[Jappy]

I just finished making a large pot of stuffed cabbage. That is one of our Polish Foods for the holiday. Next week I am going to make the Cranberry Breads and Homemade Cranberry sauce. Also we make (Piorgies) that is potatoes and cheese stuffed in a dough and boiled. Something close to a ravioli. This is Polish style.

What kind of specialty foods does everyone else make. It should be interesting to hear about the different traditions people have for the holidays.


Joyce

[DM]

I think I love you Joyce!! Sounds yummy!

All out traditional w/my family. Lots of baked goodies and of course, turkey, stuffing, ham and all the trimmings.

My Mom used to make batch after batch of homemade fudge, which was the Best ever. We all got a huge tray of her goodies every yr. I will miss my fudge this yr, as we all know that Mom's make it special.

My Sis moved and Mom and her always did my baking. I hate to bake..

But, I like to cook, so the Christmas dinner will be at my house w/just immediate family.

[SallyC]

We had many cooking food traditions when Our Family was full and all living in the same town. I tried to carry on the traditions after most of large Family went to Heaven (I hope)

Because of MS crapola, I couldn't do the grand cooking anymore. DD and DCousin tried to take over but it just didn't catch on. Most of the Family is scattered all over the globe now, anyhoo.

We all had our specialties that evryone expected us to bring to the big gatherings. Mine, for TG was Rum Chiffon Pumpkin Pie...and for Christmas, my own recipe for Buckeyes ( think crispy peanut butter cups)...Candies in the shape a Buckeyes (from the Ohio Tree)

I've told my family about you, Joyce and we're all coming to your home. When are you serving?

[tovaxin_lab_rat]

Not many traditions here. We had some with my family but they have mostly gone by the wayside since everyone is scattered and we don't spend the holidays together at all.

The one thing that I remember growing up is the annual package from my dad's sister. My dad's family is from Belgium and my aunt would make the annual Christmas cookie. It's called Goflets (that's the americanized spelling of it). I have the original recipe from my great grandmother and it has taken me years to figure out how to make these cookies. The look like thick waffles and are cinnamonny tasting and oh so rich. We all looked forward to the box from Aunt Martha. My dad would hoard the cookies and we would each get one.

On PODH's side of the family, they are german. The only thing that is true tradition now b/c of dietary issues is the shrimp cabbage salad. It is very good.

Other than that, no real traditional foods anymore.

I am going to spend Christmas with my sister and her family and my mom this year and PODH is spending the holidays with his family. It's going to be an interesting season this year....

[Jappy]

Come on over Sally with the family


It is going to be at my daughter's house. Like you said the darn MS. I can't have anything at my house anymore. To much work. So my daughter takes care of that. When I can make stuff I do it. The cabbage took me most of the day. I haven't cooked them in a few years. I hope that next week I am up to making the rest.

Hope the weather is good for traveling.

[Chris]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............you don't even want me to start on some of the English foods that I am used to. You'd all be sick from me explaining what some of it is. Since I have been married, we've spent the holidays with Michael's family, so it's been the traditional turkey, ham, and trimmings.

This year, my family is going to be here so my Mum will be doing a majority of the cooking. I don't know if she's going to be able to find some of the ingredients for the main courses she usually prepares. I've been looking online at the various grocery stores in our area. We do have a Farmer's Market that has a lot of international foods, so I hope we'll be able to find many of "our" foods there. We don't have as many baked goods for some reason. When I was a child, we would go to church first thing in the morning and come home to a large breakfast and then we'd start to open presents.

My Mum is going to be very excited to cook in an American kitchen. Our kitchens at home are very small, and are not very conducive to cooking for large groups, so this will be fun for her. I must say, our holiday tables are not quite as colourful as they are in the US. The Brits are not known for their culinary talents.