non-traditional traditions

i've done something brazen and controversial, something that could even result in my removal from the wist tradition council (if i wasn't 50% of its membership, and removal didn't require a majority vote). i spent the weekend's snow day coming up with new, and even healthy, alternatives to our customary christmas menu, courtesy of my mom's weight watchers cookbook.

for the past 10 years, we have planned the same "traditional" appetizers (salsa over cream cheese, brie with pears, and smoked salmon or pâté), main course dishes (broccoli casserole, two kinds of cranberry sauce, and sister schubert's rolls), and deserts (coconut cake, pecan pie, awesome cake). another tradition that has slowly and quietly made its way onto west street: preparing dishes in addition to the pre-agreeded-upon menu items, things that just "happened" to be in one's freezer.

when you have nine people (or more) at a holiday meal, it's hard to accommodate everyone's likes, dislikes, and preferences. but isn't the season about more than spending hours in the kitchen and getting everything one wants?

i don't expect my list of suggestions to make it further than the second screening point at most. but would it really be that terrible if we had georgetown cupcake cupcakes instead of five different pies? eight months from now, will we really look back and think, "yea, last christmas sucked. remember how we didn't have cream cheese and salsa for appetizers?"