Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas: Culinary Delights at Vitalia Solon

‘Tis the season to indulge in Arrow’s most festive tradition, The 12 Days of Christmas. It’s time for Vitalia Solon’s culinary team to get creative for each day of festivities. As residents, family, and friends join around the table. We’ll embark on a delectable adventure. It started with the iconic partridge in a pear tree and ended with the drummers drumming. Each day will be a culinary experience that truly captures the essence of the holiday season. Every unique dish tells tales of tradition, celebration, and the spirit of togetherness.

My favorite of the 12 Days of Christmas is day eight and eight maids a milking. I am a huge fan of custard, ice cream, and anything creamy. This year, getting to make custard pie was excellent. It’s one of my favorites! For me, the most challenging of the 12 Days must be day three with three french hens. We can create only so many French chicken (hen) dishes, so trying to be unique and different on this day presents a challenge.

The residents seem to enjoy the custard pie the most on day eight, for eight maids a milking. The staff always loves day 12 and twelve drummers drumming because of our unique spin on all things chicken drumsticks! We like to come up with clever sauces and rubs for the drumsticks; this always proves to be a favorite thing to anticipate amongst staff. 

Our events for the 12 Days are well thought out and planned. If I could change any of the days, it would be day four with four calling birds. I would tie a theme to a dish or special featuring four birds – turkey, duck, Cornish hen, and chicken.

My favorite day is eight maids a milking because we have a family tradition of making boiled custard each Christmas. My dad and I have made this unique Southern beverage for years at Christmastime. It is a basic recipe, but the time invested in making it makes it something extraordinary. You use lots of egg yolks, milk, sugar, and good vanilla to make it. Then, the painstaking responsibility I was tasked with each year was the stirring. If you have ever made any custard, you know how important it is not to let it scorch or boil. Making this each year and using my great-grandmother’s recipe makes this day special for me. I want to incorporate my grandmother’s boiled custard recipe into an Arrow holiday tradition.

The culinary team is immersed in the magic of shared meals, laughter, and holiday warmth that truly brings our community together. The 12 Days of Christmas has allowed the team to explore the diverse and vibrant spectrum of flavors that make this season truly magical. Here’s to a season filled with the warmth of friendship, the sparkle of joy, and the lingering tastes of the 12 Days of Christmas. Until next year, when we get the opportunity to use our creative flare once again, “Happy Holidays!”