MERRY CHRISTMAS THREAD (post your favorite songs, carols, family traditions, childhood memories)

[Liz]

This thread is lovingly dedicated to the members, friends and supporters of the American Civil Liberties Union.

My sincerest wish for you is that the universal peace and love exemplified by the birth of the Christ child will fill your hearts with joy at Christmas time and on everyday of the year.

[retrokitten]

Come on and share. Whatcha baking?

Let's see...so far I've made shortbread cookies, pecan pie bars, chocolate toffee bars, and Savanah cheesecake cookies. I've got iced pumpkin bars and Kahlua brownies on deck for tomorrow. I think I am going to make a really big batch of peanut butter cookies, too, because my husband and dad just love them.

[Liz]

My mouth is watering.

[Liz]

That's all we needed to know...... Now post directions to your house. LOL.

What are Savannah Cheesecake Cookies? Must be deelish, named after that beautiful place....Savannah.

[Liz]

A really special song. Merry Christmas.

[cyborg]

There are many Trinidadians who wear their family clan colors in the big Carnival every spring, and for every little occasion. There are no less than five Scots in my family by marriage.

Scottish immigrants brought stout, because for poor people stout mixed with goats milk was a whole food to help one cope with chopping sugar cane in the equator sun. Stout is almost a national beverage next to rum.

[pro libertate]

My favorite Christmas traditions include Christmas Eve service with my mother, It's a Wonderful Life, breakfast in bed for my wonderful wife, sticking as many bows as I can on the family beagle (before she/he goes nuts), and a terrific meal (something different each year-Cioppino, Bouillebaisse, rack of lamb) with several bottles of great wine.

[retrokitten]

They are so good and very easy! They are more like a bar then a cookie, though. The crust is made up of chopped pecans, brown sugar, some flour (I think LOL) and melted butter. The cheesecake filling was 2 bars of cream cheese, 3 eggs, some vanilla and I'm sure I forgetting something there! LOL They are very rich, but so good!

They are from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Just Desserts cookbook. I'm at work now, but I'll post the recipe when I get home tonight.

[speedy]

Christmas songs? To me, "Silent Night" remains the grand-daddy of them all, but I'll take anything on the Bing Crosby Christmas Album, especially throwing in his Latin on "Adeste Fidelis" and even including "Mele Kanikimaka" or however you spell it. Of the 20th Century variety, never get tired of "Little St. Nick" or "Jingle Bell Rock." To be honest, I could give you quite a long list of Christmas songs I can't stand, but it wouldn't be in keeping with the spirit of the thread. Thanks for getting this started, Liz. I always enjoy your posts.

[Liz]

Sounds absolutely perfect.

[Liz]

OMG, they sound fabulous. Will watch for your recipe post.

[Liz]

Amazingly, a lot of the all-Christmas music stations are playing so many of the Christmas "oldies" by Crosby, Mathis and Sinatra.

Glad you liked the thread. Merry Christmas.

[mommybain]

Believe it or not, I think Mark Lowry wrote "Mary Did You Know?"

I also love "Strange Way to Save the World", recorded by 4Him.

[ShadowDancer]

We even sing happy birthday on Christmas day.

We do the same thing.

[Liz]

The A Christmas Story movie is a perennial. I love the newest movie tradition.......The Santa Clause with Tim Allen.

[retrokitten]

Merry Christmas bump!

[boilerfan]

My favorite Carol is Silent Night sung in German.

My next favortie Christmas song is "Welcome to Our World" sung by Chris Rice. I sang this yesterday in our Christmas Drama....

[ThreeYearLurker]

At home we have a decoration that spells N O E L, in four wood block letters. Our holiday tradition is for my wife and I to reaarange the letters. My favorite is L E O N. My wife does O L E and hides the N. One morning after a big meal I took a refigerator magnet and made O L E A N.

Merry Christmas to everybody!

[Squantos]

Yep Santa was good to us this year !..........Stay Safe !

[Salvation]

Putting up the Christmas creche, adding Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Christmas night and the three Kings on the Epiphany.

Also a favoratie book of my children was Santa Mouse.

I am vacationing in Phoenix and my daughter just got a book for my two grandsons -- Santa Mouse!

Traditions live on!

[firebrand]

Struvoli! My grandmother used to make these things. One day in December we would come home from school and there they would be in a sort of cone shape on a platter in the dining room--all decorated with teeny-tiny tinsel and teeny-tiny colored sprinkles. We took them so much for granted. Ate a few, and went in to see what was for dinner.