A Merry Christmas Tradition: A Yule Log
by Ed
Around here we are missing one of biggest annual traditions of the holiday season right now: Snow. It is nowhere to be found; in fact, we just came in from outside and our son was swinging on a trapeze bar and chasing the dog around in a spring coat. That doesn’t feel very Christmas-y.
So what’s a family to do when Christmas feels like it is missing a major ingredient? We reached for another tradition that goes back at least to my Grandmother (and probably further). This year, the tradition was continued by our daughter: baking a Yule Log (or Buche De Noel).
Every year that I can remember, going back as far as memories go, there was a Yule Log to be eaten over the holidays. When I was very young, my grandmother was our family’s chief baker. Later on, my mom would whip one up (or so I imagined – they are actually insanely complicated to make). But sadly, the Yule Log tradition had fallen by the wayside. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.
Till last week…
Our 11 year old daughter has fallen in love with baking in the last few months and has looked for every opportunity to try something new. She got really excited about trying to bake a Yule Log this year. She got to follow all of her mom’s creativity burst steps – first of which was to visit Pinterest and chase down a recipe.
She chose this one:
Buche De Noel Recipe from Meaningful Mama
It is adapted from a Real Simple recipe and she adapted it further to include Gay Lea Sour Cream and we will top it with Gay Lea Real Whipped Cream. In addition to being Gay Lea ambassadors, we also live near a Gay Lea production facility and see where our ingredients come from. We love the idea that our tradition is being fueled by Gay Lea’s traditions of local, co-operative ownership and fresh, natural milk.
So tonight we will cut into a delicious, chocolate Yule Log and think about Christmases from years gone by. We hope you have a tradition of your own to savour and get sentimental over. But if you don’t, there is no time like right now to start a new one. Who knows, maybe decades down the road your great-grandchild may be continuing it on for you…
There are so many fabulous things to cook at Christmas! Check out more of our Christmas recipe ideas:
- Christmas Cranberry Apple Cobbler in the Slow Cooker (a decadent breakfast idea!)
- 20+ Holiday Crockpot Side Dishes
- 20 + Holiday Instant Pot Side Dishes
And fabulous Holiday things to make and do, too:
- Easy Prep Christmas Countdown Activities
- Holiday Free Printables for Gallery Wall
- Easy, Natural Holiday Nut Wreath
Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 25 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
Me, my gram, mom, sister and 5 yr old niece bake cookies every year
That sounds absolutely lovely, Christy! 🙂
The big Christmas day dinner is our tradition. It starts early as we exchange gifts before hand.
We do the very same things, Nicole! 🙂
we get pajamas on Christmas eve and we always doing baking at my mother in laws the weekend before Christmas!
Baking as a family is so much fun, isn't it, Melanie!
Our family tradition is to give the family a new pair of Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve
We do that too, Julie! 🙂
Our family tradition is to go to the movies on Christmas day.
We've never done that, Naiddia, sounds like so much fun! 🙂
It would be playing a classic board game and cards
Such a fun way to spend time as a family, Eldon! 🙂
My sister, brother and I always head to the movies on Christmas Day! It has been a tradition of ours for the last 6 years.
Fun, Maggie, we've never done that – maybe we should! 🙂
My favourite tradition is watching white Christmas and drinking hot chocolates and apple ciders. It's a fun way to spend the night.
Amber Y
And a great way to stay hydrated, Amber! 😉
Playing games together as a family.
We love that too, Josh! 🙂
our favorite tradition is to make a big batch of popcorn on xmas eve, put on our pj's and then curl up on the couch and watch a christmas movie
We do the very same thing, Belinda! 🙂
M favorite tradition is baking everyones favorite cookies, cake and pies over the holidays.
Florence C
That's lovely, Florence. 🙂
My favourite tradition over the holidays is singing Christmas carols
That's a great one! 🙂
Bailey Dexter For the past 25 years, my daughter & I bake all our Christmas cookies together! Last year she wan’t able to make it in town soon enough so we face-time together doing the same recipes. It work out quite well and we still got to do them together!
Baking together through Facetime! I love that! 🙂
Every year on christmas eve we like to build a ginger bread house!
I love that – this year the kids did a gingerbread Millenium Falcon. 🙂
My favourite tradition is going to the parade with the family and then putting up the tree together.
I'm with you with tree decorating – parades aren't my thing – I was in a band in high school and froze my fingers off marching in way way way too many of them. 🙂
I love baking and decorating cookies with the kids!
That's fun – almost as fun as reading Bob Loblaws Law Blog. 😉
i love our pajama party on christmas eve.
Anything to do with pajamas is a good thing in my book! 🙂
We traditionally watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the night we decorate our tree to get us in the Christmas spirit!
Yeah – that's a fun one – once the kids were old enough not to have the bumble scare the pants off them! 🙂
I like getting together with my family on Christmas for a big turkey dinner.
A classic, Juliee, me too! 🙂
My favourite is baking shortbread (using Gaylea butter, of course!)
Hehe. US too! 🙂
Our favourite tradition is all getting together to decorate the Christmas tree
I love that too, Suzie! 🙂
My favourite tradition over the holidays is baking with my family while listening/singing Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate.
I love that too, Valerie! 🙂
We watch Christmas movies, make a gingerbread house, smash the house before bed and have a treat and leave treats for Santa
Smashing the house, Carey! That's awesome. 🙂
Our tradition is having a turkey dinner with everyone, usually on boxing day, which is today… we had a fabulous dinner and wonderful time
Wonderful, Ivy – it's great when everyone can get together! 🙂
My favorite tradition is decorating the tree. I love remembering where we got each ornament. They aeach have their own story.
I love that too, Jonnie! 🙂
My favourite is the 12 meatless dishes we have on Christmas Eve.
I'm intrigued…I'd love to hear more! 🙂
My favourite tradition is going out for Japanese food with my kids and their kids on Christmas Eve. We've been doing it for close to 30 years now. After our dinner we go for a drive home along the ocean and enjoy the sights!
Rafflecopter Name is Anne Taylor
I love that, Annie! 🙂
My favorite tradtiyion over the holidays is hostinng Christmas dinner with the fam!
Hi Karla, Hosting is a big job – but so worth it! 🙂
My favourite tradition is baking with my mom and sister. I especially love making shortbread!
Love that! 🙂
having the family together on christmas day for dinner
That's a great one, Wendy! 🙂
I love our turkey dinner on Christmas evening
Me too, Danielle! This year we BBQ'd ours – normally it's 20 degrees too cold for that. 🙂
Our holiday tradition is family dinner.
Ours too! 🙂
We are emtpy nesters now so it's becoming a tradition for our family to try and get together for Christmas. It's hard at times because some do have to work and/or live far away and can't afford the travel expenses. If it turns out that it is just me and the hubby, I will try and get him to watch a "sappy chick flick" Christmas movie – namely It's a Wonderful Life.
I love It's a Wonderful Life too, Christine – it's just the right amount of sappy!
Yup – LOL – Either that or the original Miracle on 34th Street. Hubby is more into Scrooge LOL
Elf is the movie we all agree on here. 🙂
out holiday tradion is baking on christmas eve we make sugar cookies and brownines and allot of treats. we open a present we get in our jamies and watch a christmas movie
Sounds lovely, Lynn! 🙂