Submissions:

Just in case I forgot to mention:

Submit your traditions and ideas in the comments.

I will copy your submission (making changes only if necessary to improve spelling and readability) and make them into a new post. I will then delete the comment.

If you don't want me to use your name or location, let me know in your comment.

Thanx everyone!! and Keep 'em coming!

Some recipe Submissions we have recieved

From Kelly in Chico:

Cocoa- Java Cake

¾ c butter

3 eggs

2 c flour

¾ c cocoa powder

1 t baking soda

¾ t baking powder

½ t salt

1½ c sugar

2 t vanilla

1 c strong coffee (3 T/8oz)

Directions:

- Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp for 30 minutes

- Grease 3 8 x 1½ round pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pans

- Preheat oven to 350°

- Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Add alternately until just combined.

- Spread into prepared pans.

- Bake 30-35 minutes

- Cool 10 minutes

- Remove from pans

- Cool on wire racks

- Layer and frost

- Top with nuts

Chocolate Pecan Frosting

Combine 2 c semisweet chocolate pieces with ½ c butter.

Heat over low heat until melted. Stir often.

Cool for 5 minutes

Stir in 6 T milk.

Add 4½ c sifted powder sugar.

Mix until smooth

Add chopped pecans.

Note: For cupcakes: Make only half of the frosting recipe. Bake 19 minutes @ 350°


From Lorraine in Santa Barbara:

Apple Pie

Make a pie crust in a pizza pan

Cover with sliced apples

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Spray with lemon juice

Cover with pie crust. Slit.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar

Bake at 350 until apples are soft (40-50 minutes)

Lightly ice while warm (powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, milk)

From Phyllis in Kalispell:

Persimmon COokies

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup persimmon pulp

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins

1 cup nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream together butter, sugar and egg.

Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp. Puree and add to first mixture.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add raisins and nuts.

Mix all ingredients well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Thanxgiving

Thank you to Dan in San Ramon for this Thanksgiving tradition:

"Ok, so ours is a little different...

Every Thanksgiving my brother brings his wife and kids to my dad's house. We spend all day making and enjoying a big Thanksgiving meal. My sister-in-law always makes the best pumpkin pies!!!)

Our tradition is actually the day after Thanksgiving when we go to the International Auto Show in San Francisco.

My brother's kids sit in all the cars while my dad looks at the newest Porsches and dreams.

After the auto show we all go out for dinner."

Thanks for sharing Dan!!

Christmas Trees

This one is from my cousin in Quincy:

" I remember cutting down our Christmas trees!

You guys would come up Thanxgiving and the day after we would all squeeze into our family vehicles and drive up into the mountains to cut down our Christmas Trees.

We would all take turns with that orange saw my dad had, and you would amuse yourself by shoving snow down our collars, throwing snowballs, or shaking the snow off of trees onto us!

Fun times!

This year we're taking our own kids out to cut down a Christmas tree...so the tradition has now made it to another generation!"

Ha!! I remember that!!

Those were the days!!

Cookie Exchange

Thank you Kelly in Chico for sharing this tradition:

"For the past 4 years I have hosted a Cookie Exchange at my house.
The invitations are sent out 4 weeks in advance to give everyone plenty of time to plan.
On the invitation I ask that each attendee mail their recipe to me 2 weeks before the party and I ask them to bring 6 dozen cookies made from their submitted recipe.
I have the recipes compiled into a festive cookbook and printed.

During the party my husband is working behind the scenes to divide all the cookies evenly between all the attendees. (When each attendee leaves they will take with then 6 dozen assorted cookies and a cookbook filled with all the recipes for those cookies)

The ladies snack on veggie trays, deviled eggs, and all manor of NOT sweet treats (to compensate for all those cookies!!!) while we play a variety of Holiday games to win small prizes I purchased and wrapped ahead of time.

It really is a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it each year!"


Now this is what I am talking about!!!

Sure sounds yummy.

Anyone else have a tradition or a recipe they want to share?? Don't be shy!