For about 12 years now J and I have given a bottle of wine and a 14-bean soup mix as a holiday gift to family and friends. Supposedly eating beans and grapes (the wine) on New Year's Day will bring health, wealth and happiness in the year ahead...and we can't think of a better wish.
After a few years of doing this, we began to wonder if the recipients actually made and ate the soup; did they even like bean soup? I imagined some folks with years of beans stacked up in the cupboard.
One year we decided to change it up a bit, and instead gave an Italian-themed gift, with wine, pasta and spaghetti sauce. To our surprise, it didn't go over well. Turns out they missed the tradition. They liked it. They actually liked it. So, now, it's a given...and it makes me happy to see the gifts lined up, ready to go.
Every year I design a new recipe card to tuck in with the soup mix. Just for fun, here's a look at some of those cards.
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| Christmas 2000 - a simple start |
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| 2001 |
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| Christmas 2004 |
Hope your holiday prep is going well. Looking to make 2012 a great year? Here's the recipe:
