Christmas Cookies / Traditional Foods You Cherish

[InsaneCdn]

Ummm... my grandma did the same. Only it wasn't just onions and mustard. She added cayenne pepper, black pepper, lots of salt, and who knows what else. The interesting thing is, she didn't do it because they were poor. She did it whenever she felt a cold coming on. And truth be told, I don't remember her coming down with a cold very often, and usually it was when she was "out visiting" (i.e. family, week-long stays) and didn't have access to the right ingredients. Some of these strange recipes have a LOT of history and experience behind them...

I'll take the cold over onion sandwiches, though.

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

That makes sense, when you think about it. They say there is some basis in truth for all the old folk remedies.

Thank heaven for Nyquil and Vicks, right?!?

They say (and I have done this) that when we have a bad cold, we should lather the bottoms of our feet with Vicks. Then, put white socks on and sleep that way. I don't know whether it helps me or not? But I do that.

If I begin eating raw onion sandwiches when I have a cold, too?

Ewwwww!

:O)

Cedar

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

The site I listed for Italian Christmas cookies has gone out of business. Yesterday when we were checking, it was fine. Today, there is a notice that they no longer do online cookies.

Look's like husband's mom will not be receiving Italian cookies after all.

Cedar

 

[donna723]

With the onion sandwiches? Maybe if you eat enough of them, other people won't get close enough to you to give you their cold!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Great theory, except... grandma ate those onion sandwiches with the first symptoms... a bit of a sneeze, a sore throat, not feeling quite right...

 

[InsaneCdn]

Keep in mind that onions are very high in vitamin C (way higher than citrus fruits), and contain sulfur. Both are known for anti-viral properties.

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

difficult child daughter warms half an onion in the microwave, and uses it to draw out fluid when she or one of her children have an earache. It seems to help, too. I had thought it must be the moisture and the heat.... I did not know onions contained sulfur, though I have read that they have antibiotic properties.

In fact, I read once that we should never cut an onion in half, store it for awhile, and then eat it because a cut onion will "draw" bacteria.

Ew, again.

Cedar

.

 

[DammitJanet]

My father grew up in a very, very poor Catholic family with a ton of kids during the depression. He used to take mayo sandwiches to school and it was a good day when it was onion and mayo. I think the way he grew up is the reason he and all of his brother's did so well for themselves. They all took advantage of WWII to get the GI Bill and made something of themselves.

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

My father did that too, Janet.

Maybe we should have been feeding our children onion sandwiches.

:O)

Cedar

 

[AnnieO]

I really don't know how good a cook my Grandma was... I do remember her making Ramen noodles and adding veggies and stuff. I also remember her freezing Arby's when they had the 5-for specials and reheating them later.

Grandpa liked fried bologna, and lettuce with mayo, so perhaps I am seeing why...

There's a story about my Grandma making steak fingers. I was, perhaps, about 5 years old. I announced, loudly, "Grandma, these steak fingers sure are tasty to be so tough!"

Mom, on the other hand, is a FANTASTIC cook. And I'm getting there.

http://nomnomnomrecipes.wordpress.com

 

[dstc_99]

My dad makes this weird concoction that I just love. You take a tomato and peel it then cut it into chunks. Add salt, pepper, mayonaise, and a couple of dashes of worchestershire sauce. OMG it looks awful but it is so good. Of course it only works on garden tomatoes the grocery ones don't taste the same at all.

husband's mom is the odd one. She used to make the kids eat a spoonful of Vick's when they were sick. ACKKKK!

She also's calls green peppers mangoes? I have nooooo idea!

 

[nlj]

We are getting ready to bake and mail Christmas cookies.

Can I send you my address?

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

This is what we did for husband' mom. We went to Publix, and to an Italian bakery, and to Sam's Club.

The most delicious cookies came from Sam's Club.

!

We found there (for only $10) a beautifully packaged tray of baklava. We found biscotti and some other kind of Italian cookie husband remembered at an Italian market. And we found Italian sugar cookies at Publix.

We lined a priority ship box from the P.O. with red tissue and then, foil. First layer was baklava wrapped in foil. Then, the various packages of Italian cookies and biscotti in their original packaging.

Red tissue on top.

It was beautiful ~ far more beautiful than anything we could have ordered, and was filled with exactly the kinds of things she will like, because husband remembered them, too.

Plus, we had enough baklava (for only $10!) to share a little with the neighbor lady across the street, send to one of our grandchildren who will be spending her first Christmas alone, and some for ourselves, too.

Then?

We had company come to stay.

And they brought every kind of Christmas cookie from home.

:O)

Cedar

We are sending them back to the cold, snowy Northland with grapefruit we will pick from our tree the morning they are due to leave.

Perfect.