A warm holiday feeling, similar to the one one gets while watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, washes over those who pass by the home of Tabetha and Don Butler during the Christmas season. Each year Don hangs wreathes on the upper and lower story windows of the couple’s 1835 Ashville home. The Butlers share the decorating of four 9-foot trees on the inside of the home, as well as two smaller trees that adorn the front and side porches. Christmas music wafts throughout the lower level of the home and is played on both porches.

The couple’s children grew up practicing the tradition of having their picture taken while sitting on the top step, awaiting their cue to descend the stairway to see what awaited them under the tree. The spouses and grandchildren were included in the annual photo as the years passed and the family grew. About five years ago, Molly, Mrs. Butler’s daughter, started the tradition of matching pajamas worn by the entire family.

Since 1988, the couple has carried on the 1950s tradition of Mrs. Butler’s parents of hosting a Tom and Jerry party. The daughter vividly recalls the night in July when her parents were enjoying a backyard fire with the Butlers and the conversation came up about the cocktail party. Mother and daughter went into the kitchen to attempt to make the batter that goes into each serving of the warm holiday drink. After a few tries, the eldest woman remembered how she had made the fluffy batter. The Butlers have used her recipe when hosting the parties every December since that night. As many as 110 guests have been invited, although that number is now significantly less.

“I have had people say ‘I don’t feel like it is Christmas until I’ve been to the Butler’s party,'” says the hostess.

Six decorated trees lend a festive mood to the home. Photo by Beverly Kehe-Rowland

The mother and daughter came up with the idea of holding a pop-up holiday craft show in the Butler’s beautifully decorated historic home, because Tabetha enjoys painting ornaments, Santas and snowmen and Molly creates beautifully handcrafted, seasonal, costume and Bills-themed earrings. While they were planning, they made the decision to ask Lynne Wahlstrom, the daughter of Mrs. Butler’s long-time friend, Cheryl Wahlstrom, to join them. Her skin care products, lip balm and varieties of goat milk soap will, also, be available at the event.

Lynne, an animal-lover, recently returned to the area from Indiana bringing with her 17 chickens, 7 goats, 4 rabbits, 4 dogs, 3 barn cats, one pony and a cockatiel. For the time being, she and her menagerie are housed at her parents’ home on four acres where shelter for the animals and temporary paddocks have been provided. Not only did the daughter bring her furry friends back to the area, but she also brought Frank, a sourdough starter that has been in her family for about 45 years. It is believed that Frank’s ancestors went to California in the Gold Rush and later returned to the East. Some of the sourdough starter was given to Lynne’s grandmother by an elderly friend. Cheryl began making a gluten-free version of the starter after her husband developed an intolerance to gluten.

A traditional Swedish dinner is held every Christmas Eve at the Wahlstrom Family homestead. Four generations attend the feast where Korv, Swedish meatballs, sill (pickled herring), a modified version of lutfisk (cod fish) and other dishes are enjoyed.

Lynne always expects to find one of her grandmother’s Cherry Coffee Cakes on her mother’s breakfast table on Christmas morning, as has been the case for her entire life.

With the Holiday Shoppe, the Butlers and Lynne Wahlstrom are about to begin what could be a new tradition or a one-time event. Light refreshments will be served to help create the cozy feeling of stopping by a friend’s house during the Christmas season. Either way, they hope it serves as a special stop for their guests and they enjoy getting a glimpse of the home that is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, as they travel from one stop to another.

Hand-painted ornaments, snowmen and Santas, handcrafted clay earrings, skin care products and goat milk soap are displayed. Photo by Beverly Kehe-Rowland

The ladies have shared recipes that can be used for holiday entertaining. Molly Butler turns her nose up to Cheesy Potatoes made with frozen potatoes, but loves the two-day version her mother makes with fresh potatoes. She also loves her late Grandmother Butler’s Apple Crisp recipe. Tabetha makes the sweet dessert for the family on special occasions and says it is best if the topping is doubled.

“Or tripled or quadrupled,” adds her daughter, jokingly.

“If I would think of not serving Apple Crisp, they’d put me in the home,” says Mrs. Butler.

Lynne Wahlstrom contributes the “personalized” version of a recipe her mother received from a friend for Pecan Pie Bites. She also shares her 87-year old maternal grandmother’s recipe for Cherry Coffee Cakes, which Marilyn Petty Riolo of Lakewood has baked for 50-60 years.

The Holiday Shoppe takes place on Saturday, November 30 from 10 AM until 3 PM at 2188 North Maple Street in Ashville.

Molly Butler, Lynne Wahlstrom and Tabetha Butler invite the public to their Holiday Shoppe on Small Business Saturday in the Butler’s historic Ashville home. Photo by Beverly Kehe-Rowland

TWO-DAY CHEESY POTATOES (MADE WITH FRESH, NOT FROZEN, POTATOES)

6 medium potatoes, peeled

½ C butter

2 C shredded cheddar

1/3 C chopped onions

1 pint sour cream

Salt & pepper

Cook potatoes. Drain and cover before refrigerating overnight. The next day, grate coarsely and mix with remaining ingredients. Bake in a shallow baking dish at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

APPLE CRISP

6 or more apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 C water

½ C sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

½ C brown sugar

1 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

6 T butter

Combine apples, water, sugar and cinnamon in a pan and cook until tender. Pour into a lightly buttered baking dish. Combine brown sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

PECAN PIE BITES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crust ingredients:

2 C flour

½ C confectioner’s sugar

1C cold butter, sliced

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter, as if making pie dough or pulse in a food processor until crumbly. Press crumbs into a 10-inch by 15-inch ungreased jelly roll pan. A 9-inch by 13-inch pan can be used, but the crust will be thicker.

Bake crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While crust is baking, stir together-

1 egg

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 C chopped pecans

8 oz toffee chips (these should not contain chocolate – like crumbled center of Heath bars)

Spread on top of hot crust. Return to oven and bake about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let cool. Cut into small squares. Keeps well, if stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

CHERRY COFFEE CAKE

Makes 2 rings

2/3 C milk

1/3 C butter

2 tsp salt

1/3 C sugar

2 packets yeast

½ warm water

2 eggs

4 ½ – 5 C flour

In a large pan over medium heat, heat milk until very warm. Add butter, salt and sugar. Stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water and then add to the cooled milk mixture. Beat eggs lightly with a fork and then combine with liquid mixture. Stir in flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, stir together 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Drain one can of tart cherries packed in water (or defrost 1-2 cups frozen tart cherries and drain well). Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a 15-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and the drained cherries. Starting with the 15-inch side, roll the dough into a log. Form log into a ring. Place each ring into a greased 9-inch round baking dish. Using scissors, snip the ring from the outside edge toward the center, about 1-2 inches apart, being careful not to snip completely through the ring. Turn each piece slightly on its side to expose a bit of the filling and to create a decorative pastry.

Let the rings rise another hour. Then, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. If desired, the cooled coffee cakes can be drizzled with a glaze made from 1 cup powdered sugar, mixed with 2 tablespoons milk, adding more milk or sugar to achieve a consistency that will slowly drizzle off a spoon. Unglazed coffee cakes freeze well. They also make an excellent holiday gift!