The Christmas holiday means gifts, music, greeting cards, church services, etc. I also recall those mouthwatering seasonal food dishes made for this holiday.
While speaking to friends and family I learned of holiday dishes, most of which were desserts or confections but others were main dishes made in many cases by ancestors and carried on to this generation.
I share the following dishes made by ladies now deceased.
• Ethel Carr made a hickory nut roll and that recipe is carried on by her daughter, Carolyn Poorman and granddaughter, Mickey Naylor. Ethel’s ruby cranberry salad, has also been carried forth.
• Gertrude Heimlich made a graham cracker pudding with dates and nuts in it, related her daughter, Clara McClenathan.
• Margaret Graham’s daughter, Sue Merman, remembers her mother’s chocolate covered cherries, chocolate turtles and sweet rolls for Christmas breakfast.
• Ruth Zeigler’s daughter, Helen Collins, recalls her mother’s mouth watering graham cracker roll and scalloped oysters on Christmas Day.
• Grace Radel’s daughter, Marilyn Davis, loved her mother’s date pudding with rum sauce and whipped cream. Grace’s daughter-in-law Marlene Radel, makes decorated cookies- with a secret recipe.
• The home of the late Emmett and June Beckel radiated the aroma of freshly made chocolates. Their candies were popular with many people and the recipe has been carried on by a niece, Debbie Yoho.
Although most of those hand-me-down recipes were in dessert and confection form, I have found some that were main course dishes.
• My sister, Marlene Heimlich’s scalloped potatoes were always welcome at dinners as is her peanut butter pie. A second sister, Joanne Mathews, has a sloppy joe recipe she shares at Christmas dinners along with her cheesy spaghetti.
• Norita Mories, my sister now deceased, could make a mean fudge recipe and I remember our mother making the best divinity I could never copy.
• Our paternal grandmother shared her Swiss heritage with her annual New Year’s bread, something we all looked forward to. My own contributions to Christmas dinners were date oatmeal squares and orange walnut bars.
Imagine all of this food on a banquet table. What a treat to the palate.
There are so many excellent cooks making our holidays merrier.
Locally, I am the recipient of holiday cookies and candies baked by Linda Ruehrmund and Audrey Gale and many others. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Merry Christmas to each of you readers!
80 years ago, December, 1938: Construction began on a new $40,000 annex to the Morrow County courthouse.It was the sixth New Deal construction project in Morrow County in 1938.
70 years ago, December, 1948: Ralph Edwards, emcee of “Truth of Consequences” radio program, called Erma Heskett Powers of Lincoln Township at her home during the show. Her inability to correctly answer Edwards’ question while on the air cost her $30,000 in prizes. Powers did win a consolation gift, a 48 piece set of sterling silver.
50 years ago, December, 1968: Lawton McClintock of Cardington, was elected president of the Morrow County Fair Board for 1969.
