Dishing out Tradition

In the shake of a tail feather (work it, Daphne!), the mood has changed. On December 1st, new dishes are on the table. Every year...on the 1st. That's a tradition. Mine are not overly Christmas-y. Actually, they are winter dishes and "Frosty" is the man of the season. Love him. And, not just because of his carrot nose. He is jovial, fun...a bright spot of whimsy and he gets to hang around all winter. On my dishes at least. My other winter set has hearts and pine boughs on it. A little bit of a nod to my smidge of Danish heritage. I do love hearts. These dishes are out and in use through Valentine's Day.

I love winter. I love all the seasons really, except when summer hogs the others and lasts way beyond its due. I even have a hallway that is papered in a pattern called "The Joys of Four Seasons". Magic.

And so, it may seem that I am rushing out fall (never!) with these dishes, but growing up in the Rust Belt, we always had a major snow storm the weekend after Thanksgiving. And, a chance to make the first Frosty of the season and so he is kind of a multi-season guy. (Looks like that tradition holds, too. Buffalo, where Papa Dick and Gram Jean are buried, just got 3 1/2 feet!)   

Frosty to the Rescue

December also brings the traditional dilemma: how to have a joyous holiday season without overloading the body, the brain or the wallet. Frosty to the rescue...off the plate and into the mouth. How cute and how multi-purpose!! First, he can be a fun, inexpensive edible place card as well as an appetizer. I used to make the kids broccoli trees during the holidays that they would pull apart and eat. This cauliflower Frosty would be delectable dipped into the luscious recipe below and may just dish out a new tradition of his own!

Mango Mayo

1/2 cup mango chutney
1 cup real mayo
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
juice of 2-3 limes
cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup yogurt, optional

Stir chutney into mayo and add in green onions, curry powder and enough lime juice to taste zingy. Stir in cayenne and the yogurt. cover and chill in fridge for about an hour. Taste before serving and add more lime juice if it tastes too sweet. Makes over 1 cup.