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Premium podcast episode 130 featuring Lalita Tademy!
Packed with holiday cheer, history highlights and an exclusive interview with NYT best-selling author Lalita Tademy, Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 130 is now ready for your listening pleasure.
Genealogy Gems Premium website members can now access the newly-published Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 130. Its got a round-the-world flavor and a dash of holiday cheer! Highlights include:
Our Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with New York Times best-selling author Lalita Tademy on her newest book, Citizens Creek. Lalita talks the process of writing historical fiction about real people. She shares the fascinating backdrop of the Indian removal to Oklahoma Territory and the Dawes rolls that affected her characters and helped her research. And she talks about the power of family stories and family secrets. (Haven’t read it yet? Click here to read a detailed description of the book.)
This episode has a second interview, too! Listen to Lisa’s fascinating chat with Norma Somerheiser with the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Norma and Lisa talk about the compelling story of a large group of Germans who migrated to Russia and eventually to the United States. Norma talks about the power of family, church and community that still was part of that Germans-from-Russia culture in which she was raised.
Also in this episode, you’ll hear about new records for Russia and Australia; another fabulous “Where I’m From” poem from a listener and a DNA segment that celebrates the power of genetic genealogy to bring together families that have been lost from each other.
Not a Genealogy Gems Premium website member yet? You’re missing out on great podcasts like this one–as well as the full archive of all previous 129 episodes! In addition, Premium members have access to more than 2 dozen members-only video classes on Lisa’s most popular topics. The video classes include the Ultimate Evernote Education for Genealogy, classes on Google searching and Google Earth, fantastic hard drive organization and cloud computing tutorials, heritage craft and display inspiration, and several classes on research strategies and records that will help you dig deeper into your family history in less time!
Thank you for sharing this Premium podcast episode with those who will {heart} it! YOU are a gem!
Family History in the Annual Christmas Letter? What a Great Idea!
Why not share the gift of family history story in this year’s Christmas letter or holiday cards?
Genealogy Gems podcast listener Catherine just sent in this fantastic idea about including family history in her annual Christmas letter. I thought I’d share it while it can inspire those whose holiday cards or letters are still on their “to-do” list. (Already done? Think about it for next year!) Here’s what she wrote:
“I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of writing [family history]: where to begin, what to write about, what to include, how to say it. When it was time to sit down and write the family Christmas letter and not having much to report, it struck me. Why not write a family history letter to the cousins about our common maternal Grandfather?
It may not be an original idea but it was new to me, so, deep breath, I took the plunge and the result was a letter that I truly enjoyed writing. I included some fun facts from immigration records and census information, family pictures, a couple of stories and even Google Earth pictures from my Gramp’s birthplace in ‘the Old Country.’ I sourced the letter and added webpage links in case I hooked someone into wanting to know more.”
Thank you Lisa for speaking about Google Earth Pro and my new best friend, Evernote for Genealogy! I can’t wait to see what the family reaction will be. I’m planning some follow up letters and may even go for the big one (gulp)–a blog! I was so inspired I even made two of your wreaths, one for my mother-in-law and one for my best friend, also a genealogy junkie.”
Wow, I love to see how Catherine has taken what I’ve been teaching–from keeping track of sources in Evernote to making wreaths–and RUNNING with it! She says, “Thanks for the great ideas, inspiration and support,” but I want to thank HER for writing in with her enthusiasm and clever ideas. I LOVE the idea of adding the gift of family history–complete with crowd-pleasing Google Earth pictures and proper citations–to your annual Christmas letter. That’s on MY list for next year!
Take These Ideas and Run with Them Yourself with These Helpful How-Tos:
Heritage Recipes – Aunties, Sprinkles and the Santa-in-His-Cap Cookie Cutter
I’m blessed to have oodles of oft-used and much loved heritage recipes and cookbooks from the ladies in my family who came before me. But I’m not the only Lisa who does. I’ve invited my good friend Lisa Alzo to visit with you here on the Genealogy Gems blog.
Lisa is the author of Baba’s Kitchen and a well known genealogy lecturer.
She’s has also presented genealogy sessions at the Genealogy Gems booth at national genealogy conferences.
In today’s post, Lisa Alzo is generously sharing one of her mouthwatering holiday heritage recipes, and, most importantly, the loving genealogical story behind it.
So preheat your oven, pour a glass of eggnog, and spend some time with Lisa and her Aunties:
Reflecting on Family Traditions
“I’ve been thinking a lot about family traditions lately. Perhaps it’s because I have been spending the majority of this year sorting and organizing family treasures, or maybe it is the approaching holiday season that makes me feel sentimental about food, family, and special times.
Each December, one of my favorite traditions is baking Christmas cut-out cookies, using this recipe that my dad’s sister Betty (“Auntie B” as I called her) passed down to me. I have many fond memories of baking these cookies with another “Auntie”—my father’s other sister (Sister Camilla) when she came home for the holidays to Pittsburgh from the convent where she lived in Texas.
Lisa Alzo and Sr. Camilla Alzo making Christmas cookies in December 1972.
To be honest, my mom would do most of the hard work of preparing the dough and rolling it out into large ovals on the wood cutting board dusted with flour. Auntie and I were in charge of the frosting and decorating, which in my opinion, was the best part. After all, Santa needed a big plate of these cookies when he dropped by.
The recipe has always been a favorite in our family because it is not just a plain sugar cookie, but has a hint of almond that provides extra special flavor.
For me, the holiday season is not complete until I make these cookies. So, every year I play holiday music, make the dough, use the Santa-in-his-cap cookie cutter (I still have the original), and sprinkle the red crystallized sugar on top of the powdered sugar icing on the freshly baked cookies. Inevitably, my mind always wanders back to the wonderful Christmas memories my aunts created with me.
Traditions are a part of our family history. This tradition stayed with me so much that I included the recipe for Auntie B’s Cookies in my book, Baba’s Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes & Traditions. I’m pleased to share it with Genealogy Gems readers.”
– Lisa A. Alzo
Thank you, Lisa! I’m definitely going to whip up a batch of these and I’m sure I can entice Davy and Joey to do the sugar sprinkling! Happy baking and Merry Christmas.
More Holiday Heritage Recipes Inspiration
Heritage Cookbooks: Recipe for a Sweet Family History
Little House on the Prairie: A New Cookbook (and Old Documents)
Cooking Up More Family History
Check out my fun retro recipe video called Cooking with the Toastite below. It features my conversation with the author of From the Family Kitchen: Discover Your Food Heritage and Preserve Favorite Recipes
