Country Kitchen:
Scrapbooking Recipes for the Holidays
By Mary Emma Allen
Saving your memories of holiday occasions ranks high on the list of
scrapbooking activities. This usually is a time when families get
together, take many pictures and make memories with traditional and new
festivities.
Photos make up only one form of scrapbooking memorabilia. Some people
like to save notices and programs of special events they attend. Perhaps
you have some Christmas cards you don't want to throw out. There may be
gift wrap and tags that have meaning for you. Sometimes there will be
recipes or menus that play a role in your holiday celebrations.
Food Memories
Food memories contribute to the nostalgia we associate with the holiday
season. During this time of year, however we celebrate this season, there
generally is some type of food or beverage involved.
*Oranges and tangerines come to mind from my childhood. They were
something we children savored and found in our stockings. We didn't have
them year round so considered them something special for Christmas
breakfast.
*Christmas candy in colorful boxes was distributed to us children after
we performed in the holiday play or gave recitals at the Sunday School
holiday program. These treats were under the Christmas tree, along with
gifts from our teachers.
*A box of chocolates comes to mind when I think of the gifts my dad gave
my mother. He always had a large box for her under the tree. However, my
mom years later told me, although she appreciated the thought, she really
didn't care much for candy. My dad and we children ate most of the
chocolates and found them delicious.
*Fruit cake was a favorite of my mom's, so Father also purchased one of
these as a Christmas treat.
*Oyster stew was one of Father's favorite dishes served on Christmas Eve.
If we celebrated the evening at my grandmother's we enjoyed the stew
there. If at home, Mother stirred up a pot from oysters Father bought in
the nearby city.
*Candy canes, although taken for granted by children nowadays, were very
special in my childhood. We ate them sparingly because Mother could only
buy a few.
*Mince pies, whether made by my aunt or my mother, (we had one
celebration with my aunt and grandmother and another at our home), were
the "old fashioned" type, made with meat in the mixture. Mother and
Auntie prepared and canned mincemeat earlier in the year.
Saving Your Memories
Make your list of holiday foods and the memories that accompany them. Do
you have pictures of these occasions or other memorabilia such as
recipes, invitations, and cards?
Scrapbooking in albums is only one form of saving your memories. You can
use journals, ready made books (altered books), collage formats, and
shadow boxes. With all of these you're able to utilize scrapbooking items
such as colored pages, borders, die clips, stickers, calligraphy,
stamping, etc.
Ways to Save
Realize that some of the items you're saving (recipes, cards, programs,
gift wrap, tags) won't be acid free even though the scrapbooking
materials you use are. However, this doesn't mean you can't collect these
nostalgic items and preserve them for your own enjoyment and that of
future generations.
Go into this holiday season with an eye toward collecting and cataloguing
the items that have such meaning to you. At least put them all together
into a box so they're not scattered into oblivion. If you've never done
scrapbooking, find time to go through past memorabilia and get it
together for a 2004 project.
HOLIDAY PIE, a favorite my daughter makes, may come in handy for your
holiday hospitality.
In a large bowl, combine 15 apples (peeled and sliced), 1/2 cup
cranberries, 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon grated orange
peel and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Add 1/8 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 cup
brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour. Mix together and place in 9" pastry-line pie
plate.
For CRUMB TOPPING, mix together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter,
3/4 cup flour. Crumble over the top of the apple mixture, covering the
entire pie.
With aluminum foil, cover the top of the pie to start baking and remove
during last 15 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes until
crust has browned and the juices begin to bubble up through the crumb
topping.
Article (C) 2003 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers
and online publications for 30 years and
has compiled a family cookbook. She’s currently compiling a
cookbook/story book,
"Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
