Watch out for the bay leaf!

I really enjoy traditions that are passed down from one generation to the next.  I enjoy hearing about them from family, friends and even strangers that I meet.  One that has carried over into the next generation in my family is the lowly bay leaf.  

Whenever a recipe calls for a bay leaf there will be the instruction to remove it before serving the dish.  In our family the bay leaf is left in the soup, stew or sauce in hopes that someone will find it in their dish.  When it is found, that person can claim the dime that sits on the table during the meal.  When my children were young they usually finished everything in their bowl or on their plate in hopes of finding the bay leaf; much like looking for buried treasure.  Sometimes I would sneak in an extra leaf or two so that they both got one.  The lowly bay leaf has a sacred place of honor in our family.

As we enter into the Advent, Christmas and New Year season, traditions become even more prevalent.  I will share more of these as the season goes on.