Christmas Chronicles: Heartwarming Memories and Tasty Treats from Penny Mustard
Sep 8th 2023
What’s your favorite Christmas memory? Does it involve eating fresh Palačinke, feeding farm animals, or indulging in deep-fried pastries? Well, ours do!
Ah, Christmas! The season of twinkling lights, joyful carols, and the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked goodies wafting through the air. At Penny Mustard, we're not just passionate about crafting beautiful furniture; we're also fervent fans of the festive season, filled with cherished memories and delicious treats. Join us as we unwrap a few of our favorite Christmas moments.
Ben's Farmyard Festivities
Growing up on a farm, Christmas took on a unique charm for Ben Huth, Owner of Penny Mustard. His favorite animals were always in for a special treat on Christmas morning – extra feed. It wasn't that the animals needed it, but it was a heartfelt gesture from a young farm kid who felt that Christmas warranted a little extra love.
“Growing up on the farm, I always had my favorite animals. There were many years in my youth that my favorites got extra feed on Christmas morning. Not that they needed it, but I was a kid and felt that it was Christmas and I should just give them more feed. My parents never stopped me, so I did that for several years.”
Christmas Day on the farm meant a brief respite from the daily chores. After milking cows, cleaning the barn, and feeding the animals, the family would gather for church. Sometimes, there was just enough time to sneak in some present opening between the barn and the pews. Ben fondly remembers the peace that came with the snowy stillness, much like a world blanketed in a cozy holiday hush.
“There is something peaceful about a snowstorm so big that it shuts the world down, and everyone stays home. It's as if the hustle and bustle of life is forced to stop and we all spend time at home with family. Growing up on a dairy farm, Christmas Day always gave me this same feeling. There was almost always snow; we knew it was a day with family and no hustle and bustle.“
Of course, the day's highlight was the meal, an impressive spread prepared by his mom. And we all know that teenage boys on a farm can eat, so there were always plenty of "good meals" to go around.
“Christmas Day always meant a great meal, not that my mom ever made a meal that wasn’t great… but this one would have all the fixings, and we really enjoyed those meals. Especially as teenage boys growing up on the farm, we could - and did - eat a pile of groceries, and my mom always kept plenty of good meals in front of us.”
Arvid's Tasty Traditions
In the Huth household, Christmas meant indulging in two delectable delights lovingly crafted by their mom. For Arvid Huth, Owner of Penny Mustard, rosettes topped his list of favorites. The joy wasn't just in eating them; it was also in breaking them (intentionally, of course) and then dipping them in sugar. Who could resist the temptation?
“Our Mom would make two things at Christmas that we loved. One was rosettes. This was an old Norwegian recipe that involved dipping an iron (shaped like a snowflake) into the batter and then putting it into the deep fryer. In a minute or so, the batter was cooked, and the finished rosette would come out and cool down. We would then dip them in sugar and gently stack them in cookie pails. The best part was eating the broken ones… and a lot of them broke.”
But that's not all. Homemade Bismark raised donuts were another Christmas must-have. These fluffy, doughy treats were an absolute delight, especially when filled with homemade jelly and generously topped with butter frosting. The mere scent of them warming on the furnace heat grate was enough to send the Huth kids into breakfast heaven.
“She would make several dozen at a time because it was so much work to get the dough raised and then deep fried. We would eat some fresh, and she would freeze a bunch to eat later. It was a great morning when us kids woke up to the smell of a half dozen of these warming in a cloth-wrapped basket on the furnace heat grate in the dining room, anticipating them filled with homemade jelly and topped with butter frosting. They were warm and sweet.”
Nicole's Sweet Start
For Nicole Titschler, Penny Mustard’s Director of Sales, Christmas morning is synonymous with a unique breakfast tradition – Palačinke. These sweet, crepe-like delicacies are a labor of love, cooked one at a time and often consumed two or three at a time. As the years have passed, a friendly competition has emerged among Nicole and her siblings to be the first in line for Palačinke at their parents' house.
“My mom makes Palačinkes every Christmas morning. It's a sweeter breakfast version of a crepe. It is kind of a pain to make them because you can only make one at a time, and generally, people eat two or three. Now that we all are older and have our own homes, we all race to get to our parent’s house to be the first one in line for Palačinkes, as we all adopted the idea that whoever gets the first one will have the best luck for the year.”
As the holiday season approaches, we at Penny Mustard warmly embrace these cherished memories and delicious traditions. We extend our warmest wishes to you for a merry Christmas and a season filled with joy, laughter, and, of course, an abundance of scrumptious holiday treats. May your holidays be as sweet as our treasured memories!
For some winter holiday design tips, check out Trimming Tips from the Pros (Yup, the North Pole Kind), 3 Winter Design Tips, and Winter + Inspiration = “Winspiration”.
To read more tales about us and our sophisticrafted furniture or to learn more about better versions of what people want, sign up for our newsletter.