My best memories of Christmas have everything to do with the food. Mom would make pierogi and cabbage rolls and patychky, or meat sticks, as we liked to call them. She’s long gone now, but I try to keep up some of the food traditions by making at least one of them on the high holidays.

Yes, I’m making meat sticks. We’re going to my sister’s place Christmas Eve and on Christmas day, Tuffy P’s family are joining us for dinner here in Long Branch (I’ll be doing the cooking). Sunday I’m going to venture out in between ice storms to buy my meat, which I’ll marinate overnight and then Monday I’ll make them. Just about every Christmas I’ve republished my recipe, and when I looked at my stats today I saw that post has had 10 hits, a good reminder that it is time to re-share. So this is how I make them (it’s not quite the same way mom did….I’m going to come out and say I think mine are actually better), although I admit my sister’s meat sticks are also most awesome. I’ve taught Sister-in-law Viv to make them along the way, and hers are just as good as mine.