Holiday Recap, Part Three: Three Kings Day

Seems like an odd photo to post on this blog, I know. But it so accurately captures the raucous nature of our Christmas gathering with my inlaws that I had to post it here. This is my niece, Lisa, dodging a flying Christmas bow--thrown by my husband. That bow landed smack in between the eyes of my husband's aunt (gasp!), who at sixty-four has slower reflexes than the thirteen-year-old in the photo. Man, I'm so glad I put my camera on the tripod that day; otherwise, this picture never would have come out right.

We didn't get together on Christmas because some family members were out of town, and others had already made plans with their respective in-laws. So we decided to get together on Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, since it marks the end of the Christmas season for us.

If you haven't guessed it already, my husband's family knows how to get wild at a party. I can only imagine if alcohol had been served; oh, the madness that would have followed! My husband's peeps are relatively laid-back, easy going types. Believe me, though, once the hubby and his brothers get together, their almost kid-like joie de vivre kicks in, and everybody has a blast.

We served a wide array of different Puerto Rican treats, including my mother-in-law's pasteles. They are similar to tamales, but they have a masa made of green plantains, green bananas, and other root vegetables. They have a delicious pork filling. My mother-in-law also made beef tongue, rice, and stuffed chicken breasts. I made some desserts--some gfcf, some not. Everybody left here full(to say the least) and happy. And at long last, I get to put my Christmas decorations away.