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Christine Wenger | From The Desk Of Trixie Matkowski
For the Sandy Harbor Lure newspaper: HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
By Trixie Matkowski
In this busy world, there are some traditions during the holidays that comfort
us and bring back lovely memories.
For instance, on Christmas Eve, we kids would wait to hear Santaโs footsteps and
the reindeer hooves on the roof. No matter how hard we tried to stay up, weโd
never hear them. But, without fail, the next morning when we looked, there would
be some packed snow on the roof.
It was years before we figured out that my father was the one walking on the roof!
Holiday baking is another tradition. Certain families have special fruitcake
recipes (and you know who you are), or an ethnic specialty like babka or kugel
or those Italian cookies made at Christmas (sure would love some of those hard
chocolate ones!). Juanita Holgado, one of my cooks at the Silver Bullet Diner,
makes a caramel flan which is to die for. Making these specialties once a year
makes themโฆ.well, special.
My long-time friend, Mary Ann, uses lovely dishes brought over from Poland by
her great-grandmother. I canโt wait to set out my Lenox Holiday set. I have
another set just for tea.
Speaking of food, which I always do, I celebrate the Polish tradition of going
meatless on Christmas Eve. All my guests look forward to potato pierogi, kapusta
(sauerkraut with yellow split peas), mushroom gravy, and special onion rolls. Yum.
I usually make twelve dozen pierogi, some of which I give as gifts. Half the fun
is inviting friends over to make them with me.
So, gentle reader, Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years from me and the
staff of the Silver Bullet Diner. If you find yourself alone, thereโs always a
place for you at the diner. Come join in the fun and share your traditions with
mine.
(Editorโs note: No one should be alone on Christmas. Go to
Trixieโs!)
Christine has worked in the criminal justice field for more years than she
cares to remember. She has a dual master's degree in Probation and Parole
Studies and Sociology from Fordham University. Unfortunately, the
knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didnโt prepare her for
what she loves to do the most โ writing romances and cozy mysteries.
Comfort food and murder are on the holiday menu in the latest mystery from
the national bestselling author of MACARONI AND FREEZE . . . All Trixie
Matkowski wants for Christmas is a breakโjust not the broken leg she got after
slipping on some ice. With Sandy Harbor alive in the hustle and bustle of the
season, itโs the busiest time of the year at Trixieโs Silver Bullet Diner. There
are millions of things to do, including cater the townโs annual Christmas
pageant and community dinner with some delicious holiday comfort food. But
the festivities turn into a bit of a turkey after Liz Fellows, the director of
the pageant, is found with Trixieโs butcher knife in her back. Now Trixie must
help the police arrest the scary gentlemanโor ladyโguilty of the crime if she
hopes to get herself off the naughty list.
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