By Mary Emma Allen

Photos make up only one form of scrapbooking memorabilia. Some people like to save notices and programs of special events they attend. Perhaps you have some Christmas cards you don't want to throw out. There may be gift wrap and tags that have meaning for you. Sometimes there will be recipes or menus that play a role in your holiday celebrations.

Food Memories

*Oranges and tangerines come to mind from my childhood. They were something we children savored and found in our stockings. We didn't have them year round so considered them something special for Christmas breakfast.

*Christmas candy in colorful boxes was distributed to us children after we performed in the holiday play or gave recitals at the Sunday School holiday program. These treats were under the Christmas tree, along with gifts from our teachers.

*A box of chocolates comes to mind when I think of the gifts my dad gave my mother. He always had a large box for her under the tree. However, my mom years later told me, although she appreciated the thought, she really didn't care much for candy. My dad and we children ate most of the chocolates and found them delicious.

*Fruit cake was a favorite of my mom's, so Father also purchased one of these as a Christmas treat.

*Oyster stew was one of Father's favorite dishes served on Christmas Eve. If we celebrated the evening at my grandmother's we enjoyed the stew there. If at home, Mother stirred up a pot from oysters Father bought in the nearby city.

*Candy canes, although taken for granted by children nowadays, were very special in my childhood. We ate them sparingly because Mother could only buy a few.

*Mince pies, whether made by my aunt or my mother, (we had one celebration with my aunt and grandmother and another at our home), were the "old fashioned" type, made with meat in the mixture. Mother and Auntie prepared and canned mincemeat earlier in the year.

Saving Your Memories

Scrapbooking in albums is only one form of saving your memories. You can use journals, ready made books (altered books), collage formats, and shadow boxes. With all of these you're able to utilize scrapbooking items such as colored pages, borders, die clips, stickers, calligraphy, stamping, etc.

Ways to Save

Go into this holiday season with an eye toward collecting and cataloguing the items that have such meaning to you. At least put them all together into a box so they're not scattered into oblivion. If you've never done scrapbooking, find time to go through past memorabilia and get it together for a 2004 project.

HOLIDAY PIE, a favorite my daughter makes, may come in handy for your holiday hospitality.

In a large bowl, combine 15 apples (peeled and sliced), 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon grated orange peel and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Add 1/8 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour. Mix together and place in 9" pastry-line pie plate.

For CRUMB TOPPING, mix together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup flour. Crumble over the top of the apple mixture, covering the entire pie.

With aluminum foil, cover the top of the pie to start baking and remove during last 15 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes until crust has browned and the juices begin to bubble up through the crumb topping.

Article (C) 2003 Mary Emma Allen

About the Author

Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers and online publications for 30 years and has compiled a family cookbook. SheÂ’s currently compiling a cookbook/story book, "Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com