Tradition, Tradition, ... Tradition

"You may ask, how did this tradition start?  I'll tell you ... I don't know.  But it's a tradition." 
          ~ "Fiddler on the Roof"

My family has many traditions.  We celebrate the first day of the month or season.  For instance, the first time in July that we talked to each other, we told each other "Happy July."  When it's snowing in Jamesville, Raleigh, or Charlotte, we call each other and sing the song "Snow" from White Christmas.  I have no idea how these traditions started, but they continue... because they're tradition.

Jason and I have traditions, too.  One of these is eating muffins on the weekend.  We eat Honey Nut Cheerios (or some other cereal when I'm feeling adventurous) five or six days a week, but on the weekends, we make muffins.

We love Martha White muffins.  They're about a dollar at the grocery store, and all you have to add is milk.  Plus, they're delicious!

Now, that said, we don't "just add milk."  Jason has a philosophy that when recipes call for milk, you should always add half-and-half instead.  Shoot, half the time he adds 1/2&1/2 to recipes that call for water!  Jason also likes to add "secret ingredients" to the muffins.

Ah, Jason's secret ingredients... he literally looks through the fridge and pantry and puts in anything that sounds like it would be good.  Sometimes it's something simple, like pistachios or bananas in banana nut bread muffins or dried cranberries in wildberry muffins.  Sometimes, like this weekend, he's more adventurous.  What goes well with lemon poppyseed muffins?  Why, lime zest and pink lemonade Kool-Aid, of course!  Is that strange?  Sure.  Were they delicious?  Oh yeah! (and yes, pun fully intended)

I have no idea how this tradition started.  I know he was the one that introduced me to MW muffins, but I know we didn't start eating them with secret ingredients.  I guess that's the fun of traditions.  You don't do something and say "Let's make this a tradition."  Instead, at some point you think back to origin of the activity, can't begin to count how many times you've done it, and can't remember how it became a tradition.  All you know is that it is tradition... and that it's awesome!





As for today's reference to "Fiddler on the Roof," I have to admit I know much more about this play from an episode of Gilmore Girls than from the countless times my mom tried to get me to watch the musical.  Sorry, Mom.