Levelle's New Years African American Mexican Style Dinner

This dinner was simply unbelievable. Levelle is my younger brother, who loves to cook and cater holiday dinners for the family. This Christmas, he outdid himself with his special holiday cookies. He made two batches: one was an oatmeal, raisin, apple cinnamon cookie, and the other was a cranberry, almond oatmeal, which was huge, like a breakfast bar.

He also made his fabulous Cherry Cheese Cream Pie from scratch, and sweat potato pie, he has always been a baker.

But, what he really cooked for after New Year's dinner was his famous:

"Enchilada"

Spanish Rice

Chili Beans and Salsa dip

The salsa is the key. He cuts up his tomatoes and de-veins his jalapeno peppers and bell pepper, cilantro, green onion, white onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and chili powder, with a twist of lime juice and vinegar. He adds this salsa to the meat and to the Spanish rice. He adds his cheeses (whatever is in the fridge), wraps them in corn tortilla shells, and tops them with more black olives. I waited all day long for this dinner because he got up early to get everything together and took his time to really chop the vegetables and cook his meat, make his sauce, and grate his cheeses before backing over two dozen enchilada for family and friends that may stopover.

He made dozens of cookies and passed them out to family and friends, a tradition he has done every year, forever.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats Quick or old-fashioned, uncooked
1 cup raisins
Add chopped apples
Family and friends in Fresno, California, love to go to Levelle's house for the holidays; he has made this a tradition for our nieces and nephews. They drive up to his house to experience a light show, which each year wins praise from the neighbors for the Christmas lights and reindeer themes. He has entertainment for the kids and movies for the adults going all day and night.