With the holidays approaching just around the corner, many in our RHS community take part in all the excitement and planning that comes in December! While our teachers like to uphold holiday traditions in the classroom, such as showing holiday movies during class or decorating the classroom, many have other special traditions in their very own homes! From family gatherings to sharing a meal at the table, we take a look at some of our teacher’s most cherished traditional holiday recipes!

Now, here’s what really goes on outside the classroom this holiday season for our teachers at Rochester High School. When consulting Mrs. Bettes about her favorite holiday recipes, she explains how “growing up, my favorite holiday recipe was definitely the thumbprint cookies – like the peanut butter with the Hershey kiss in the middle. I love them, now I make them with my kids. They are definitely our go-to Christmas cookie now!” I know many in our Rochester community can definitely relate when it comes to thumbprint cookies, as they’ve been very popular around the holiday season for many years now! 

Continuing the topic of Christmas cookies, Mrs. Oddi can relate to a special cookie she grew up loving. “My mom’s sugar cookies were definitely my favorite around this time of year,” expresses Mrs. Oddi. 

Finally, we conclude our interviews with the vote of a favorite main dish made for the holiday season! Mr Campbell explains how for the first time “I made a turkey differently this past Thanksgiving. I’ve always cooked it traditionally- but this time I cooked it meat side up by cutting out the backbone at a high temperature. It cooked perfectly- everything was juicy with crispy skin. It was the best turkey I’ve ever made- so that is now my favorite holiday recipe!” For all the turkey lovers out there, take Mr. Campbell’s advice to make the best turkey imaginable this holiday season! Thank you to Mrs. Bettes, Mrs. Oddi, and Mr. Campbell for your input!

As we approach this time of year, it’s important to remember traditional recipes that have been shared in one’s family for generations, but also to discover new holiday foods and different ways to make our favorite dishes! As 2023 comes to an end, we appreciate the effort from students and staff at Rochester High School to make this holiday season both cheery and memorable.