Before moving to Central Texas, even though I've spent a lot of time in Texas and around Mexican families, I didn't know tamales on Christmas was a thing. I wholeheartedly approve.

I've been seeing the TV commercials for Rosa's Café and Tortilla Factory urging Central Texans to get their order placed so the Christmas Day tamales everyone will be clamoring for would be ready. I should've picked some up before making my trip to Louisiana - no one around Baton Rouge has a special deal on tamales (although I will tell you that Baton Rouge restaurant Doe's Eat Place, originally from Greenville, MS serves tamales in the Mississippi Delta tradition. Different but tasty.).

I love the different food traditions of Christmas. My late grandmother made ground pecan candy and pecan divinity for dessert. My late grandfather made whiskey sours...I miss those Christmases!

In my native New Orleans, there's a whole other holiday food experience called reveillon.  It started as the meal after midnight mass on Christmas.  If you've ever been to midnight mass, you know it's a big production. Since everyone is wide-awake afterward, what better thing to do if your New Orleans then eat and drink!

This year, my mom had opted for BEEF TENDERLOIN for Christmas! We've done this for the past few years.  At first I protested the absence of a turkey. After all, my brother fries up a turkey like nobody's business, using his own variation on the Cajun injector. But he works very hard in his own business and deserves a day off. Because he's my brother, he loves great American beef as much as I do.  He also loves beer and hard cider, although my taste lean towards the more flavored beers while he's right down the middle. To each his own on Christmas.

Although it's not possible to find Lone Star beer here in Baton Rouge sadly, I was able to find the Christmas concoction from Shiner along with the other Shiner variations.  Will raise a glass in honor of all the great central Texas people who have taken me to their heart in the two years I've been in Bell County. The feeling is mutual!

Whatever you're drinking, don't drink and drive.  Good cheer everyone!

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