Captain Hook

A baddie from the story book, It’s DOLLY PARTON as

The country music legend loves dressing up as Santa Claus for her nieces and nephews – and cooking favourite family recipes

Iam like a child at this time of year! I have a house in LA, one in Nashville and one at the lake, and I’ve got a Christmas tree in almost every room in the houses! Even small ones in the bedrooms, as well as a great big one in the living room.

Every year I have my little nieces and nephews over for what we call cookie night. They come and spend the night with me and I dress up like Santa Claus. They call me Granny Claus and I give them their presents. I have an elevator painted so it looks like a fireplace. So when I get to the bottom, it’s like I’ve come down the chimney.

I’ll be busy with my Pure & Simple tour into December, and then I’ll have the chance to relax with my husband, Carl. On Christmas Eve, we go home to Tennessee to have dinner with my family. Then on Christmas Day, we celebrate with Carl’s family. When we are with my family, my sisters and I cook all the favourite things that our mama used to make, like chicken and dumplings and pork roasts. We call them Mama’s sides and serve them with the traditional meal. Mama’s chicken and dumplings is my favourite.

We all miss her and her cooking. I am the only one in the family who my brothers and sisters say can cook that dish exactly like Mama used to! I sometimes cook big batches of it in Tupperware-type containers and give them out as gifts to my brothers and sisters during the year, and they love that.