By Shannon Williams
Traditions are such a part of the holidays, but often the source of stress and conflict. We want to honor those traditions, but as families grow and blend, you have to make room for everyone’s traditions and thus some traditions just die out. As you grow older, your list of Holiday favorite dishes grows and pretty soon, it is just out of hand trying to do all the favorites for everyone around your table. And, of course there is the dressing verses stuffing debate! I was raised with bread stuffing and thought it was the best! Then I married into a family that did cornbread dressing. I was unsure at first and so would have my mother in law bring the cornbread dressing and I would make bread stuffing. Well it did not take long before the bread stuffing went away and I was full blown a cornbread dressing fan!

I have been the one to carry on Paul’s mother’s dressing and most think I have done her proud! My son still prefers bread dressing. He makes his grandmothers homemade rolls and they do their stuffing from a box mix! Not to worry, a few more times of eating my cornbread and he will see the error of his ways!

For years, my family ate shrimp cocktail before each holiday meal. One year, my parents were going to travel on the holidays to be with one of my siblings who usually could not come home for the holidays. A family member asked if they were going to leave money so we could buy the shrimp!! Since getting fresh shrimp is so easy living on the coast, we eat fresh shrimp a lot and not just a treat for holidays. I also discovered that my beloved father had been over cooking the shrimp for years!

Christmas cards seem to be a thing of the past, I used to send so many and the letters and pictures. I am now to buying a few for special people, usually ones over 80 and just sending those. I guess Facebook was the killer of the Christmas letter! LOL. I have also given up on wrapping presents in a theme each year and now just throw it in a bag and be done with it!

I hope baking at the holidays does not go away, it is a great joy of mine and I have memories of baking and candy making with many dear people in my life, most who are no longer with us. I am not sure if the next generation will embrace it as mine did. It was a milestone in your life, when you were tasked with baking the family favorites as someone had gotten too old to hold the honor of the special pies, cakes and of course those cookies!

We had our six-year-old grandson this weekend and baking with his YaYa is something he really likes to do. He has his own apron and we have done cupcakes and of course cookies. I wanted to cheat this year and not drag out the cutters and the Kitchen aid, food coloring and just do a bar cookie. BUT, that is not the way to share the joy of baking, so I dragged it all out. I did cheat and we cut the recipe in half as everyone has health issues. In fact, you know you are old when the table conversation is around what everyone latest A1C lab results were!

My “cut of cookie” recipe comes from my college roommate. She was a kindergarten teacher for over 40 years and thus dealt with lots of cookies. She got this recipe from a young mother and we have used it for years. I think I know where it is, but each year I have to place the call to have her send one more time. I have shared it below as it is a good one and has served me well for many many years. I think Roscoe (6-year-old grandson) may be the next baker in the house! Please enjoy your traditions, but don’t hold on too tight as your family grows and they bring new ones to your table.

Cut out Cookies
2 cups sugar
2 cups butter
6 eggs
6 tsp baking powder
6 ¼ to 6 ½ cups flour
5 tsp vanilla
Blend together the sugar and butter. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to butter/sugar mixture and mix well.
With flour hands place dough on a floured surface and shape into a ball
Chill for one hour in the refrigerator

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes
Frosting

½ cup of soft butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 to ¼ cup of milk
2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar and salt. Start with one cup of sugar and add more as you go, adding the milk in as you go along.

[Dec-21-2021]