Guest Post: A Tale of Christmas Food by Beth Albright

Today I’m welcoming Beth Albright back to My Novel Opinion. Beth’s latest novel, Christmas in Dixie, the second installment in her latest series In Dixie, is out now.

Just as she did with Wedding Belles, there are some delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book, so I asked if Beth could theme her latest guest post around food, and that is just what she did! And because she is so generous, Beth has included a giveaway…details at the end of “A Tale of Christmas Food”.

A Tale of Christmas Food by Beth Albright

Honey, if food is love, then my cup, (and my hips) runneth over! Christmas memories are so centered around food. It’s always, “what are we planning to eat?” Down south, it just goes without saying that food is love. Food is at the core of everything we do no matter what the occasion– whether funeral or wedding– the best, most mouth-watering food in the world, (in my humble opinion) is a staple of life here. It is simply part of the age-old tapestry of the Deep South; good cooking handed down from one generation to the next. And at Christmas time it was particularly amazing.

My Aunt Patsy made the best of all the Christmas dishes. It sticks in my memory that way probably because she made all the snack food and delicious desserts. Her Magic Cookie Bars will always be my absolute favorite Christmas food…okay, I know it isn’t a dish but still, I swear when I start, I can’t stop. This problem, ahem, issue, finally pushed her to make me my own separate batch, since I became known to hide them in places around the house so I could sneak-eat them and no one would know who stole them all.

Me and my uncle actually competed as to how many each of us would get, trying to count them out evenly—but I am certain we had both already grabbed a few before the counting ever began! My Aunt Patsy started making him his own batch too. Seems we just couldn’t share this fabulous delight. Addictively delicious! The recipe appears in my latest novel, CHRISMAS IN DIXIE! The book is full of Holiday recipes!

Certain foods will forever make me think of my favorite times as a child—and my warmest memories of Christmastime at my Nanny’s house. Nanny, my mother’s mom, was the model for my character of Meridee in my Sassy Belles series and now in my IN Dixie series, (Book 1, MAGIC IN DIXE, Book 2, CHRISTMAS IN DIXIE) To this day, I love fruitcake—I know, go ahead and groan. I know, but my Nanny always had it, so it reminds me of childhood and all the hugs come back to make me smile in the memories. But food is like that. It’s a sensory memory—taste and we all have flavors that we will forever associate with the holidays.

My own holiday cooking now revolves around all those hand-me-down recipes. But now the traditions have blossomed to include my husband’s family recipes too. Both sides, now sharing the love over generations.

Ham, turkey, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes all from my side while the stuffing and cranberry relish are all my husband’s family recipes, handed down from his grandmothers. Those recipes are so special, and one day my daughter-in-law will get them all. I hope she will love them too. (If not, I will come over and make them myself—haha.)

Food is at the center of holiday celebrations and in my new book, Christmas In Dixie, you will find so many southern Christmas recipes! I have an entire section of recipes sent in straight from my readers. You will love it!

Sometimes there can actually be too much food!! I will never forget as long as I live the time I was visiting my soon-to-be new Mother-in-law one year for the holidays. We had about 20 people there for the big feast. One by one, we all kept bringing the freshly made dishes to the table. It was a huge table with two leaves so the length was crazy long. The table was soon filled with masterful holiday dishes when just as I put the last dish on the table—the proverbial straw that broke the camels back—this time though it broke the table. In slow motion, as I began to leave my dish, I watched in horror as the entire table collapsed under the weight of all the food. Everyone dashed into the dining room and grabbed any dish they were close to—for God’s sake, save those mashed potatoes!! Someone grab the bird—and down the whole thing went. We managed to save the food and fix the table. I knew instantly I couldn’t wait to marry into this crazy family!

But, remember how I just said good food and recipes are all part of a family tapestry handed down for generations? Well somehow my poor Mother missed the food memo. Something happened along the way—it skipped a generation. My poor, poor mother.

Our tapestry of good cooking kinda fell apart when it reached her tiny hands—and she passed virtually nothing—well, nothing really delicious—on to me. And certainly NONE of my mother’s “recipes” were created by ANYONE in my family. They were her very own authentic “inventions.” My taste buds will forever associate burned pumpkin pie to the merriest of Christmases. Not burned, but charcoaled—black, to a crisp. She tried and usually it was the fault of the poorly working oven. Ahem. This was all after I became an adult and was married and always travelling in from far, far away. So me cooking ahead of time and bringing food in was not an option.

My mother’s cooking was known far and wide throughout the family, so eventually, everyone began bringing their own favorite Christmas dishes—all very edible. All sans that yummy charcoal flavor.

But I always knew that food really is love and Mother always loved us as best she could—I have to say she was much better at sewing, doing homework with us, listening to our prayers—pretty much anything under the sun, anything other than cooking.

So as Christmas dinner was finished, and everyone was passing the good pie, either made by someone else, or picked up at a store, I glanced at my mother and smiled. I took her burned, black pumpkin pie and cut myself a piece, tuned it over hoping not to find a burned crust. I didn’t. Instead the pie ran out and over the sides of my plate. Charcoaled on top-runny in the middle—my favorite way to eat Pumpkin Pie! I think she must have mistaken broil for bake. But I ate it anyway. With a smile. I have to say Mother did extra well with the all the Turkeys we ever had. But pie was not her friend.

If food is love, and we all know that it is, especially Christmastime and holiday food, Mother sure had enough love to share. It doesn’t really matter how decadent it is—what really matters is who has spent time, effort and energy with their own hands to make something and deliver it with love. That’s Christmas to me. Burned pumpkin pie and all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays y’all!!

Christmas in Dixie is available now from Amazon – Paperback /Kindle and Barnes & Noble –  Nook

About the Author

Beth Albright is the author of the award-winning, nationally best-selling series The Sassy Belles, and now her new nationally best-selling series In Dixie.

After knowing Beth for just a few short seconds you’re sure to learn she is from Alabama. No, its not the lilt of magnolia you can still catch in her voice, or even the way she lovingly describes her undying love for her famous alma mater’s football champions. She will tell you she loves Tuscaloosa, even after living quite literally all over the country. Though Beth has had a remarkable career, from New York City to Hollywood, and all points in between, she has never forgotten where she came from…and what she loves. That’s why when it came time to write, Beth had no choice but to write about Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama, and all the quirky people she still calls family, though some do not actually share her bloodline!

Beth Albright has always been a storyteller. After spending nearly 15 years in talk radio, as a talk show host, playing the part of a principal character on the soap opera, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, owning her own acting school and children’s theater, and raising a son who was a nationally ranked figure skater, Beth has decided to return to her roots; storytelling. When she was in the sixth grade, her teacher gave her the floor every Friday to tell her stories. See, Beth was a talker, a future talk show host in the making, and she was sharing her stories so much that her teacher couldn’t teach. The teacher told 12 year old Beth if she would begin writing her stories down, she would be allowed time to share those stories with the class.

And she’s been writing, AND talking ever since. Beth has interviewed Bob Hope, Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Wolfgang Puck and George Burns live from the Chinese Theatre, as well as numerous other celebrities, and authors. Then Beth became a principal character on Days of Our Lives. But through all of the excitement of talk shows and soap operas, Beth loved telling stories to her audience the most. With a degree in Journalism from her beloved University of Alabama, She always remains true to her roots, born and raised in Tuscaloosa, “My grandfather was the play by play announcer for the Crimson Tide in the 50s!” Beth will proudly tell you. She is a down homespun girl, although she

currently lives in San Francisco with her TV producer husband and her brilliant son. But her heart is always in Alabama.

Connect with Beth: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway Time!

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The giveaway is open until December 14th and winners will be chosen and notified on December 15th.