Cheryl Ladd, who plays Mrs. Claus in the brand new “Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups,” shared with us some of her favorite holiday traditions in honor of the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD release on November 20th. Macaroni Kid, and surely your kids, are so excited to join these adorable pups on their next adventure as Santa’s helpers at the North Pole! See what Cheryl has to say about her holiday highlights below and join the puppies in spreading holiday cheer this season!
Q: What is your favorite holiday tradition?
A: Christmas Eve candlelight service. It just focuses me on what Christmas is about. And it gives me a moment to be really at peace and count my blessings. I feel it deeply every time we go to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It just centers me.
Q: How about in your childhood? What is your favorite memory of Christmas as a child?
A: Well, I have so many, many, many. There were traditions of turkey dinners. I remember that most of my Christmas Eves were spent at my grandmother’s house. All the aunts and uncles and cousins (and I had many) would gather there on Christmas Eve. It was just about being together.
Q: What do you do as a family now, for the holidays? Is there anything specific that you like to do with family?
A: Well, when everybody is here in town (we kind of do the every other Christmas or every other Thanksgiving arrangement), we do a turkey and I do the pumpkin pie. We do the very traditional stuff and when our grand kids are here of course we have Christmas morning.
We play Christmas music the whole holiday season. I have a whole collection of various Christmas things from boys’ choirs to Bing Crosby. We just fill the house with Christmas music.
Q: What’s one of your favorite holiday memories?
A: One of my favorite memories of recent Christmases is our grandson coming into the room—he was just a toddler at three years old—and there was a giant red fire truck under the tree with a fireman’s hat. I’ll never forget his squeals! That’s really what Christmas is all about.
Q: How about favorite holiday foods. Do you have a favorite pie that you like?
A: I come from South Dakota and up in the Midwest they have a special pumpkin, I think you can only get it up in that area, and it makes the best pumpkin pies. So I like to use my mother’s recipe. My mother was a wonderful baker. She was the pie lady. She could bake bread and pies and she kind of perfected this pumpkin pie recipe. And now every time we get invited to someone’s house over the holidays, they always ask me to bring a pumpkin pie. That’s how good my mother’s pumpkin pie is!
Q: It sounds like you are a holiday baker. Do you bake anything other than pies?
A: Christmas cookies, sugar cookies. I like the plain ones. I don’t really care much for the frosting. We make Santa Claus and Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies made up of all sugar and butter and all the yummies. They just melt in your mouth. We make them right out of the “Betty Crocker Cookbook.” You can’t go wrong.
Q: What about holiday films, do you have a favorite holiday movie?
A: Oh yes. Of course, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I have to watch it every year.
Q: Is there anything specific that you are wishing for this year?
A: You mean other than peace on Earth, good will to men? We need a little more good will.
