Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza - Michelle Major - A Very Crimson Christmas **Giveaway**

Welcome once again to my blog's holiday bash staring all the wonderful Harlequin Special Edition authors I review for RT Magazine. Today's installment is by Michelle Majors. Enjoy as she shares a special holiday memory, a recipe and a great giveaway too! And I've posted my review of her holiday tale A Very Crimson Christmas courtesy of RT Magazine below!

I’m thrilled to be a part of The Reading Frenzy’s Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Bash this year! There are so many things I love about the holidays—trimming the tree, driving around our neighborhood to see the lights and, of course, holiday books! But my favorite is all the special recipes we dust off every year around Christmas. My daughter and I have a tradition of making homemade hot fudge and baking cookies, which always include buckeyes since I’m from Ohio.

But it’s my grandma’s recipe for mashed potatoes that reminds me the most of Christmas when I was a girl. She only made her potatoes on special occasions and, while the recipe is simple—potatoes, butter, milk, salt and pepper—she had a way of blending them (always with her trusty hand mixer) that resulted in mashed potatoes that were light and creamy and never had any lumps (at least that’s how I remember them!). My mom doesn’t cook much, so I learned from watching my grandma. Apparently, I should have been watching a little closer because the first time I tried to make her mashed potatoes, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

My parents were hosting Christmas and I’d volunteered to make the mashed potatoes. I was so excited to follow in my Gram’s footsteps and become the new ‘chef’ in the family. How hard could it be? What I didn’t realize was that it’s always a good idea to check the boiling potatoes for doneness before mashing them. Once you add the milk and butter, it’s kind of too late. Oops.

I was devastated to wind up with a big bowl of spuds that were a gloppy mess and crunchy as well, since the potatoes were barely cooked. My mom still served them because I’d made the effort, and it was embarrassing to watch everyone not eat my contribution to the meal. Everyone except my grandpa. He was a gruff, tough WWII vet who had a total soft spot for his two granddaughters. So my grandpa not only ate one heaping helping of those disgusting potatoes but then asked for seconds.  Of all the memories I have of Christmas traditions, presents, and celebrations through the years, it’s that one sweet moment of my grandpa’s love that sticks with me.

Since that first less than successful attempt, I’ve perfected my grandma’s mashed potatoes. She’s now in her mid-90s and Alzheimer’s keeps her from remembering  all those holiday dinners. I’ve tried plenty of different potatoes through the years, but for Thanksgiving and Christmas I always make her recipe and I always think of my grandpa.

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe that’s a tradition in your house? Share a dish you love to make in the comments below and I’ll pick one winner for a copy of my November Special Edition release, A Very Crimson Christmas and a $10 Amazon gift card.

And if you’re making mashed potatoes, my grandma’s rules for perfect potatoes are: 1. Start with the potatoes in cold water when you put them on to boil.

2. Heat the butter and milk before adding to the potatoes and always add the butter first.

3. Don’t over mix!

I hope each of you has a wonderful, blessed Christmas with your own special memories!

 Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

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