Christmas Card Cookies

These cookies have been part of the Rafn family Christmas tradition for many years. I have vivid childhood memories of rolling out sheets of dough with my brothers and using cutouts of snowmen, maple leaves, and Christmas trees to shape the cookies.

Salem Public Market open on Wednesday before Christmas

Salem Public Market will open Wednesday, December 21st, 11:00am to 6:00pm for last minute food and gift items. You will find one-of-a-kind original photographs and paintings, quilts, scarves, emu products, specialty foods, meats, eggs, cheeses, candy, nuts, artisan breads, produce, dried and fresh mushrooms, cakes and pies, apple cider, fresh roasted coffees, honey and bees wax candles, fresh and frozen soups.

Salem Public Market is also a collection site for Marion-Polk Food Share. Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable food for those in need.

The market will be closed on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24th.

Salem Public Market
1240 Rural Ave. SE Salem, OR 97302
Oregon's Oldest Farmers Market and Salem's Best Kept Secret!
For more information, call Bruce at 503-559-4294.

Yam Casserole recipe for holiday meals

by T.C. Savage

Well, readers, you can't have missed that a big holiday is on the horizon! Thanksgiving is upon us with all its wonderful feasting opportunities. I am sharing a favorite family recipe with you for the holidays and hope you will give it a try.

I use a mix of 3 baking apples and use both yams and sweet potatoes to equal 2 lbs. and then we have a nice blend of flavors. It is sweet enough that I never put marshmallows on the top, but you can do so if you want. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Holiday Recipe: Irish Soda Bread on St. Patrick's Day

by T.C. Savage

Most of us know that St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching. People have adopted this fun holiday, even when they aren’t Irish. So, on March 17th you could make some lamb stew or maybe you could just dye all your food green.  Irish Soda Bread goes well with any soup or stew and you could color it green, but it looks weird when you eat it and end up with green bread in your teeth, but, hey—it’s up to you.

2010 Holiday Gift Guide

by Nate Rafn

Is there a "foodie" in your family who's always difficult to shop for? With Living Culture's 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, we hope to provide a wide variety of gift options from Mid-Willamette Valley artisans, restaurants, and farmers.

Food items actually make pretty good gifts, as long as they aren't perishable. Look for products that have a longer shelf-life, like dehydrated fruits and meats, nuts, candies, honey, jams, baking mixes, canned foods, etc. Better yet, purchase a gift card for the recipient to use at a later date. Traditional holiday breads also make great gifts. They evoke the spirit of the holiday season, and they can be shared with the whole family.

We also have sections for charitable giving and locally-produced fiber.

Living Culture Archive: Julekage

by Nate Rafn | Living Culture

Holiday breads are of great interest to me. They represent important cultural traditions that should not be overlooked. A few years ago I wrote an article about holiday baking for Salem Weekly.

Here's a snippet:

"Baking is part science, part art-form, and part tradition. Recipes and procedures are handed from one generation to the next- from expert baker to the young novice; from mother to daughter; from executive chef to the line cook; and so on. We make Grandpa’s julekage the same way he made it, not because his recipe is perfect or because Grandpa was a chemistry major, but because that’s how he taught us." [Read Full Article]

This video, from Living Culture's 3rd season, features holiday breads from Cascade Baking Company, plus a visit with Bruce & Louise Rafn- my Grandparents.