Essay #1 Final Draft

Something to Look Forward to
Every family has traditions. My family is no exception. I think traditions make any occasion more meaningful and memorable. They give you something to look forward to at certain times of the year. It can build up anticipation of an event, to almost make it out to be more than what it really is. There are many different types of traditions, from large ones to small ones, but each tradition has its own special and meaningful significance. Every tradition varies in type, but they all can bring about a common thing, happiness. The main tradition that my family has is definitely with food. Everyone in my extended family loves it, but who doesn’t.
The main cook in my family is definitely my mom. She has a few specialty dishes that she always makes on special occasions. She makes sausage and egg casserole, green bean casserole, and something she calls Hotsy Totsy. I like all of these dishes except for her green bean casserole. I have never really liked it, even though she makes it for almost every family get together. My favorite dish however, is definitely Hotsy Totsy. I’m not sure of everything that is in it, but I know it is some kind of Italian dish that has meat and marinara sauce, but also has layers of crumbled Doritos chips. It certainly is not the healthiest meal in the world, which is why we only have it once or twice a year. The one time of year that you know my mom is making Hotsy Totsy is on my birthday. Its one thing that you know is definitely going to happen. When I wake up on the morning of my birthday, I can’t help but have a smile on my face, because I know exactly what’s for dinner, and I know it’s going to be delicious. It’s been a tradition since the first time I ate it when my mom was experimenting with new meals out of a cookbook she had. From that first bite I took, I knew that meal was a keeper. Ever since then I have always asked my mom to make that on my birthday, and it’s always something to look forward to.
There are certain dishes that are a tradition for special occasions. My mom always makes green bean casserole for almost every occasion. She loves it. Whether it's just a get together with friends, or a family reunion, she always brings that dish. People would probably think that something was wrong if she showed up at our family reunion without her green bean casserole. It’s just one thing that everybody associates with her, but as long as it’s a good association, then she’s perfectly fine with it.
Every Thanksgiving my family and other relatives go down to my grandparent’s house. It's about a 2 hour drive from my house and we usually arrive around 11 or 12. As soon as we open the door to go inside, you can smell everything that is cooking in the kitchen, and you know you're in the right place. My grandma always makes a delicious turkey while my other aunts help prepare mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, peas, green beans, yams, rolls, and all of the other foods people enjoy on Thanksgiving. Usually at family reunions everyone brings some kind of dish. My mom, of course, brings her green bean casserole, but the other dish that is a must have at family events is my aunt’s chip dip. Nobody knows what kind of dip it is, or what is in it, but the one thing people do know, it that it is amazing. It's something I’ve never seen around at a store or anywhere else. I think it's just some random thing she has thrown together. However it's made though doesn't matter to me, as long as it continues to be delicious. As soon as you bite into it you get a hint of something spicy and adds all of the flavor you could ask for to the chip. You could have the worst chip you’ve ever tasted, but if you put some of the dip on it, it will quickly turn into the best. That’s one thing that makes family members want to arrive early, to ensure that they would get their turn at the famous chip dip. If the dip ran out before you got there, the day was sure to be a tiny let down.
On Christmas we always have sausage and egg casserole for breakfast that my mom prepares the night before. You can start to smell it throughout the house on Christmas Eve when she is preparing the dish. After it is prepared, she puts it in the fridge so on Christmas morning, all she has to do is put it in the oven, and breakfast is served. Then for kind of a “lupper” type of meal, a lunch and supper time mix, at around 3 or 4ish we have a big ham that my mom has cooking in the oven all day. Most of my family members that live in town come over to my house to celebrate. As people are walking in the door they comment on how good everything smells. The smell sets the appropriate atmosphere that tells you this is a time for celebration. After dinner on Christmas Day, my grandma always brings out her home cooked fudge. Whether it the peanut butter or the chocolate fudge, you know you will enjoy every bite. The fudge is the perfect ending for the perfect day of perfect food.Having the traditional foods at get-togethers and holidays is important because if my mom didn't make her usual sausage and egg casserole for breakfast on Christmas morning, then the day just wouldn't seem to have started right. As well as having ham for dinner, the whole Christmas experience just wouldn't feel the same. I think having the same dishes gives you something special to look forward to on every occasion, and makes those occasions seem that much more special when you get to eat the dishes that you have been craving for since last thanksgiving ended. The special dishes signifies the importance and the happiness that comes with getting people get together and just having a good time while enjoying each other’s company. If every holiday is just people bringing different foods all of which are just OK, then the whole experience can become kind of bland and boring. When you get that one dish that everybody loves and someone brings it every time, you know you are going to have something to look forwards too other than just seeing all of your relatives that you have seen in a while. Tradition can carry on family bonding and happiness for years, and hopefully generations.