Polish Prep

Every year on Christmas Eve, the hubster and I congregate with my maternal grandmother's family and enjoy a traditional Polish Christmas Eve feast.  What is that?  Cream of Mushroom Soup, Tilapia, Homemade pierogie, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, coleslaw, and cookies for dessert (well, after the obligatory prunes.  But that's another story).  I suppose, like any other nationality, it's an acquired taste.  Then, full of good homemade food, we venture to Midnight Mass with my uncle and listen to the Polish Christmas Carols.  It's tradition.  And a tradition I love.
My cousin Karen is kind enough to not only host a dozen of us every year, but she makes most of the meal from scratch, including the pierogies.  A few years ago, I decided to learn how and joined her the day before Christmas Eve to learn...and now, a glass bottle of wine among two cousins and pierogie making the day before Christmas Eve is another tradition I love.

 First you make the dough....

 Then you cut out the pierogie shapes (and make sure you have wine!)

 Then you roll out each circle, fill with cheese/potato mixture, and form a pierogie!

(with wine, again)

 Perfect little dough guys

 Boil them in water....

 And make a massive pierogie with the leftovers!  (To be boiled...then rebaked tomorrow!)

Then try to convince your Polish Mom to modernize it with bacon. 

(Yep, she'll gave.  All traditions start somewhere, right? :-P)

Do you have any fun family pre-holiday cooking/baking traditions?