Well, this is the one and only thing I really enjoy baking. This will be my last traditional family recipe of 2018.

My grandmother, Evelyn Orne, was a wonderful baker. My brother, sister and I would look forward to and fight over these cookies year after year. She would make green trees, wreaths, camels, all kinds of holiday fun shapes.

Here is her recipe: one cup of shortening, ¾ cup of sugar, one egg, two cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, dash of salt, and one teaspoon of almond extract. Cream the shortening adding sugar gradually. Add egg unbeaten then beat well. Add the dry ingredients and almond extract. Fill your cookie press and form your cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Have a blast … I use the last of the dough (about one-quarter) to make my green trees by adding a couple of drops of green food coloring to the last of the dough. The Christmas trees are my favorite.

You can pick up a cookie press anywhere. I have my grandmother’s old metal one that I don’t use anymore because it’s so old. Pieces of metal are coming off. I picked up a plastic one at T.J. Maxx and I love it. It has all kinds of different shapes and I also use it for my deviled eggs. Amazon has them as well.

Making these cookies now for my family and grandchildren makes me so happy and brings back some of the best times of my life. I hope you all enjoy them.

Christmas is my most favorite time of year. I’m incredibly lucky to have most of my family, children and my grandchildren close by. I hope the people who couldn’t be with their loved ones had a joyous and blessed day. Please remember Christmas is about sacrifice, love and giving.

Praying for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2019. Cheers far and near and always be kind.

Thank you 2018 for everything I’ve been blessed with.

Live, love and always laugh.