When the weather outside is frightful, and warm waffles are so delightful. Since we’ve no place to go, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Christmas is the biggest holiday for my family; it’s one of the few times of year where we actually have traditions. The tree, house decorations, and outdoor lights go up about a month in advance, and the Christmas radio is on in the car. Christmas Day starts off with a breakfast made by my brother and I (mostly me tbh). When we were kids, it would be done in secrecy and we wouldn’t allow our parents to go downstairs until we were done cooking, but now it ain’t a surprise at all so they can wander the house as they please. I cook whatever the request now. Over the years, the breakfasts have progressed with my culinary skill. We started with soft boiled eggs and toast, then leveled up to toad in a hole, then to stuff like pancakes, quiches, and roasted potatoes. I haven’t thought of what to make this year, but maybe it’ll be waffles since we got a waffle iron this year. These vegan eggnog waffles would be a grand way to start Christmas Day.

After breakfast, we’d gather around the tree for family photos, then read the Christmas story out of the Bible before distributing gifts from beneath the tree. We’d rock paper scissors to determine who gets to open a gift first. Each person gets to open one gift per turn until all the gifts have been unwrapped. The rest of the day is rather normal; we go back to doing our own usual thing on our computers. Yes we’re a bit anti-social. That’s why Christmas Day is more fun when some of the gifts can be played with right away. As kids, it would be a doll or a new video game.

When my aunt lived up the street from us, we would alternate whose house Christmas dinner would be held at. One year we had out of town family present as well, and since the car couldn’t fit everyone, we just trekked through the snow for a few blocks. And during the walk home, my dad taught us how to ward off bears by standing tall and making noise. Odd time for that lesson considering the bears are hibernating at this time of year…

There were a few years where Christmas dinner was at a Chinese restaurant in the city, and a few years where my immediate family did something small at home. In recent years, we’ve been spending Christmas Day with our close family friends (who are essentially family) since our relatives are not in Vancouver. Last year we congregated at Az’s home where there was an overload of mashed potato and blueberry wine. We had so much food last year we enforced a ‘full is not an option’ rule on each other to clear as much food from the table as possible. It was brutal, haha! This year is going to be especially exciting because it will be the same lovable bunch from last year as well as Chew’s family. Chew and I are responsible for cooking everything but the meat mains.  Time to prove our #plantpower!

If you’re looking for a fun Christmas breakfast or brunch recipe, try these vegan eggnog waffles! How fun would it be to host a waffle bar? Allow your guests to get creative with toppings like I did with the vegan vanilla ice cream (it’s the holidays, live a little), fruit, sprinkles, and this 1 ingredient eggnog sauce. Thanks to vegan eggnog, I’ve really been enjoying the eggnog spices without the raw egg nastiness! While the flavour in the waffles is more subdued, the vegan eggnog sauce ensures that the eggnog lovers get their dosage. Plus, it’s always impressive when you make sauces from scratch.

So tell us, what Christmas traditions do you have? Do you sleepover at a relative’s home on Christmas Eve? Escape to some tropical destination (omg I’d be so jealous)? Play some crazy games? Give gag gifts? Eat a particular food? Leave a comment below because one can never have too many holiday traditions!