I have fond memories of the holidays as a child and now that I have two young daughters of my own, creating that same Christmas magic has been such a joy! Our oldest daughter is six and she’s starting to remember a lot of our holiday traditions. She remembers specific decorations that need to be unboxed, fun holiday events we do every year, and she even remembers special foods that we prepare that aren’t typically on our family’s menu. Read below to hear about a few of her favorites!

What is your favorite kitchen activity to do around the holidays?

• Helping mom bake. I really like adding the flour to the mixer and turning it on- it can go pretty fast! Scooping out cookie dough is pretty fun, too! (She usually helps scoop out about 5 cookies and then she’s on to her next adventure until the oven timer goes off 😊)

What Christmas food makes you happy?

• Christmas cookies! (If you haven’t noticed a theme, both of my kids love cookies! Christmas is when I tend to bake the most variety…and when I use the most sprinkles)

What Christmas food do you like to help mom make?

• Chocolate chip cookies. (She likes to ‘test’ the brown sugar to make sure it tastes OK. Of course, a handful of chocolate chips usually get sneakily taken from the bag. She’s all about checking ingredients to make sure they taste just right before getting added in!)

Which Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipe do you like the most? For this one, I gave her a few options of typical meals that I make regularly- Skillet Lasagna, Stuffed Peppers, Chicken Alfredo, and Sloppy Joes.

• The boat ones, but just the filling 😉 Stuffed Peppers are a family favorite at my house and my kids think the peppers look like little boats. My girls aren’t the biggest fans of cooked pepper but they really enjoy the filling for this recipe! I find this recipe so comforting during the winter months.

I’m planning to ask these same questions each year to see if my kids’ answers change as they get older. It’ll be fun to hear what our two-year-old will have to share next year! Enjoy making memories with the children in your life this holiday season.