Try Lisa's favorite recipes

As in many homes, Christmas when I was growing up was a flurry of special foods: Christmas-only cookies and breads, salads, snacks and beverages. When I went off to college, there were three of those holiday foods I couldn't do without, and they were some of the first recipes my mom passed down to me.

Fruit Punch (Slush)

My first memory of this beverage, a tradition from my dad's family's Christmas gathering, is from when I was quite young. Around age 5, I decided I ought to help myself to a second helping and ended up scooping from the bucket spiked with brandy rather than the nonalcoholic version meant for us children. After saying it didn't taste right, my aunt Patty quickly set me straight with a clean version of this citrusy refreshment.

4 cups sugar

6 cups cold water

46 oz. pineapple juice

2 12 oz. cans frozen orange juice

1 12 oz. can frozen lemonade

3 to 5 pureed bananas (also canc be mashed on a plate with a fork)

ginger ale

Dissolve sugar and water. Add juices and pureed bananas. Put into containers and freeze. To serve, scoop into cups and add ginger ale to taste.

Coventry Cheese Ball

A long-time salty snack lover over sweets, this cheese ball is my all-time holiday favorite. There's just something about a smear of flavored cheese over a buttery cracker; I just can't get enough. Growing up, the Coventry Cheese Ball was a regular in my family's snack-heavy Christmas Eve supper.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend cream cheese and cheddar cheese; add rest of ingredients and mix well. Shape into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts, if desired. Chill. Serve with snack crackers.

Seasoned Oyster Crackers

This snack mix is another staple on my family's Christmastime menu. It's a relatively simple mix that has nice bite, thanks to a generous amount of dill, and always gets gobbled up quickly. I've started branching out and serving it at parties that take place outside of winter, and it still goes over equally well.

2 packages oyster crackers

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

2 4 teaspoons dill weed, to taste

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

2/3 cup oil, warmed

Put crackers and seasonings in a large bowl. Pour warm oil over all and mix well. Store in an airtight container.