home-grown sweet corn. For dessert, we always serve cut-out cookies, snickerdoodles and fudge. The prep work is a group effort — we don’t measure anything; we just go by the crew's gut feeling.
After dinner, we gather in the living room to sing Christmas carols until the little ones get bored. Our final song is always the “12 Days of Christmas.” However, we don’t just sing the song. We must accompany the song with the official choreography, which gets interpreted quite enthusiastically and with much imagination! By the time we get to the end, we are all teary-eyed with laughter. It is the perfect way to end our day.
Bacon + Bacon for Breakfast
By Hannah Spurr — Iowa Pork Producers Association consumer outreach director
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, filled with many blessings and wonderful traditions. I have many amazing memories from my childhood of waking up on Christmas morning. My mom and dad would make a large breakfast for us before we opened our gifts. Eggs, bacon, sausage and cinnamon rolls filled the table. I like pairing this delicious breakfast with a big glass of eggnog (I’m an eggnog fanatic!).
Now that I have my own family, I like carrying on the Christmas morning breakfast tradition. A fan favorite around our house is these easy and delicious Maple Bacon Donuts. Of course, they’re accompanied by all the other breakfast essentials — eggs, sausage and MORE bacon! You can never have too much bacon! Luckily, my kids love eggnog just as much as I do, so we all drink a glass with our breakfast. Enjoying a Christmas meal around the table with my family will be a memory I cherish forever.
A Grandmother’s Recipe
By Melissa Alto-Kintigh — Iowa Egg Council director of marketing and communications
My holiday tradition is opening gifts with my in-laws while enjoying my husband’s grandmother’s famous egg casserole. Grandma Betty passed away in 2017, but her presence is still felt at holiday gatherings, especially when we share her special recipes. The family gathers around the tree and we open gifts while the casserole bakes. Once the gifts are opened, we head to the kitchen to serve the casserole alongside cinnamon rolls and coffee. Adults and kids alike love the tradition!
Grandma Betty French’s Egg Casserole
• 2 pounds ground sausage
• 3 slices bread, cubed
• 3 cups milk
• 9 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1½ teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
Brown sausage and drain. Combine all ingredients in a 9x13-inch pan. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees F for one hour.
Shoot the Turkey
By Shelia Larson — Iowa Turkey Federation director of communications and membership
Every year, the day before Christmas, we all get together to cook and bake. This allows everyone to be involved, gets the mess out of the way, and leaves plenty of time to play games and just enjoy Christmas day together. We inject a turkey with the “Shoot the Turkey” marinade, smoke it, cut it off the bone and put it in a crockpot with the juices from the pan. It has great flavor, smells amazing and is ready to eat when we are!
Shoot the Turkey
• 16-24-pound turkey, fresh or thawed
• 2-3.5 ounces Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ cup water
• ½-1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• ½ tablespoon garlic paste
• Cookies Flavor Enhancer
Wash hands. Remove giblets and neck from turkey.
In a medium saucepan, melt 3.5 ounces butter. Add lemon juice, salt, water, Tabasco sauce and garlic paste. Heat marinade to lukewarm.
Place turkey in a deep, smoker-safe pan. Using an injector, inject marinade into all parts of turkey.
Rub remaining butter over entire turkey and sprinkle with Cookies Flavor Enhancer.
Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Smoke turkey for approximately 8 hours, or until turkey reaches 165 degrees F.
During the last two hours, baste turkey with pan juices about every 30 minutes.
Remove turkey from smoker and let rest for 20 minutes.
Remove meat and serve immediately, or place it in a crockpot with pan juices to keep it moist.
Holiday Ham Balls
By Kriss Nelson — Iowa Soybean Association staff writer
Long ago were the days when we traveled to our grandparents’, gathering with cousins and enjoying Christmas as a larger family. Although many traditions have changed, some have remained the same. Now, my family enjoys a more non-traditional pre-Christmas gathering with a new generation, which calls for a more relaxed Christmas day in our Christmas pajamas. Despite the passing years, the main dish of ham balls remains a constant presence on the holiday table.
Ham Balls
• 3 pounds ground ham
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups milk
• 3 packages graham crackers, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
Sauce
• 2 cans tomato soup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• ¾ cups white vinegar
Mix all ham ball ingredients well. Form 40 large ham balls and divide between two 9x13-inch pans.
Mix all sauce ingredients well and pour over ham balls. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and serve hot.
NOTE: Rather than ground ham, pork and beef, you can use fresh ground ham loaf from your grocery store’s meat counter.