Have attempted to trace my ggggrandmother, Susan Elizabeth Hodem. I found information that she came from 'Finkenbach, Bavaria'. She married Valentin Emmrich who was from Ilbesheim, near Kirschheimbolanden, Bavaria. Did find the 2 villages on the map, although Finkenbach-Gersweiler appears to be her actual village name. They do not seem to be too far apart, and therefore logical that they could have met. She was born on February 5, 1803, and they had already married and emigrated in 1843, since Valentine helped to found a church in Columbus during that year. Every year at this season, I make 5 very traditional Christmas cookies from recipes that had been handed down (assumption:) through my female line. Some of the cookies are Springerles, Pfeffernusse, Lebkuchen (molasses based), and Zimt Sterne and one called Vanilla Strips (although one lady called them Russian strips.) The recipes are incredibly simple - no baking powder, no modern adaptations etc. Can anyone - perhaps in Germany - help me determine how old these recipes are, find other recipes that come from the same area, and how authentic/old any of them are. Fifteen years ago, I shared some of the cookies with an old German baker who was working in Cleveland, OH. He was nearly in tears when I returned to his shop, and he said that my cookies were the ones of his childhood! Have the modern German version of the cookies changed that much? Is this still a big tradition in Germany today - (other than Lebkuchen, which everyone seems to know.)? Any help historically on the Christmas cookies will be greatly appreciated. Regards, Nancy _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com