For the most part, our family had the traditional dishes at Christmas. One dish I remember was the jello that my grandmother made. I remember that it was lime jello with some type of nuts and whipped cream. I will have to see if mom still knows what that recipe was.
One thing that Grandma Wright's Christmas was known for was the red punch. Always served in big punch bowl with Santa mugs.
Grandma LeMaster always cooked big meals - mashed potatoes, noodles, probably ham, deviled eggs as well, I can't really remember.
Dad just remembers having big meals for the holidays.
Mom remembers going to Grandma Wright's as soon as her dad came home from working at the Post Office. She can't remember what they ate, but it was probably ham. Then they went to Anderson to Grandpa Lambertson's and Helen's house where she had party food.
Mom said her mom always had Christmas punch. At first, it was red punch but when they realized that it made all the grandchildren have 'red' mouths for pictures she switched to a green punch, which mom still serves every year as a tradition. My niece Lauren asks for it at every holiday.
Christmas Punch
Makes 36 servings
2 cups sugar 6 cups water
3 packages lemon-lime koolaide 2 liters lemon-lime soda
3 cups pineapple-grapefruit juice* 1 quart lime sherbet
1/3 cup lemon juice
About 2 hours before serving, stir half of the lime sherbet in punch bowl to soften. Mix sugar, koolaide, juices and water together in large pitcher. Stir until sugar is dissolved. (This could be done ahead of time and chilled). Blend into the sherbet that is in the punch bowl. Scoop remaining sherbet on top. Carefully pour in 7-Up or any lemon-lime carbonated beverage.
*If pineapple-grapefruit juice is not available, mix 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice and 1 1/2 cups of grapefruit juice.
** Freeze 7-Up ice cubes with drained marschino cherries in the middle for color.
