FROM THE OVEN

Preparations are continuing for the big day on Thursday. I've been making my list(s) and checking them twice (or three or four times). Some things just can't be done ahead of time. Last minute groceries will need to be bought, bathrooms will need to be cleaned --- again, and lots of food cooked. One of the few foods that I felt like I could do ahead of time were cookies. The most often made cookie at our house is chocolate chip, but that wasn't on my list for this weekend. The first batch of cookies that I made were Filled Raisin Cookies. These are most certainly NOT my favorite. When I was a child, my grandmother would make these cookies and most of the other people in the family would just rave about them, but not me, I just didn't care for them. I remember my cousin, Susan, carrying a bucket of these cookies around. Today I can eat one or two when I bake them, but that's about it.

My mom had continued the tradition of making raisin cookies using her mother-in-law's recipe and now that she's gone, my daughter, who likes these cookies,and I have both continued the tradition.

When I was growing up my mother made lemon crisp sugar cookies every year that were shaped with a cookie press. Now, Christmas at our house just wouldn't be Christmas without these little cookies. Since my brother isn't usually around at Christmas, I made him some Christmas cookies for Thanksgiving since that's one of the few times each year that I get to see him. I painted him a cookie tin one year that says "Terry's Cookies." He usually returns it to me to refill for him. Right now I don't know where that cookie tin is. I hope he has it and can bring it so he can get a refill since I made the cookies.

I'm looking forward to Thursday and having all the family here and yummy food!!