I make this bread year round and share with friends and neighbors. It's great fresh from the oven or toasted for breakfast:

1 quart warm water
softened 2 packages yeast
8 egg yolks plus one whole egg
1 lb. margarine
4 tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
white flour

In very large bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and salt in warm water. Add margarine, egg yolks and egg. Add enough white flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl until double in bulk. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 3 strips and braid. Let rise. After the braids are raised, brush with an egg yolk glaze (Mix with fork: one egg yolk and two tablespoons cold water.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 2 braids. You may prefer to bake braids without the glaze as they tend to become very brown with the glaze. Sometimes I prefer to make four smaller braids. Bake these for 30 minutes. This is Ida Urwiler’s recipe. It is a Swiss recipe she obtained from her sister-in-law Mrs. Hilda (Carl) Urwiler.

With a family of seven, this cake was a favorite:

Mix 1 box white cake mix and 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix.

Add 4 eggs and follow the directions on the cake mix package.

Pour into three layer cake pans (line bottoms with waxed paper.)

Bake according to the directions on the cake mix package.

While cake is cooling, mix 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1 tsp. vanilla and ½ cup butter or margarine. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened (about 12 minutes).

Add 1 1/3 cups coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans to frosting mix. Beat until thick enough to spread. Frost tops of cake layers only.

This recipe is really Mom's Great-Grandma's (Johanna Von Seggern):

Date Bars

1 cup brown sugar 1 ½ cups oatmeal (quick)

1 cup melted butter 1 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon soda

1 cup nutmeats

Filling: 40 dates or about one cup chopped

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Cook the filling until thick and smooth. Let cool.

2. Prepare the above crumb mixture.

3. Put half of this in pan (9 x 13). Put on filling and pat on remaining crumbs.

4. Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Cut in squares.