From "scrap paper"

Round-up of Recipes -- The following information comes from a booklet my daughter and I put together for Christmas a few years to distribute to all the members of our family. We have four children and six grandchildren. The content came from my husband and I, all the kids and my mom. We gathered favorite recipes, treasured memories and snapshots. Here are some examples:

Memories --

• A Christmas memory from our youngest daughter (now 40+): "Going to Granny U.'s . . . the sound of the hardwood floors and the smells from the kitchen; exploring the little "house" behind the back porch."
• This same daughter's Favorite Vacation: "Train trip to Wyoming" (from Texas). And she remembers "Carol's cooking: Mayo in everything!"
• A memory from our oldest son was called The strangest thing Carol ever cooked: I quote, "High protein milk shakes at midnight for all us kids. She had watched a TV program on starving children and wanted to make sure we had plenty of nutritionsls. This also falls under the category of the most nutritional thing Carol ever cooked." (Having a house full of four children under the age of six and a traveling husband can make one just a little crazy at times).
• Our oldest daughters vacation memory: ". . . long stretches between stops."
• Or youngest son's funniest thing I remember happening to me was, to quote,"Getting dressed in my good clothes, getting myself all muddy, then washing my shoes by standing in the toilet." (Remember what I said about getting a little crazy)?

Traditions, then and now -- Then: When the kids lived at home we went to Midnight Mass (Episcopal) on Christmas Eve most years. We are now "back-sliders." We did not teach our children to believe in Santa Claus, and they came our OK.
Now: Our tradition is to have our extended family of about 25 to our house on a day before Christmas. This year it will be on Sunday. We fix the meat or main dish and drinks, the rest is carry-in from everyone else.

We draw names for a ($5 limit) gift exchange after dinner. People have the most fun with our "Chinese Gift Exchange," where people draw numbers to pick a wrapped surprise package ($5, "White Elephant" or home-made). What makes it more fun is that, when your number comes up, you can also choose one of the things already opened by another person. They then choose and open another surprise gift. We had to wait several years before including the grandkids in this because they would too easily cry if someone took their present from them. But now, everyone happily steals from everyone else. The person with the highest drawing number, naturally has his choice of all the opened gifts or a surprise.

Recipes -- This recipe must be a real favorite because three different versions of it came in for the recipe book. Here is mine. Carol's Marinated Carrots --
Serves 12. Keeps well for two weeks in the refrigerator.

5 cups cooked sliced carrots.
1medium green Bell pepper & 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable oil, 3/4 cup vinegar, i can tomato soup
1 teaspoon each of: dry mustard, salt, celery seed, dried basil & Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 t. black pepper

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients for marinade. Pour over vegetable mixture.
Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving cold.


Cross-posted at Southwest Blogger
My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about the 2008 election.
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