TORRINGTON – Sweet Lou’s and La Familia Prado’s ring in the holidays with sugar cookies and family tamales.
TaunaLou Shahan’s sweet treats have been available in Torrington for the going on eight years – and they’re family recipes.
“I usually just take orders, special orders. Most people order cinnamon rolls, sticky buns by the dozen, or sugar cookies, or just an assortment of baked goods. There’s really not anything specific. If there’s one thing over another, it’s usually cinnamon rolls,” Shahan said.
The sugar cookies that patrons will find at Sweet Lou’s are the same ones Shahan grew up making with her mother around the holidays. The sugar cookies paired with a cream cheese frosting were prepared before Christmas to leave for Santa. There were always plenty made and were given as gifts to some church families and neighbors.
Along with the sugar cookies, tradition for Shahan’s family included reading from the Bible and a Christmas Eve, or Day, telling of Annie and Willie’s Prayer by Sophia P. Snow. These readings were always done before anyone opened presents.
Shahan remembers her great-grandmother reading the poem to them every year and would use different voices for each of the characters. Shahan said several years ago her mother had created a poem book as a gift and made sure Annie & Willie’s Prayer was in it with a reminder to read it to the kids every Christmas Eve.
“That’s the biggest tradition, I think, that I can remember growing up with that has made an impact,” Shahan said.
The homemade goodies don’t stop at the bakery.
Celebrating the holiday season and a wedding anniversary, Caroline Garcia the owner of La Familia Prado’s keeps it all about the family.
Garcia’s anniversary falls on Dec. 12 and patrons can expect to see popular dishes for their specials and some extra treats like door prizes and giveaways.
Garcia’s anniversary is not the only big event for Dec. 12 – it’s also the anniversary of the restaurant opening in 2002 and the day to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe – a holiday recognized through the Catholic church.
Garcia said the biggest part of her business – not just around the holidays – is making her customers feel at home when they come in.
Prado’s also provides catering and space for holiday parties. If patrons visit Prado’s during the holidays, and especially on the Dec. 12, they can ask about the different drink specials.
Prado’s is closed on Christmas because it is a family-run business. This lets the family enjoy the holiday together.
And the family makes tamales there too, but at home, the kids get to help too.
“They love them, and they love help making them now,“ Garcia said. “I get ‘em around the table and give ‘em all their little ingredients and let ‘em go at it. And they love making sugar cookies and decorating that at home too.”
Garcia said there was one year that the girls decided to do gingerbread in lieu of sugar cookies, but they didn’t go over as well so they stuck to sugar cookies.
Prados has catering and Christmas parties that can affect the normal business hours.
Look for more restaurant features through the month of December
