My father was a foodie before being a foodie was a thing – he read “Gourmet” magazine, ate only Charles’ Chips, and raised us on cooking shows. Worshipping at the temple of Julia Child was an actual religion in my home.

I definitely follow in his footsteps and after giving birth to my first daughter Daphne in February 2000, cooking shows got me through the early days of babies and motherhood. 2 a.m. feedings were spent watching the Frugal Gourmet and the daytime chef lineup of Emeril Legasse, Bobby Flay, Giada and The Barefoot Contessa became some of my closest friends.

Nigella Lawson has always been my favorite and I’ve spent two decades with her cookbooks, articles, TV shows and recipes. I’ve watched her make everything – roast chickens, chocolate hot-pots, mushy peas, cocktails and braised meats. And you can’t be Nigella, whether on TV or in the privacy of your own kitchen, without at some point attempting to make a Pavlova.

A Pavlova is a baked meringue cake and the first time I made it was the day our John Deere tractor took a drink in the pond. I had just beaten all the egg whites and they sat on the counter for nearly an hour before Jonathan rescued the tractor and I was able to get back to the Pavlova and put it in the oven. And that Pavlova, despite all the delays and hiccups, came out beautifully. It was my first time ever and I was buoyed by the success.

Last week I decided to try another one. It was flavored with Mexican vanilla, confectioner’s sugar and champagne vinegar. We wanted it to represent the holiday spirit, so I topped it with the ripe fruits of the season including dark sweet cherries, raspberries and pomegranate arils as well as rosemary sprigs to look like evergreens. A fresh pinecone from the woods was the final touch on top! It came out beautifully and was like eating sweet, rich air. It was light on the tongue and delicious.

And that Pavlova has now become a new holiday staple for our family. Traditions around the holidays are so important, especially those around food and baking. My father instilled this in me, as did my grandmother. I so wish they were here so we could bake together this holiday season.

I remember well, the warm morning sun streaming in the kitchen window of my Nana’s row-house in Allentown while she and I made her beloved “Nut Cups” every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When we started this tradition, I needed a stool to reach the counter, until eventually, I was in college and taller than her.

“Nut cups” are a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for mini pecan tarts (aka Pecan Tassies), that are a melt-in-your-mouth bite of sweet, rich pecan filling surrounded by a salty, flaky crust. They are divine and no one can eat just one.

Another baking tradition I make every year is called a “Frizzle Fruitcake.” It’s a recipe I’ve developed over the years for a gingerbread-pumpkin loaf filled to the brim with dried currants, craisins, golden raisins, chopped dates, oatmeal and chopped walnuts. It is rich and dense and delicious. No alcohol included in my fruit cake so it has to be refrigerated. I created this recipe when I was first married 25 years ago and came up from Atlanta to spend holidays with my husband‘s family in Maine. Carol Frizzle is an amazing cook and we crafted this recipe together. She also adopted my family’s nutcup recipe and continues to make them every year as well.

And despite the fact that I’m no longer married to their son, when I see Charlie and Carol at the holidays, I give them a Fruitcake that bears their name as well as Jonathan’s homemade jellies and Carol’s favorite peanut brittle. That’s really all we exchange for Christmas but it all carries large emotional impact.

These wonderful treats are a staple of our holidays and the first batch coming out of the oven in November smells warm, decadent and familiar. Baking with family marks the arrival of the holidays and an airtight container filled to the brim with treats can be found on the counter for the next six weeks.  We especially like to “toast” nutcups or a slice of fruitcake as if we are clinking our glasses together to celebrate the holiday season.

Every time I do so, I think of my Father, my Nana and Carol Frizzle, (as well as a few of my Food Network besties). They have all impacted me in different ways and shaped how I celebrate the holidays with my children and loved ones. I hope that you are spending the holiday season with your loved ones as well and wish you all the joy and happiness the new year can bring.

Love, cheer and joy to you all.

Stacy Frizzle-Edgerton is the executive director of People Plus, the Brunswick-area senior center.

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