There’s something about this time of year that makes things feel a little more special. A favorite recipe comes back into rotation, old traditions resurface, and suddenly the songs you haven’t heard since last December are playing in the kitchen again.
🍂From My Kitchen: Turkey Pumpkin Spaghetti
Skimming through culinary magazines years ago, I came across this pumpkin spaghetti recipe; it sounded delicious, so I decided to give it a try. It perfectly matched my craving for something warm and cozy, the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with an inviting, savory aroma and feels especially good when the evenings start getting darker and cooler.
I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years by changing the pasta to penne and turkey to chicken, and it works beautifully. Becoming one of my signature recipes I look forward to making when the season rolls around.
And a little side note: If you have a furry companion, expect them to appear in the kitchen the minute they hear that pumpkin can opening, suddenly very interested in whatever you’re making.
🌍The Traditions That Make the Season
One of my favorite things about the holidays is how many different traditions exist around the world, and how the smallest ones can carry the biggest memories.
Faith is sharing a little window into holiday traditions in Kenya, while I’m bringing one of my German-American holiday traditions to the table: the Christmas pickle.
The origins of the Christmas pickle are somewhat mysterious, but the ornament has become associated with good fortune, inspiration, and resilience. For me, though, it was simply part of Christmas morning.
My brothers and I would frantically search the Christmas tree for the well-camouflaged green pickle our parents had hidden among the branches and decorations the night before. Whoever found it first received an extra gift.
It sounds simple, but I can still picture us searching through the tree, moving ornaments around and hoping we’d be the ones to spot that little green pickle first.
A New Christmas Tradition
A few years ago, Faith and her cousins started a new Christmas tradition: every year, they choose one cousin’s house and celebrate together.
When they were kids, the women in the family were in charge of the Christmas kitchen. Now that the cousins are grown, they’ve taken over the cooking themselves. The kitchen has become their space to catch up, laugh, share stories, and figure out who is doing what.
Faith’s main contribution is washing dishes, which has earned her the unofficial title of glorified dishwasher.
They started the tradition because they realised how easy it is to get caught up in life in Nairobi and forget to make time for family.
A few years in, they have a surprisingly strong track record: the pilau has remained unburned, the chapatis have remained soft, and everyone has made it through another Christmas in the kitchen together.
They also have a bowling game that has been postponed until their cousins living abroad make it home.
Maybe this will finally be the year.
Until then, there’s always the kitchen, the food, the stories, and another Christmas together.
🎶What’s Playing While I Cook
I love the music and enjoy an upbeat twist on the traditional classic tunes that makes the kitchen feel a little more spirited, a bit more me, while I’m two-stepping while chopping, or swaying my hips while stirring, and pretending I’m much more organized than I actually am.
This is my upbeat holiday playlist for cooking, sipping, and letting the music set the mood.
🎬 The Movie I’ll Watch Every Season
The Holiday.
Long before the Airbnb boom, this movie captured the fantasy of swapping homes for the holidays and spending the season somewhere completely different.
A cozy winter cottage in England or a sunny modern home in Los Angeles, discovering a little adventure along the way.
And honestly, I’m still in.
🌹A little Rose Collection
I’ve been wanting to share the new Rose Collection by Ozean with you.
The inspiration comes from one of Pasadena’s most iconic traditions: the New Year’s Day Rose Parade.
Living and working in Pasadena, it’s hard not to notice the roses. They’re everywhere, and every January the Rose Parade turns the city into one giant celebration of them.
I thought it would be fun to bring a little of that Pasadena feeling into Ozean with a collection inspired by the rose.
A little California sunshine, a little Pasadena, and a sweatshirt to carry that feeling into the winter months.
🛍️ For the People on Your List
A few things that caught my eye for the holidays for the host, the person who has everything, or, let’s be honest, yourself.
Because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with putting something in the cart with your own name on it.
The Holiday Pause
And somewhere in the middle of all the cooking, wrapping, decorating, traveling, and holiday movies, let’s remember to pause.
Step away for five minutes. Put your phone down. Take a few slow breaths. Let your shoulders drop.
Nothing to accomplish. Nothing to check off.
Just five quiet minutes before you jump back into the season.
May your holidays be merry and bright.
