Her family’s life is fun and interesting with multiple traditions for every holiday and season.

“We have weird traditions and we wonder how they started. We get dressed up and head down to my parents’ house on Christmas Eve for a candlelight dinner. We help with what we can. My mother always has broiled haddock, twice-baked potatoes, and rolls, mixed vegetables and dessert is always strawberry shortcake. Then we go to church to the candlelight service. The kids open new pajamas.”

“One year we did all homemade gifts at my parents on Christmas Day and that was my Mom’s favorite Christmas. We always have the same spread of food for Christmas dinner-ham, au gratin potatoes, fruit salad and everyone makes an extra loaf of bread on Thanksgiving that they save for Christmas.”

“We kick off the Christmas season on Thanksgiving night by watching ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ and we can pretty much quote it verbatim,” she grins. “I always start listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween.”

“We always cut down our tree and it’s always a fiasco. This year the 22-foot tree had to be loaded into the truck with a forklift.”

Her living room’s vaulted ceiling accommodates the massive tree with ease. The large fireplace is especially inviting during this season in the open concept home with its woodsy, natural decor and special vintage pieces that have been strategically placed. She has a large collection of items that have been used in maple-sugaring, a tradition handed down through the generations on the family farm.

“I like old things that most people would throw in the garbage. I like things with stories. Probably seventy-five percent of the syrup cans are from the farm. I found most of them in my Grandpa’s collapsed sugar house. The candy molds were my Grandma’s.”

“I always wanted a beehive, so my brother climbed a tree and gave it to me for Christmas.”

Her Uncle Harold’s circa 1950 skis hang on the wall in the same room where an old school piano sits.

“I really love historical things, especially local history, the outdoors and survival stuff, such as Cody Lundin.”

She has been a participant in Lundin’s “The Nothing Course” in Prescott, Arizona.

“It is a course to learn how to survive with the clothes on your back. We made primitive fire, slept in leaves where there are scorpions, rattlesnakes and tarantulas. It was forty degrees on the night we slept in the woods. We ate grasshoppers, currents, grape leaves, which are actually quite delicious, but it may have been the hunger,” she quips. “Grasshoppers heads must be removed because of parasites. We drank water that had many floaties, but we treated it with iodine, which made it not taste very good.”

The interesting interviewee’s passion for nature and her hard-work ethic came out throughout the time we spent together. She is not a couch potato and she is not a quitter until the job/quest is done.

“I love learning about wild edibles. I took a class at Audubon and learned there is a plant that grows in every ditch, the Autumn Olive Berry. It looks like honeysuckle, so you have to be careful. They have little red berries with silver speckles and I believe they were brought from Europe to help prevent ditch erosion. The jelly is rather good and they are actually a super food and have forty times the lycopene that a tomato does,” she says. “I’ve made jelly out of violets, dandelions, sumac and rose hips, which was a waste of time and Queen Anne’s Lace.”

She speaks of numerous interesting family traditions in which her extended family participates.

“Every spring my Mom and I go into the woods and collect (plants) for what started to be a stinko meal, now a flavors of spring sort of thing. We make dandelion cornbread, dandelion greens and cowslips. We’ve had things made of leeks, like leek soup and my Mom has made a leek dip. I’ve made cattail soup and cattail pickles,” she continues. “The soup is pretty good, but the pickles, not so much. One year I collected cattail pollen to make pancakes, but that didn’t work out.” She smiles.

“My weird obsessions are the love of Abraham Lincoln and Alcatraz. The movie ‘The Rock’ got me interested in Alcatraz, which I have visited.”

“I love canning. I love flower arranging, but mostly wild things. I love moss, fungus and twigs and logs with moss on them.”

She has made some beautiful arrangements from the items of nature she collects on her walks in the woods, a part of the family farm that she has spent her entire life exploring. Her children are the fifth generation of her family to live on the property which was purchased in the 1800’s by their great-great-grandparents. Their grandparents, Harry and Cathy Uhl and Uncle Cody Uhl and his wife and child have homes on the property as well. Mrs. Uhl, like her daughter, has spent her entire life there and wouldn’t want it any other way.

The energetic, hardworking mother of twelve year old Paige and eleven year old Ethan is also a Registered Nurse who works in Maternity at UPMC Chautauqua-WCA Hospital. The Johnsons share their home with Daisy, a Husky-Great Pyrenees mix and Rod, the cat, who was found in the family’s woods.

She is a member of East Randolph United Methodist Church where she is a third and fourth grade Sunday School Teacher, a member of the Activities Committee and is deeply involved, along with her parents, in the church’s annual Living Nativity which takes place the first weekend in December, complete with a live camel at the Saturday night performance.

The multi-faceted woman passes on recipes she uses for the Christmas holidays, recipes from foods she has found in nature and historical recipes.

“Mary Todd Lincoln’s Courting Cake is the original recipe Mary Todd made for Abe when they were dating. It tastes very old-fashioned. The recipe says to cook it in a moderate oven. You burn sugar in an iron skillet. Not that I’m a baking connoisseur, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever baked.”

She adds that it is her brother’s favorite cake.

“I used to make Violet Jam, which was easier (than Violet Jelly). You pluck all of the petals and then steep them like for a tea. It takes about four hours to pick, pluck them and steep making four and a half pints.”

“Kids can help make the Snow Ice Cream. They think it’s fun, because you make it out of snow. I’ve given the Refrigerator Pickles recipe to everybody at work. I’m known for my pickles at work. I take them to picnics, too.”

Warm Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

8 oz sugar snap peas

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 ¢ lbs red potatoes (small)

™ c olive oil

2 tsp salt

¢ small onion

4 (4 oz) chicken breasts

1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

2 T lemon pepper rub

1 lemon

Microwave peas on high for 2-3 min or until crisp tender. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside. Slice potatoes and place in salt and water. Boil until tender; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, rub chicken with 1 T of rub. Grill chicken until juices run clear. For dressing, juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Combine juice, remaining rub and garlic. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly. Set aside. Thinly slice chicken and onion. Combine peas, chicken, onion, and artichokes, mix well. Add potatoes and dressing, toss gently. Serve warm.  Yield 6 servings

Pickled Green Beans

8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 ¢ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed    5 c water

2 tsp mustard seed

3 ¢ c cider vinegar

2 tsp dill seed

™ canning salt

Place 2 garlic cloves in each of four 1 pint jars. Pack beans into jars within ¢ inch from top. Add ¢ tsp mustard seed, ¢ tsp dill seed and ™ tsp pepper flakes to each jar. In a pot, bring water, vinegar and canning salt to a boil. Ladle boiling liquid over beans, leaving ™ inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield 4 pints

Snow Ice Cream

8 c snow

1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Place snow in a large bowl, pour milk over. Add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately. Yield 8-10 servings

Celebration Cranberry Cake

2 c flour

3 T butter, softened

3 tsp baking powder

1 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 c evaporated milk

2 c cranberries, halved

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in milk. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries. Pour into greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Butter cream sauce:    1/2c butter

1 c sugar

1 c heavy cream    1 tsp vanilla

For sauce, melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar and cream. Bring to boil, stirring often. Boil 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Serve warm with cake. Yield 9 servings

Fruit Pretzel Pizza

3 c finely crushed pretzels

™ c lime juice

2/3 c sugar

1 T grated lime peel

1-1/4 c cold butter

1-1/2 c whipped topping

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

7-8 c assorted fresh fruit

In a bowl, combine pretzels and sugar; mix well. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a 14 in pizza pan. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine milk, lime juice and peel. Fold in whipped topping; spread over crust. Cover and chill. Top with fruit just before serving. Yield 8 servings

Violet Jelly

1 qt fresh violet blossoms, stems removed

4 c sugar

1 T lemon juice

5 ¢ pint canning jars and lids, sterilized

1-3/4 oz pkg powdered pectin

Fill a quart jar with violet blossoms. Cover with boiling water; cover tightly and steep for 24 hrs. Strain 2 cups of liquid into a large saucepan; discard violets. Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in sugar. Bring to a boil again; boil for 1 minute. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving ™ inch headspace. Wipe rims; secure lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes; set jars on a towel to cool. Check for seals. Yield 5 jars

Christmas Eve Soup

2 c potatoes, peeled and diced

3 oz pkg cooked, crumbled bacon

¢ c carrot, peeled and diced

™ c margarine

¢ c celery chopped

™ c flour

™ c onion, chopped

2 c milk

2 c water

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 tsp salt

™ tsp pepper

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large soup pot; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in bacon; set aside. In a separate saucepan, melt margarine; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted; add to vegetable mixture and heat through. Yield 4 servings

Refrigerator Pickles

6 large cucumbers, cut into ™ inch slices

3 medium onions, cut into 1/8 inch slices

3 c sugar

3 c cider vinegar

4 tsp canning/pickling salt

1-1/2 tsp mustard seed

¢ tsp alum

In a large container, combine cucumbers and onions. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumber mixture; mix well. Cover and chill overnight. May be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Yield 2-1/2 quarts

Mary Todd Lincoln’s Courting Cake

1 ¢ c sugar, divided

2 tsp baking powder

¢ c hot water

1 ¢ c cake flour

3 egg whites

dash salt

¢ c butter

1 tsp vanilla

Frosting: ¢ c butter, 1 c dark brown sugar, 1/3 c milk, 2 c powdered sugar

Melt ¢ c sugar in heavy iron skillet. Heat slowly, stirring continuously with wooden spoon until sugar becomes very dark brown. Then add ¢ c hot water and stir until sugar dissolves (this is the caramelized sugar you will use in the cake). Now beat 3 egg whites until very stiff, adding to them a little at a time to ¢ c sugar. Set aside. Cream remaining sugar with butter. In another bowl, combine cake flour along with a dash of salt. Sift together then add to butter-sugar mixture, alternating with caramelized sugar syrup until all is used. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Flavor with 1 tsp vanilla and bake in 2 greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake in moderate oven (350) for 30 minutes.

For the frosting: melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add 1/3 c milk and bring to boil again. Cool to luke warm and stir in gradually 2 c powdered sugar. Beat vigorously until smooth.

Golden Butter Popcorn Cupcakes

1 16-18 oz box golden butter cake mix

1 29 oz can corn, drained (liquid reserved; corn reserved for another use)

1 4 oz bar white chocolate, finely chopped

4 c popcorn

2 c heavy cream

3 T confectioner sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the cake batter as directed, substituting corn liquid for the water in the mix. Line 2-12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. Divide the batter between the pans, filling each cup 2/3 of the way. Bake as directed; let cool completely. Meanwhile, put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 sec intervals, stirring, until smooth. Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl; toss to coat, then refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Remove about 2 cups of white chocolate popcorn and crush. Beat the heavy cream and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 min. Fold in crushed popcorn. Frost each cupcake with whipped cream. Top with the remaining white chocolate popcorn.

Raspberry Cream Pie

Crust: 12 graham crackers, finely ground (about 1-1/2 c)

5 T butter, melted

™ c sugar

™ t salt

Filling:

4 large egg yolks

§ c sugar

™ c cornstarch

2 § c milk

3 T butter (room temperature, cut into pieces)

3 c raspberries (about 12 oz)

1 c heavy cream

2 T confectioners’ sugar

Crust: Preheat oven to 350. Pulse graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Press mix into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Freeze 10 minutes. Bake until slightly darker, 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Filling: Whisk yolks in a heat proof bowl. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan; whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking; cook, still whisking 2 min more. Pour milk mixture into yolks in a slow, steady stream, whisking until combined. Return mix to saucepan; return to a boil, whisking. Remove from heat. Pass through sieve into another bowl. Whisk in butter until melted. Let custard cool, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Fold in 1-1/2 c berries. Pour custard into cooled crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hrs and up to 1 day. Whip cream with confectioner sugar until soft peaks form, then spoon over filling. Top and serve with remaining berries.