1 day: Xmas eve at Kerrytown

Tradition, tradition. Up and at 'em, Christmas Eve morning always finds our family descending upon the Kerrytown shops shortly after they open. We stop at the toy store, the spice market, the antique seller, the kitchen department, and end up at the grocery and seafood counter. We top it all off with seafood chowder and bee-bim-bop for brunch.

As I've gotten older the traditions have changed some. While we used to fool around all afternoon, waiting for the evening's festivities, now those of us in the middle generation spend the midday hours in last minute shopping trips and lightning quick baking endeavors. But some traditions stay the same, and when dinner rolls around we always sit down to oyster stew, cabbage rolls, and mostaccioli, and finish with chocolate whipped cream cake (a.k.a. freezer box cake? Or Christmas Eve cake, as it is called my recipe box).