wow thats a great idea...do you have a publisher or will do it on a computer? Ill have to dig up an old favorite for you!

I know a publisher but it will be awhile before the book is ready. I will have to go through alot of recipes and stories (I hope!). I will make sure that everyone who gives me a recipe gets a copy of the cookbook. So please get those recipes together for me! I came up with the idea of this cookbook because it seems like the holidays are so commercialized that people are losing the spirit and true meaning. I would like to share traditions that have been passed from generation to generation. I hope this helps to bring back a little of the true holiday spirit.

My mom got this brownie recipe from a microwave cookbook years ago, and you can tell this is a favorite because the book falls right open to the wrinkled, stained page with this recipe on it! We made these brownies anytime we needed an extra dessert or two for a family gathering because they can be made very quickly. I remember standing in a chair and stirring these for my mom as a small child. She always let us "help" in the kitchen!

Microwave Brownies

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. butter melted
3/4 c. unsifted flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 c. chocolate chips

In a small bowl at medium speed, beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla for about 1 minute. Add melted butter, continue beating until well blended. Mix in flour and cocoa at low speed. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly in a greased 8" square pan. Microwave on high 6-7 minutes, rotating dish 1/4 turn ever 2 minutes. Cut when cold.

p.s. I'm going to ask my mom for more recipes!!

Thanks so much for the recipe and memory! Please keep them coming! I appreciate them so much. Pass this link on to your friends and families.

Thanks again everyone!

Brenda

You're welcome! If you do decide to use that recipe, there's an adorable picture of me standing on a chair at about 3 with my mom in the kitchen. More are coming!

I will go looking for some of the recipes i remember as a child and still make today

That would be great Shelly. I hope to get alot of recipes and stories for this cookbook. Hope more people step up to help. You guys are great!

when you say "holiday" and "the holidays," do you mean Christmas? (Please remember that to many people "THE holidays" are something else entirely -- if you ask me to come visit for "the holidays," I would show up in September!) I can send you recipes for Jewish holidays, if you would like them.

I should have been more specific when I posted. Any holidays and traditions are fine. I would love some recipes for Jewish holidays along with any memories you would like to share. Thanks for posting!

Okay, here you go. Chicken soup with matzo balls is traditional for Pesach (Passover), but our family, like many families, eat matzo balls in our chicken soup all year round, and chicken soup for Sabbath as well as other holidays. I know scientists disagree, but all I can tell you is that this "Jewish penicillin" really does work for us when we are sick! (Matzo balls optional) Some cooks add dill, parsnips, garlic, etc. -- use whatever you like, but make sure to use a KOSHER chicken and to cook it a LONG time.
Hamentaschen are cookies for the holiday of Purim, which celebrates the story told in the Book of Esther. Some people use a yeast dough; this is a cookie-dough recipe. "Hamentaschen" means "Haman's pockets" in Yiddish (Haman is the villain of the story), although I was always told they resembled his three-corner hat. In Israel, they call these cookies "Oznei Haman" -- "Haman's ears"! Poppy is the most traditional filling, and prune and apricot are also very popular, but you can use any flavor you want. I've even seen them with chocolate or peanut butter. Just DON'T use jam instead of filling and DON'T try to puree dried prunes if the store is out of prune filling -- don't ask me how I know!

Genuine Jewish Mother Chicken Soup (Eat! Eat!)

1 large cut-up kosher (tastes MUCH better, even if you don't keep kosher; if you can't find one, use organic) chicken, preferably a pullet
1 onion, peeled
2 stalks celery, scraped, no leaves, cut into sticks
2 big carrots, scraped, cut into sticks
about 2 T salt
a few generous grinds of pepper

Put chicken in pot and fill with water to about an inch from top. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and skim. Add everything else, cover, and simmer a LONG time -- at least 1 1/2 hour, but up to 6-7 is better. Discard onion. Remove chicken and save for another use (or you can put some of it back in the soup). If it cooked down too much, add more water to at least half-fill the pot after chicken is removed; don't worry, it will still have the rich chicken flavor. I like the carrots and celery in the soup, but you do what you want. You can strain the soup if you want it to look perfect and aren't in a hurry. If you make it the night before and chill it, you can remove the fat (and save it for cooking), but leave a little for flavor. Serve with matzo balls (below), kreplach, noodles, or rice.

Matzo balls

2 T schmaltz* or oil
2 lg eggs, slightly beaten
c matzo meal
1 t salt, optional
2 T water (or chicken soup, if you are using oil)

Mix schmaltz and eggs. Mix matzo meal with salt and blend. Add water and mix. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes.

Boil slightly salted water. Reduce heat to low and add balls (wet hands). Cover and cook 30-40 minutes.

*Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat. You can buy it frozen in a kosher food section or make your own. In a pinch you can use fat skimmed from the soup (in which case you may need less water). You can use oil, and your cardiologist will approve, but it won't taste as good!

Hamentaschen

¾ c sugar
½ c butter or margarine
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
poppy, prune, apricot or your choice of pastry filling (2 ½ - 3 12 oz. cans for a double recipe)

In mixer bowl, beat together sugar and butter till light & fluffy. Add egg, milk & vanilla; beat well. Combine flour & baking powder; stir into creamed mixture. Cover & refrigerate dough 1 hour. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter or juice glass. Top each with ½ t fruit or poppy or prune filling. Shape into triangles by lifting up edges & pinching dough together to make 3 corners. Leave center open.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet; bake in preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes. (My first batch usually takes a little longer.) Remove from sheet; cool on rack.

Make 2 ½ - 3 dozen. (I always double recipe)

It's hard to imagine that there was a time when fresh vegetables weren't readily available out of season so that tomatoes, even home-canned ones, were a special treat. My great-grandmother would always first break out the winter's supply of them for Thanksgiving dinner, and tomato pudding is still served by her Pennsylvania Dutch descendants on that day.

TOMATO PUDDING

2 (1 lb.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix

In saucepan, cook tomatoes, onion, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by half 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Melt other tablespoon of butter with water; stir in stuffing mix. Spread topping over tomatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are heated and topping is golden. Note: Dry bread cubes can be substituted for the stuffing mix. The tomato-onion mixture can be prepared ahead of time. Just dont add the topping until ready to bake.

There are a few I'd like to share. The first is pumpkin bread (we refer to it as "Maurie's Pumpkin Bread" - Maurie is the name of the person who first made it for us, but once we had it, we made it "our own". It's been served every Thanksgiving for 15 or 16 years, and was given as a gift to every elementary school teacher, too!

Maurie's Pumpkin Bread

1-2/3 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup sherry
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Set aside.

Cream together shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients alternately with sherry. Blen well. Stir in nuts if using.

Turn into well-greased loaf 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Turn onto wire rack to cook.

The other is our family's version of cranberry compote. My mother got the recipe from a co-worker when I was a kid. We never have a Thanksgiving without it, and it we're not making Thanksgiving at our house, we make it anyway!

Cranberry Compote

2 bags cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 oranges, peeled and diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
Chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix water and sugar, and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries, and boil until cranberries are all popped (about 10 minutes). Chill thoroughly. Add diced oranges, diced apples and nuts.

This gets better and better as the days go by. We always make it the Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving, and keep eating it for weeks.

And here's one we make for Passover (this has never happened to our's, but my aunt made it one year when I was a kid, and it turned blue (must have been oxidation or something - we ate it anyway!)

Potato Kugel

10 lbs. potatoes, diced (need not be peeled)
6 medium onions, diced
6 eggs
6 heaping Tbsp flour
6 Tbsp schmaltz
Vegetable oil

Let diced potatoes sit in a colander for awhile to drain. Combine potatoes, onions, eggs, salt, pepper, flour and schmaltz. The concoction should taste good raw.

Put oil in pie pants. Fill with potato batter.

Bake at 350 degrees 1-1/4 hours.

(I use almost the same "batter" for making latkes for Chanukah...instead of dicing the potatoes, either shred (my preferred method) or grate (my kids' preferred method) them. Make sure the potatoes are well-drained. They should sit in a colander for awhile before making the batter). Make into patties and fry on both sidesin vegetable oil until they're brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream and applesauc0e.

I always wanted to try to make matzo ball soup! My grandmother used to make tomato pudding, I used to love it! The pumpkin bread sounds great and I am going to try it today. Thanks for all the great recipes! Please everyone, keep them coming!

I just realized that I had not shared a recipe myself. Every year at Xmas, my mother, along with my sisters and myself would make cookies to hand out to the neighbors and family members. The first cookie my mother taught us to make was a peanut butter no bake cookie. These were a favorite of our family. We made them on Christmas eve to take to my Aunts on xmas day. We couldnt make them earlier because my brother would sneak them out and eat them all! I have passed this recipe on to my neices and they make them to hand out to friends for the holidays. This is the recipe we use. It came from the back of the Quaker Oatmeal box.

3 minute no bake cookies

2 cups granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine or butter
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

Preparation Steps
In large saucepan, combine sugar, margarine, milk and cocoa. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue boiling 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat. Stir in oats.* Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let stand until firm. Store tightly covered

My mother always used to make what she called nut pudding. Bake one large cake mix according to directions. She would make a 3 layer cake. One layer green, one white and one pink. Between each layer she would make a white pudding type filling 4 cup milk,6 tbls flour,2 cup sugar,1 tbsp oleo and 1 tsp vanilla cook and cool. She used a large round dutch oven type pan. Between each layer she would put the filling and cover that layer with blck walnuts and raisins, Contuine until all layers are covered. Server with whipped cream. Best if made the day before. very good and we always expected it every Christmas. Makes a large amount.

Another PA Dutch tradition is to serve pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day to ensure good luck throughout the coming year.

My grandmother canned her own sauerkraut so to make New Years' dinner special, she always made what we called Red Kraut. We all cooked it without a written-down recipe until my stepdaughter made me measure it out as I made it about 20 years ago.

I still get the fat-marbled pork at the farmers' market for New Year's Day. If you are using the leaner modern pork, cut back the cooking times a bit.

RED KRAUT AND MEAT

1 cup tomato juice
2 Tbs. red wine (optional)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. caraway seeds (optional)

1 small apple, peeled and grated
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced

1 16 oz. can or jar of sauerkraut, drained

3-4 lb. pork roast with bones or 2 lb. boneless pork roast and/or 1 lb. kielbasa

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add apple, onion and garlic and mix thoroughly. Stir in sauerkraut. Transfer mixture to a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. If using pork roast with bones, top kraut with roast well-seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder or garlic salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes; then bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until pork is done, stirring sauerkraut every 30 minutes. Add a little water if kraut is getting too dry.

If using boneless pork roast, do the 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour at 350 until pork is done.

For kielbasa with pork, add sausage during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

If making kraut without pork and just kielbasa, bake kraut at 400 for 30 min.; then turn oven to 350 and cook kraut another 45 minutes to 1 hour with kielbasa if whole or cut in big pieces or 30 minutes if cut into ½ inch rounds for an appetizer.

Either way, keep the sauerkraut stirred as it browns and add a bit of water if its drying out too much.

AMARETTO CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

1 Graham Cracker Crust (8" in diameter)

2 Pkgs. (8 oz. each) Non-Fat Cream Cheese

2 ½ Teaspoons Liquid Sugar Substitute

2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

¼ Cup Amaretto

½ Cup Egg Substitute

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the cream cheese, liquid sugar substitute, cornstarch, vanilla and amaretto until well blended. Add the egg substitute and beat with an electric mixer until the batter is creamy. Pour into graham cracker pie crust and bake for 35 minutes. Keep chilled after baking.