Feliz Navidad

It donned on me sunday that Christmas Eve was only six short days away, which meant only six short days of guilt free Christmas music and movies...I started listening to Michael Buble and a Glee Christmas immediately.  I guess it worked because I was shortly thereafter overcome with a desire to bake, a passtime that I had put on the shelf about a year ago after realizing that living alone and baking was hazardous to my health. 

In the spirit of goals 2 and 3 of Peace Corps (Sharing US culture with Guatemalans and vice versa), I arranged to borrow my host mom's stove and invited a friend over to make some Christmas cookies.

Using an old wine bottle as a rolling pin = resourcefulness typical of a Peace Corps Volunteer ;)

We made Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and Peppermint Biscotti that all turned out yummy.  I'd never made biscotti before but guess what?  Not that difficult!  Now I want to try savory biscotti, like...garlic, cheese, rosemary, etc.  I actually don't have much of a sweet tooth and gave most of the cookies away. 

Last year I was here as well, but never really got into feeling Christmas-y and although I did spend it here with the family, didn't learn much about the holiday.  Here, the tradition is to make and eat tamales called paches, made with rice or potatoes and a chunk of chicken, raisins, and chiles.  My host mom decided not to make paches this year, however, so I got an invitation to go to her older daugher's house and learn from her mother in law. 

I took about a gazillion pictures of the whole process over the course of two days.  I think I'm going to include them in a separate post to follow.  Christmas 2012,authentic Guatemalan paches at my parents' house, anyone?

Anywho.... Oh yes, Guatemalan Christmas traditions.  Along with delicious paches, we will be making ponche, an amped up traditional cider type hot drink with chopped up pineapple, apple, papaya, coconut, and raisins in it.  We eat a late dinner and wait for midnight, when everyone celebrates the birth of Christ with fireworks.  Lots of fireworks. In an attempt to get the whole Navedad experience, I bought a few fireworks to join along in the fun. 

And there you have it.  A little food, a little fireworks, and lots of good company and conversation. I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas as well.