OnDiva Rachael from La Fuji Mama

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!

Rachael of La Fuji Mama

Today, Rachael from La Fuji Mama 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 the “new” holiday culinary traditions you’ve created, and how did they come about?

One of our newer traditions (at least for me) is that I make fruit cake every year for Christmas.  My husband’s grandmother used to make it every year.  When she passed away a couple of years ago, I realized that there would be no fruit cake that Christmas, made especially sad by the fact that it is something my husband’s grandpa looks forward to all year.  So I decided to make it something I would do each year.  Now I look forward to the moment when I can give grandpa his own little loaf each December.

What is your favorite holiday movie, television special, character or song?

O Holy Night—the music never fails to send tingles up and down my spine.

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?

Getting to spend time with family.  It’s been a busy year, so having the opportunity to slow down a bit and gather round the dinner table with family sounds better than any gift that could be wrapped and put under then tree!

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

I LOVE chocolate covered pretzels, but always shy away from making them myself because I find the process monotonous.  This month I came up with a super simple way to get all of the same flavors of my beloved chocolate dipped pretzels in a homemade treat, without the monotony—my recipe for white chocolate peppermint pretzel bark: http://www.savvysassymoms.com/white-chocolate-peppermint-pretzel-bark/

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? 

Don’t forget to stop and live in the moment.  I find that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the stress of the holiday season and I have to stop and remind myself why I’m doing everything.  Stop and enjoy the looks of wonder on your children’s faces as they experience the magic of the season.  Don’t worry so much about perfection—I promise, no one else will notice.  You have the rest of your life to work on perfection, but you only have these moments once!

Thanks, Rachael!

Be sure to visit Rachael’s food blog, La Fuji Mama for more great recipes and ideas. Stay tuned for another interview, recipe and tip with another fabulous OnDiva, coming tomorrow!