The Donnelly Holiday Cookbook 2013

Table of Contents

Buffalo Chicken Dip ............................................................................................................................ 3 Mixed Rosemary Nuts ........................................................................................................................ 3 Sweet and Spicy Meatballs ................................................................................................................ 4 Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs .............................................................................................................. 4 Homemade Turkey Sausage............................................................................................................... 5 Squash Casserole ............................................................................................................................... 5 Spicy Crab Cakes ................................................................................................................................ 6 Overnight Yeast Waffles .................................................................................................................... 7 Spicy Chicken Pasta ............................................................................................................................ 7 Jamaican Curry Chicken ..................................................................................................................... 8 Scallop Wrapped in Prosciutto........................................................................................................... 8 Baked Fish a la Mushrooms ............................................................................................................... 9 Standing Rib Roast ............................................................................................................................. 10 Dressing.............................................................................................................................................. 10 Sausage Balls ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Worlds Best Lasagna ......................................................................................................................... 11 Chocolate Raviolis .............................................................................................................................. 12 Million Dollar Pies .............................................................................................................................. 12 Yummy Sugar Cookies ........................................................................................................................ 13 Grape Salad ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Pecan Pie Cup Cakes .......................................................................................................................... 14 Red Velvet Cake Balls ......................................................................................................................... 15 Cathedral Windows............................................................................................................................ 15 Sweet Apple Dumplings ..................................................................................................................... 16 Chocolate Pecan Pie ........................................................................................................................... 16 Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing.............................................................................. 17

Thank you to those who shared their recipes in our first annual Donnelly Holiday Cookbook!
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Buffalo Chicken Dip Submitted by Stephanie Bennett 2- Cans of the 12-15 ounces of Chicken Breast 1- 12 ounce size of Cream Cheese cup of Ranch Dressing cup of Franks Hot Sauce Shredded Cheese (I use sharp) Mix the cream cheese and ranch dressing in a sauce pan on low heat until all mixed together and smoothed. Set this aside. Put the Chicken in a small casserole dish and shredded the chicken into smaller pieces. Pour hot sauce in with the chicken and mix together. You can add a little bit of shredded cheese with this as well. Then add to the mixture of cream cheese and ranch dressing to the chicken (you can either mix it up with the chicken or layer it). Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes and then put some shredded cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted. You can add more or less on the hot sauce depending on how hot you want it.

Mixed Rosemary Nuts Submitted by Kathy Bryan 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon dried crumbled rosemary 1 teaspoons salt teaspoon cayenne, or to taste 3 cups mixed nuts (pecans, cashews, and hazelnuts) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter with dried rosemary, salt, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over 3 cups mixed nuts, tossing to coat them. Bake the nuts on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs Submitted by Laura Auriemmo Ingredients 2 bags of small frozen meatballs (about 100 total) 2 bottles of Sweet & Spicy French dressing 1 bottle of barbecue sauce 1 bottle of honey flavored barbecue sauce 1 can of chunked pineapple in heavy syrup Put it all in the crock pot and let it simmer! Christmas tradition: Every year we buy one new ornament for the tree. It cant just be any ornament it has to have meaning. Sometimes its from a place weve visited, or an activity the kids are into, a new pet, etc. I always write the year in permanent marker on the new ornament. Whenever we decorate the tree we reminisce about what happened that year and the significance of the ornament.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs Submitted by Jennifer Meeker 12 Eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 5 slices bacon (1 slice crumbled for topping) 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon spicy mustard salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water. 2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside. 3. Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving. Add bacon crumbles to eggs as garnish. 4

Homemade Turkey Sausage Submitted by Byron Ware Ingredients 1 teaspoon fennel seed 1 pound ground turkey, 7% fat 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Preparation 1. Crush the fennel seed. 2. In a small bowl combine turkey with crushed fennel seed, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. 3. Divide the seasoned turkey into portions about the size of a ping-pong ball and flatten into patties to cook. 4. Cook over medium heat in a nonstick skillet until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Extra patties may be frozen for later use. Be sure to place a double layer of wrap or waxed paper between portions to make it easy to separate patties.

Squash Casserole Submitted by Harriett Byrd 8-10 Yellow Squash-Steamed until Soft 1/4 Cup of Chopped Onion 1 1/2 cup of cubed or grated cheese 1 can of cream of chicken soup 1/2 Stick of Butter or Margarine 8 oz. of Sour Cream Salt and Pepper Crackers or Bread Crumbs Cut squash to your desire, steam until soft, drain and mix with all ingredients, then pour in dish; top with the bread crumbs or crackers. Bake on 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until like lightly brown.

Spicy Crab Cakes Submitted by Tom Moroney 1 lb lump crab meat 2-3 cups panko bread crumbs 2 whipped eggs Red & yellow bell pepper diced 1 cups jalapeno salsa (diced tomato, onion, jalapeno, lemon juice) Form cakes and cover in additional bread crumbs. Saut until brown and finish in the oven. Serve with chipolte mayo (mayo and chipolte peppers blended).

Ana Pardos Christmas Traditions Parrandas is Christmas caroling Puerto Rican style. We would gather with friends late in the evening to go from one house to the next singing traditional songs. The parranderos (us) would surprise the unsuspecting friends and wake them with our music. The home owner (a friend) has already been given plenty of "hints" that he should be prepared to receive a parranda. We would gather outside the front door and at a signal the musicians play and the rest sing. I remember on a few occasions we had a piano on the back of a truck to play at each home we visited. At each house we would stop for a while and party, then we all would go to the next house. At each stop the owners of the house would join us and the parranda would grow in numbers during the evening. Asalto or trulla are other words for parranda. Aguinaldos is what Puerto Ricans call their Christmas songs. Some of the songs are very religious and these are called villancicos. Misa de Aguinaldo is a Catholic Mass that is almost completely a song service. Aguinaldos are sung and the musical instruments used are the traditional cuatro (Puerto Rican guitar), guitars, giros, and maracas. Misas de Aguinaldo are held for nine consecutive days ending on Christmas Eve. The mass is held at dawn (usually at 5:30 am). They start on the 16th of December and end on Christmas Eve. Hot chocolate is usually served after mass while singing continues. I remember going every Christmas with my parents and friends after an entire evening of Parrandas. Afterwards we all went to school or work having had very little or no sleep. Somehow the collective enthusiasm kept us going throughout the season.

Overnight Yeast Waffles Submitted by Dennis McMaster The recipe is out of the Long Mountain Lodge B&B Cookbook. Long Mountain Lodge is located just outside of Dahlonega and is wonderful place to stay. You can learn more at www.longmountainlodge.net. cups lukewarm water 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 2 cups flour 1 pkg. dry yeast 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups milk, warmed 2 tsp pure vanilla extract tsp baking soda cup unsalted butter, melted The night before, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. Stir in warm milk, melted butter and salt. Beat in flour until smooth. Cover the top of the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight on countertop. Do not refrigerate. In the morning, stir in eggs, vanilla and soda. Pour into waffle iron. Cook for about 4 minutes. Makes 6 Belgian-sized waffles.

Spicy Chicken Pasta Submitted by Cooper Friend 1 package bowtie pasta 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp hot chile paste (we use Korean Sriracha sauce, as much as anyone can stand) 1 lb chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces 6 tbsp (or more) basil pesto cup grated Parmesan cheese cup (or more) chopped cilantro Cook pasta and drain. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the chile paste and chicken. Cook and stir chicken 10 minutes, or until evenly browned. Toss the pasta, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and cilantro into the skillet, and continue cooking until heated through. This is my boys signature dish. I insisted they learn how to prep, assemble and cook one special dish. 7

Jamaican Curry Chicken Submitted by Charmaine Pinnock 1 -2 1/4 lb chicken 4 ounces blue mountain curry powder onion powder, to taste 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 ounce garlic powder 2 ounces cooking oil 1/2 ounce vinegar 4 ounces water 1 potato, cut in eight pieces (optional) 1/2 ounce black pepper (optional) 1 sprig thyme (optional) Cut chicken into 8 pieces or more if you so desire, wash with vinegar and water to get rid of rawness. Combine chicken with all ingredients and rub together until curry powder is wet and sticks to the chicken. Turn your heat on high, heat the cooking oil in a large iron skillet with 2 tablespoon of curry powder until the oil is hot and curry powder changes color. Add chicken to the hot oil, then turn down the heat to medium, add the water immediately. Add diced potato then cover the pot and simmer. Stir the ingredients in the pot then taste the gravy, after fifteen minutes. If you need to add anything more like salt to bring it to taste, now is the time. Add the 1 sprig of thyme and black pepper to the ingredients in the pot. Allow to simmer until chicken is moist and tender. Option 1: You can thicken the curry chicken gravy with bread crumbs or cornstarch. I prefer to thicken the gravy by using evaporation. Option 2: Remove the chicken from the skillet and place in a bowl. Turn up the fire to high and allow gravy to boil. Using a spoon, stir the gravy slowly and pay close attention to the consistency of the stew. Turn off the stove when it becomes thick enough. Then add curry chicken back to the stew. ENJOY!!!!

Scallop Wrapped in Prosciutto Submitted by Tom Moroney Sea scallops lightly dusted with desert spice (Cajun works) and wrapped in prosciutto. Bake in the oven until the prosciutto is crispy. Serve with hot mango chutney.

Ana Pardos Christmas Traditions Nochebuena is Christmas Eve (December 24th). In Puerto Rico, as well as other Latin American countries, the big holiday celebration is held on Nochebuena. Our family and friends got together for festivities and traditional foods of lechn asado and pasteles. The parties often last till morning. On Christmas Day we all rested from Nochebuena.

Baked Fish a la Mushrooms Submitted by Byron Ware Ingredients 1 pound fresh cod fillets 2 tablespoons margarine 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1/4 cup white onion 1 teaspoon dried thyme Preparation 1. Place fillets in a two-quart rectangular baking dish. (If using frozen fish instead of fresh, thaw first.) 2. Preheat oven to 450 F. 3. Chop onion. 4. Melt margarine in a small sauce pan. Add mushrooms and onion and cook over medium heat until tender. 5. Spoon mushroom mixture over fish. 6. Crush the dried thyme and sprinkle over fish. 7. Bake uncovered in oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes.

Try tilapia or other white fish for variety. Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator or under cold running water until fish is pliable. One tablespoon fresh thyme is equivalent to one teaspoon dried thyme

This is very good and healthy

Standing Rib Roast Submitted by Greg Steele The Holiday meals are one of the biggest traditions in our family. The Christmas Day meal is always Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib). My sister-in-law passed this recipe down to me more than 15 years ago. I have cooked roast as small as 2 ribs and as large as 8. Regardless of the size, it always comes out pink all the way through (medium rare). - Generously rub garlic, sea salt, coarse ground pepper on all sides of the roast. - Lightly spray the seasonings with Canola Oil so they don't burn in the oven. - Preheat oven to 375 - Place roast rib side down in roasting pan - Cook 1 hour ****DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OPEN THE OVEN DOOR**** - Let roast rest in oven 2 to 3 hours. Let it rest in the oven longer when cooking more than 5 ribs. - Turn oven back on, set at 300 - Cook for 45 minutes. *****You can now open the oven door.*****

Dressing Submitted by Karen Hackett Ingredients: 6 cups cornbread crumbs 2 cups bread crumbs 8 cups poultry stock (I use less & I use Swanson chicken broth) 2 onions (optional) Sage 1 tsp (more if you like) tsp salt tsp pepper 4 eggs Instructions: combine & bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 13 x 9 pan. (Spray with Pam) My holiday tradition in my family is every year for Thanksgiving, I always buy eggnog & have done that for about 20 years now.

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Sausage Balls Submitted by Sybil Savas Makes 60 Ingredients: 1 lb. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated (Cracker Barrel) 1 lb. Hot Sausage (Tennessee Pride) 3 cups Bisquick Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake and bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Worlds Best Lasagna Submitted by Cooper Friend Ingredients 1 lb sweet Italian sausage lb lean ground beef cup minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste 2 (6.5 oz) cans tomato sauce 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 16 oz ricotta cheese tsp salt cup grated Parmesan cheese

cup water 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp dried basil leaves tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tbsp salt tsp black pepper 12 lasagna noodles 1 egg lb mozzarella cheese, sliced

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley. Simmer, covered, for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Cook and drain lasagna noodles. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley and tsp salt. Preheat oven to 375. To assemble, spread 1 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of an 11x13 dish. Put 6 noodles over sauce. Add half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of the mozzarella slices. Repeat in layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes.

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Chocolate Raviolis Submitted by Khareem Mitchell Wonton wrappers- 25 Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (I use Nutella) about 1 1/2 cups 1 Egg / milk to coat the edges of the wonton wrap Vegetable oil for deep frying Take a wonton wrap and spoon little bit of the Nutella in the center and a piece of almond on top of it. Brush the edges with egg wash or milk. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half and press the sides and make sure the wrapper is sealed on all sides. Keep it on the side. Repeat the same with the other wonton wraps by spreading the Nutella and sealing with egg wash. Fry the ravioli in the vegetable oil over medium heat making sure the oil is not too hot so that the ravioli doesnt get too dark; about 3 minutes each side. Serve when they are hot with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Million Dollar Pies Submitted by Stephanie Bennett 1 20 oz Can of Crushed Pineapple (Drained) 1 Cup Chopped Pecans 1 16oz Cool Whip (Thawed) 1 Can Condensed Milk 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice 2 Graham Cracker Pie Crust Mix Condensed Milk and Lemon Juice together. Add Pecans and Pineapple to mixture. Then fold in the cool whip. Place mixture into the 2 pie crust and chill overnight.

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Yummy Sugar Cookies Submitted by Kathy Bryan Favorite holiday tradition: On Christmas Eve, after Midnight Mass, we come home and my husband reads The Night Before Christmas (even though our boys are grown). We then eat way too many cookies before going to bed. 1 cup confectionary sugar 1 cup white sugar 1 cup butter 1` cup vegetable oil 1 pinch salt 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups all purpose flour 1. Beat sugars, margarine, vegetable oil and salt very well. Add eggs and dry ingredients. 2. Make into balls, roll in sugar and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. For holidays or special occasions, roll in colored sugar instead of white sugar.

Samia Ellis Holiday tradition: One year, during the holiday season, times were tough for my family. Instead of presents, my mother bought construction paper, glitter, ribbon, tape, markers, etc. and we gave each other coupon books. Here are some examples of the coupons that we created: Clean Kitchen: redeem for one free dish washing, sweeping, moping Messy Bedroom: redeem for one free messy bedroom day Spic and Span: redeem for one free dusting and vacuuming Chauffeur: redeem for one free round trip outting Take out: redeem for one free dinner (in-house) Get Out of Jail Free: good for the termination of one punishment The coupon books were such a hit that when we were asked each year what we wanted for Christmas, they were always one of the top items on our lists. 13

Grape Salad Submitted by Rhonda Beaty Salad ingredients: 2 lbs. each red and green grapes, removed from stems and washed Sauce ingredients: 8 oz. sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. sugar In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth. Fold grapes into mixture. Topping ingredients: 5 large Butterfinger candy bars, crushed into small pieces 1/2 c. chopped pecans 1/2 c. brown sugar In a medium bowl, mix topping ingredients and layer on top of salad ingredients. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours.) Stir topping into salad just before serving.

TRADITION One of my favorite holiday traditions that our family enjoys is assigning each of my two sons a reindeer name, Charlie Brown character name, one of the 7 dwarf names or even Frost the Snowman! The gift tags are marked with their assigned name for the Season and the boys don't know which name is theirs, or which gifts under the tree are theirs...until Christmas morning. Even though they are 19 and 22 years old now I still do this and they have a great time trying to guess which character they are...and which gifts are theirs.

Pecan Pie Cup Cakes Submitted by Stephanie Bennett 1 Cup Chopped Pecans Cup All Purpose Flour 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar 2/3 Cups Butter (Melted) 2 Eggs Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and mix well. Spray miniature muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. (Spray with flour works best). Fill each cup way full. Bake in oven about 1618 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes or so and then remove and place on a plate to finish cooling. 14

Red Velvet Cake Balls Submitted by Stephanie Bennett 1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) 1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.) 1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) Wax paper 1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. 2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) 3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. 4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.) 5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package. 6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) Only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it will start to cool and get to thick. It's easier to work with when if it is hot.

Cathedral Windows Submitted by Laura Auriemmo Ingredients: 1 bag of colored marshmallows 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 stick of butter Melt the butter over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Pour over marshmallows in large bowl and mix until covered. Spread out a long piece of plastic wrap and pour in the mixture along it. Form it into a log and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. When hard, remove and cut slices. When cut, they will look like stained glass cathedral windows. This is so easy to make! My kids make them every year. Favorite Christmas Tradition: We have an Elf on the Shelf named Red. She arrives on Thanksgiving and stays through Christmas. Every night she flies back to the North Pole to give Santa a good or bad report on my three children. When she comes back, shes in a different place in the house and the kids have to find her in the morning. Sometimes she does mischievous things like roll toilet paper through the house, get into the cookie jar, or make a mess in the kitchen trying to cook something sweet. Sometimes she brings them a little piece of chocolate with a note to keep up the good work. The kids are not allowed to touch her, because then she will lose her magic and not be able to report to Santa. 15

Sweet Apple Dumplings Submitted by Kawana Fields Ingredients 1(16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury Grands Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits 8 teaspoons butter or margarine 4 small to medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg Steps Step 1 Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Step 2 Flatten biscuits with rolling pin. Place 1 teaspoon butter in the core area of each apple half. Wrap each biscuit around 1 apple half. Place seam side down in greased baking dish. Combine sugar, water, melted butter and vanilla; pour over dumplings. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over dumplings. Step 3 Bake uncovered at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and apples are tender. You can always add a little more sugar if you have got that extra sweet tooth craving. This is a wonderful dish especially spooned with vanilla ice cream mmm mmm good.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Submitted by Stephanie Bennett 2 sticks margarine 1 cup chocolate chips 1 to 1 cups of pecans 4 eggs 2 regular pie crust (the deep pie crust is too much crust) 2 cups of sugar Melt 2 sticks of margarine and 1 cup of chocolate chips together on low-med in a saucepan. Add 2 cups sugar. Beat 4 eggs and beat into melted chocolate and sugar mixture. I just use a whisk, mixer not necessary. Add 1-1 cups of pecans, chopped or halves as you prefer. Pour into 2 pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes.

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Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing Submitted by Vickie Lofton 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/4 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 ounces white chocolate 1 -2 tablespoon milk Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 x 8 pan with Baker's Joy or lightly grease and flour it. In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder, food coloring and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla to form a paste. Set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add second teaspoon of vanilla. With mixer on medium, beat in cocoa paste. Add flour and salt, and mix just until combined. Spread in pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before frosting. Frosting: Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on your package and set it aside. Cream butter with mixer till fluffy. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, then white chocolate. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Frost the top of the brownies and then hide them from everyone! They're so good you won't want to share them. I keep these in the refrigerator because I think they taste best cold.

Ana Pardos Christmas Traditions Vspera de Reyes is the eve of El Da de Reyes (January 5th). Traditional Catholics meet to pray the rosary and to honor the three Wise Men (saints in the Catholic faith). My brother and I always got ready to receive gifts from the three Wise Men by collecting freshly cut grass to put in a shoe box for the Wise Men's camels to eat. Of course the camels always ate the grass and the Three Wise Men left a thank you note! This was one of our most important traditions growing up in Puerto Rico. Da de Reyes is on January 6th. This is much like Christmas on the mainland. We always woke up much too early to check out what Baltazar, Melchor, and Gaspar left us. We always went to Mass on this day and celebrated all day long. In Puerto Rico this is a Holiday and everything stops.

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