Family Christmas Time

I'll be attending my extended Family Christmas tomorrow and most of my presents are wrapped (or bagged) :)  Each family brings a dish, I bring French Pork Pie.  We always have too much food, delicious!!!  Each family also brings homemade Christmas Cookies.  I made three different kinds this year: cherry chocolate cookies with frosting, chocolate walnut bars, and crescents made with finely chopped pecans.  The crescent recipe is from my grandmother's church cookbook and it's her recipe.   Each year I open that little church cookbook to the well worn page, covered in grease spots and I think of her as I prepare and bake these melt in your mouth cookies.  She lived in Boston and she stayed with my folks over the holidays. We had a large extended family celebration with grandparents, aunts, uncles, greats aunts, cousins, my brothers and sister.  Then years later we added  husbands, wives, nieces and nephews.  My grandmother, Nana, played Christmas songs and we would sing along.  So many wonderful memories come up this time of the year.  I am reminded of all my relatives who have left us.  I miss them.  But the new generation of family members is special and carry on the tradition of our Family Christmas.

 For me Christmas is about family and friends.  This year our Family Christmas party is going to be a little smaller for us. Some family members are no longer with us, some of our friends are unable to come because of medical (good news, kidney transplant) reasons, my granddaughter had her wisdom teeth out today and isn't feeling up to celebrating.  But many of us will be there and we will have a good time together, laughing and making new memories.

Our gifts to each other usually consist of homemade goodies along with maybe a dish towel or wooden utensil.  Jelly,Jam, Bread, Chex Mix, Fudge are just a few of the goodies.

This year I'm giving a wooden stir-fry utensil, handmade by Ronnie, along with kitchen towels and some spiced oyster crackers.  I got the cute Santa bags at the grocery store for 1/2 price because Christmas is over for most.  Another year is upon us, Best to All!

Check out All Recipes.com if you're interested in making some Spiced Crackers for the New Year.  Easy to make using: oyster crackers, some cooking oil, dill weed, package of dry ranch dressing, and a couple of other things.  Bake in the oven on a cookie sheet and there you go!