OnDiva Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food

For the next week, we will be introducing you to our new panel of OnDivas. The OnDivas are each fabulous home cooks, creative recipe developers, talented food photographers and entertaining culinary writers all rolled into one. They are helping Discover Endive spread the word about California endive: the health benefits of eating endive, its value at the grocery store, and its versatility in your weekly menu. What’s more, this week the OnDivas offer you more wonderful holiday recipes and entertaining suggestions that will reduce your stress in the weeks to come!

Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food

Today, Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food shares one of her “go-to” recipes for holiday entertaining, as well as revealing some of her favorite memories and foods from this joyful season.

What are some of your family’s traditional recipes or foods that you include in your holiday cooking from year to year?

Growing up, we always had tourtiere, a French Canadian meat pie, on Christmas Eve.  My mother’s family is of French Canadian origin and it always felt very special to connect to that part of my heritage.  It’s a wonderful dish, and my husband and I now try to make sure we have it some time around the holidays.

What are the “new” holiday culinary traditions you’ve created, and how did they come about?

We started a tradition a few years ago that was an absolute hit with the kids.  On the night that we trim the tree, we also have pancakes for dinner.  I usually try to make the pancakes “holiday” themed, and last year I did Gingerbread Chocolate Chip pancakes.  The kids think it’s such a special treat to have pancakes for dinner, and little do they know, it makes for a quick and easy dinner to prepare.  But I can hardly wait until the kids are old enough to do all the clean up!

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?

A visit from my parents.  We don’t live close to our extended family, and we haven’t spent the holidays together in a few years.  I am really excited to be the one hosting, and I know it means the world to my kids to have their grandparents here.  And my father just melts watching his grandkids open their presents.  He spoils them rotten, too.

What is one go-to recipe for the holidays that you can share with the Discover Endive audience?

My recipe for French Canadian Tourtiere.  It’s easy to make, and it’s a really flavourful dish.

What is one tip, suggestion or piece of advice for the Discover Endive audience to cut back on stress during holiday entertaining and/or cooking?

Someone told me this before my wedding, and it applies to holiday plans and parties too.  It’s simply to keep in mind that your guests don’t know all the little details you were planning, so they won’t notice if one or more of those details is missing.  It’s all too easy to sweat the small stuff when planning parties and big dinners, but in the end, does it really matter?  The holidays are meant for enjoying the company of friends and family, so if one or two details don’t turn out according to plan, let it go.  Nobody is going to notice or care.

Thanks, Carolyn!

Be sure to visit Carolyn’s food blog, All Day I Dream About Food for more great recipes and ideas. Stay tuned for another interview, recipe and tip with another fabulous OnDiva, coming tomorrow!