Carl has come up with a great idea and he calls it the 2006 G.I.F.T. Challenge, short for Giving Inspiration, Fostering Tradition. This really intrigues me! I thought...what better thing to do at Christmas than share the things you like...and maybe learn some new things to enjoy!

Here are the rules:

"What you agree to do, if you choose to participate, is to partake of and/or post on any 4 of the following:

Christmas movies
Christmas novels/short stories
Christmas songs
Christmas poems
Christmas traditions
Christmas memories

For whichever 4 things you choose you will post about them. That is where the giving comes in. Giving of yourself for the shared edification and inspiration of others. Your favorite Christmas movie, story, song, etc. may just inspire others to try it out. At the very least we will share in your joy and enthusiasm as you give us a glimpse into who you are by sharing memories, traditions, and favorites.. “Where is the challenge?”, you may ask. The challenge comes in here: two of your 4 choices must either involve something completely new to you or something you haven’t read or watched in an inordinately long amount of time."

As such, here is my first post, and it's about Christmas tradition/memory! I hope you enjoy.

I've talked about family traditions quite a few times recently. I especially like that my cousin and I are getting our own family traditions going in a way that incorporates our personalities. We had a great Thanksgiving and she's also invited me (and Dad and my brother) to spend Christmas with her (and Greta's puppies will be there to join us!!!) She asked me "Do you guys do something special food wise that we can share with you?" and that made me remember the Sand Tart cookies my mother and father made every Christmas (the recipe is an old Pennsylvania Dutch one, which I'll share with you on my sidebar very soon).

The dough has to be chilled overnight and then rolled out thin as you can. We used old fashioned cookie cutters in the shape of a star, a christmas tree, a reindeer, a bell, a santa, a horse, a scottie dog (a shiba has snuck into the mix) and a fish. All the cookies were brushed lightly with a beaten egg and, except for the fish, sprinkled with either red or green sugar (in some cases, both). The fish, though...the fish got only cinnamon and ground walnuts.

When my brother and I were small, we had such a good time helping to make those cookies and it was a much loved tradition. My parents made those cookies with or as was the case as we reached our teen years and wanted to be with our friends, without us every Christmas up until a few years ago. They always made a ton, enough to give to friends and neighbors. They even sent me a tin of cookies each Christmas that I spent in Japan and the one Christmas I spent in CO.

I'm totally looking forward to reviving this tradition with Maribeth, who loves to cook as much as I do, and sharing it with her young neighbor, Emily.

Janet, I really enjoyed this, it's a wonderful Christmas memory. It's the small things we do at Christmas every year, these traditions like baking cookies, that add up to one very large memory for us over time. Can't wait to see the Sand Tarts appear on your side bar!

Hmmm, this sounds like fun. If I could stop being a grumpalufagus long enough..eheheheheeee.

♥Pam

Mmm...those sound nice! Why are they called sand tarts though? Because of the sugar?

I've got tears in my eyes after reading this post. Don't ask me why, I guess I am just a sentimental slob! ;~) I am so looking forward to Christmas!

That is so sweet!!!

What a great memory!