Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  After that–Christmas.  Many holiday traditions involve food.  We always serve my mother-in-laws famous green bean and sweet potatoes. The green beans have 3 pounds of Velveeta in them, and I probably won’t share that recipe, as we only have it twice a year.  It is VERY tasty though.  it comes with a warning from a cardiologist!

I have two favorite food memories from my child hood.  One we have continued with my own children, and the other, not so much.  The first is our family tradition of baking cookies/candy for others at Christmas.  It started with a sour cream cut out recipe from my grandmother and has grown into NUMEROUS recipes made, and tons of cookies being given away by my Mom and my four siblings every year.  This year, my children are involved, and will choose a recipe to make.  It does them good to do something that benefits others.

My other memory is somewhat silly.  When I was little, every year Santa brought an assortment of nuts in a bowl.  Christmas morning, there would be the bowl of nuts and a nut cracker.  As kids, we would eat the peanuts eventually, then my Dad would crack the rest for my Mom to use in baking later.  I never have been sure about that one–but it is always something  I remember, and think about when I see a nut display!

Here is the original cut out cookie recipe from my very German Grandma.  I would use lower fat sour cream and a little less shortening and sugar to make it healthier.

Grandma’s Cut Out Christmas Cookies

• Cream: 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup shortening
• ADD 1 egg   1 teas vanilla   1 teas Lemon extract
• Mix together  1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 teas baking soda
• Mix this alternately with  3 cups flour   1 teas baking powder and 1/2 teas salt

Chill for one hour then roll out and bake  at 350 F until lightly browned.  This recipe is written just like the recipe card my Mom copied for me.  I added the final directions.

 

For more heart healthy holiday recipes, check out these blogs from other Recipe Redux bloggers!