I realize that Thanksgiving was just last month. It was a day of thanksgiving, but let’s face it, there was a lot of talk about food. And there were plenty of recipes tried and true that made the rounds online, in magazines and newspapers.

However, I have found that Christmas is also about food. And my Jewish friends will agree that Hanukkah celebrations are food-laden as well.

While growing up, we did not have fancy meals that came out of the pages of “Southern Living.” Mom’s simpler recipes were taken from the well-worn cookbooks that lined a kitchen shelf. There were the usual meatloafs, spaghetti and meatballs and maybe pork chops if there was a sale at Kroger.

Once in a while our dad got into the kitchen and tried a few exotic dishes. Chop suey comes to mind and his sardines and mustard were met with some resistance. However, my parents bonded in the kitchen when it came to holiday meals. They were special.

Days before Christmas they could be found after dinner preparing some of the holiday dishes while Perry Como crooned from the cassette player. Dad always took charge of cooking a ham big enough to feed his World War II Army platoon. He took pride in decorating the ham with pineapple rings before placing it on a fancy platter that was stored in the china closet and brought out only for special occasions.

Pounds and pounds of potatoes were peeled and diced to be folded into a cheese concoction and cooked in a very large pan. Two kinds of beans — both fresh green beans and sweet baked beans — would find their way onto the Christmas buffet table.

Desserts included pies baked by our Aunt Louise and a lopsided birthday cake for Baby Jesus. The feast would be shared with family and an occasional single reporter who could not go home for the holiday. My parents were believers that there was always room for one more.

When I met my husband’s family, there was never a time that food wasn’t a topic of discussion and consumption. I learned quickly that it would be an insult not to partake of the many dishes his family and extended relatives offered.

My mother-in-law, June, was a great cook, and her aunt, Mocky, made the most fabulous breads and sweet rolls. Their family of wonderful cooks and bakers introduced me to so many new foods. Christmas was an especially bountiful day for food at their homes.

Things are different now. I don’t think my pepperoni rolls and Chex mix hold a candle to the cooks that have preceded me. Yet I’m not ready to rely on DoorDash, either.

Whatever your food choices for the holidays, I hope they feed your body and your soul. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!

Heather Ziegler can be reached at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.