Vickie - Foolproof Christmas

Back in 1984, we were next-door neighbors raising our families in the little town of Delaware, Ohio. Two moms with small children, we were looking for a way to do what we loved and stay home with the kids too. We had always shared a love of home cooking and making memories with family & friends and so, after many a conversation over the backyard fence,Gooseberry Patchwas born.

We put together our first catalog at our kitchen tables, enlisting the help of our loved ones wherever we could. From that very first mailing, we found an immediate connection with many of our customers and it wasnt long before we began receiving letters, photos and recipes from these new friends. In 1992, we put together our very first cookbook, compiled from hundreds of these recipes and, the rest, as they say, is history.

Hard to believe its been over 30 years since those kitchen-table days! From that original littleGooseberry Patchfamily, weve grown to include an amazing group of creative folks who love cooking, decorating and creating as much as we do. Today, were best known for our homestyle, family-friendly cookbooks, now recognized as national bestsellers.

One things for sure, we couldnt have done it without our friends all across the country. Each year, were honored to turn thousands of your recipes into our collectible cookbooks. Our hope is that each book captures the stories and heart of all of you who have shared with us. Whether youve been with us since the beginning or are just discovering us, welcome to theGooseberry Patchfamily!

Visit our website anytime

www.gooseberrypatch.com

18008546673

A warm thanks to everyone who shared their best recipes for cant-miss holiday dishes!

Send us your favorite recipe!

and the memory that makes it special for you! If we select your recipe for a brand-new Gooseberry Patch cookbook, your name will appear right along with it...and youll receive a FREE copy of the book.

Share your recipe on our website at
www.gooseberrypatch.com

Or mail to:

Gooseberry Patch Attn: Cookbook Dept.

PO Box 812 Columbus, OH 43216-0812

* Dont forget to include your name, address, phone number and email address so well know how to reach you for your FREE book!

If you liked these recipes, youll LOVE

Ready, Set, Christmas! and
Easy Classic Casseroles , two of our
best-selling cookbooks, now available as eBooks!

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From the time my boys were toddlers, we always did a Christmas countdown in the form of a paper chain. Each day from the first of December on would have an activity or surprise for them. We strung it across the banister of our loft. The excitement grew as the chain shrank! There was never anything fancy, just simple treats like each boy getting to pick dinner and help Mommy cook, a night to go see Christmas lights, or family game night, but they always came running down the hall in the morning to see what was in store for the day! It was such a fun way to stretch out the excitement of the holiday season and enjoy it as a family. After many years of this, though, I decided they were probably too old for it. Electronics and clothes had replaced toys on their wish lists...my boys were growing up. December first came and we were bustling around the house, getting ready for work and school. My 12-year-old son came to me with a puzzled look and asked, Mom, wheres the countdown chain? I told him I just assumed they had outgrown it and wouldnt want to do those things anymore. His face was so sad! He told me he and his brother had talked about it before bed the night before and couldnt wait to see what today held! I apologized and promised them a countdown by that evening. As I hurried to put it together that day, I was so touched and humbled that something that seemed so simple had meant so much to them. Not the expensive gifts or the lavish decorations... but the very simple paper countdown to Christmas chain that Id created as a young mother. We switched to doing just the Twelve Days of Christmas when they got a bit older. Last year they were both away at college, so it was the first year that we didnt do some kind of countdown. They both talk about the fond memories and traditions we built, though. I hope they continue these with their own families some day.

When our children were growing up, we would all go to the Christmas tree farm or local nursery to choose the perfect Christmas tree. Once when we got home, the tree would not fit through the front door, so back to the nursery! Another time, the tree had absolutely the straightest trunk, but when we got home the tree was so crooked it would not fit in the stand without a major trimming of the limbs. After the kids had all left for college, we moved from Missouri to Georgia. It was just the two of us on a warm December day at the local nursery, choosing the perfect tree once again. The store had a huge display of flocked trees, and when I stepped into the greenhouse, a sudden chill overcame me! I hurriedly tried to find my husband to share this experience with him. There he stood in the middle. As I approached him, he asked, Do you feel cold? We went home with the perfect tree that day.