By Alexia Juarez — 

With Christmas and New Year’s approaching, aside from the down time and rest taken to celebrate, it’s important to look at one of the crucial things that make the holidays special: the food. 

Holiday dinners are the best way to engage with family and friends and enjoy quality time together. According to Susan Spracher, writer for the foster care blog “Lilliput,” the blending of old and new traditions makes the holiday season bright.  

We can’t ignore one of the biggest factors that contribute to quality time with the family: the holiday feasts. We all have a specific list of holiday foods that we rank from favorite to least favorite.  

Let’s take a look at mine. 

1. The holiday food at the top of my list is tamales. Growing up in a Mexican household, tamales were always a food that my family made only on special occasions. Tamales are made of corn-based dough, filled with meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables or chili pepper. 

Tamales have a nice, crumby feel that is described as being like a corn cake, but steamier. The insides make all the difference, and you can put any kind of salsa on top.  

2. The next food at the top of my list is stuffing. This dish is also a Thanksgiving favorite, but it’s always appropriate to make it on Christmas as well. My family always makes turkey stuffing bought from the store, but there are other flavors too. My favorite thing about stuffing is its soft, crumbly texture with every bite you take.

3. Steering away from the main dishes for a moment; one of the top desserts my family makes for Christmas is Oreo mini cheesecakes. They are mini desserts that use the wrapper of a cupcake with the Oreo cookie as the crust.

4. The next dessert and common holiday favorite is Christmas cookies. Last year, my aunt started the tradition of baking cookies in common Christmas shapes, like stockings, a snowflake, or a Santa hat, and letting all the nieces/nephews decorate their own with their favorite icing and toppings, using all kinds of sprinkles.  

No matter whatever foods you have at the dinner table this holiday season, it’s important to enjoy them with the people you love. Dig in this holiday season and celebrate finishing the semester strong.  

But, if you’re worried about holiday weight, that’s what a New Year’s resolution at the gym is for! 

File Graphic // The Louisville Cardinal