GoPrime Family Holiday Traditions
November 21, 2022
When we say that we’re a family here, we mean it. Sometimes we even pull out our stretchy pants and share our favorite “secret” recipes with each other.
With the holiday season quickly approaching we asked the team to share some of their traditions, meals, and even tried to settle some of the biggest disputes around the holidays. Check out some of the highlights below.
The Big Debates
Do you prefer pumpkin pie, or pecan pie?
Pecan beat out pumpkin pie 2:1! This one was a shocker!
Speaking of, how do you pronounce that delicious (not actually a) nut? Pee-can or puh-cahn?
Out of those polled, pee-can won out by only five votes!
Would you rather take a nice nap after eating your meal or watch the football game?
Turns out that 11 more people find football the center of the final festivities than those who retire to the armchair and “rest their eyes”.
Do you think there is a difference between a yam and a sweet potato?
Close call on this one! Only four more votes believe there is a difference, while the remaining voters don’t discriminate between these two orange potatoes. Taste test anyone?
Does mac and cheese belong on the Thanksgiving table?
Often a highly contested topic, eight more votes stated, “Bring on the cheesy noodles!”, beating out those who don’t agree.
Are you the chef, the cleaner, or just the eater at your holiday festivities?
Only four voters admitted to being caught on the couch after the meal concluded – but was everyone honest? The vast preferring to cook rather than clean, but we think maybe those cookers ended up on the couch as well.
the meaningful moments
We asked our employees to share with us some of their favorite family recipes and meaningful holiday traditions that they look forward to each year. We’re so happy to see all the different ways our team celebrates the holidays!
Melissa Asmer | Processing Team Lead
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Stuffed grape leaves
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Cooking a Lebanese meal on Christmas Eve
Chris Hutchison | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Rum balls
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
The whole family watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving day
Kathy Clark | Post Closer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Pumpkin pie
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Drinking apple juice soaked with cinnamon sticks
Traci Dellinger | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
It may sound gross, but vegetable casserole is my favorite for the holidays
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
We love to play the cellophane game; rolling prizes in layers and layers of plastic wrap
Jessie Norris | Marketing Director
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Growing up I always loved yams loaded with more marshmallows than yams, but I have since graduated to homemade cranberry sauce
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Our family loves to make homemade candy, like divinity.
Caroline Roy | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Wild game sausage in stuffing
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Our family loves to run in the local food bank fun-run, Huffing for Stuffing
Mindy Copelan | Loan Opener
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
My mother’s famous pumpkin roll
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Having the time to all gather together and share what we are grateful for over the past year
Bonnie Strickland | Processor
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Sweet potato casserole and homemade sausage balls
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Waking up on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought while enjoying all-you-can-eat breakfast
Aimee Eller | General Counsel
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Grandma Johnson’s homemade sauerkraut slaw made from cabbage grown on her own farm, bacon grease, and onions – sprinkling in red and green peppers made it look extra festive
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Family-run white elephant type gift game that includes 24 bags stuffed with gift cards and silly items – the kids especially look forward to it every Christmas Eve
Melody Morrison | Processor
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
My mother’s delicious pumpkin pie
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree
Michael Chavez | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Sugar cookies – a classic
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Decorating those sugar cookies
Sean DeHart | IT Programmer Analyst
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Mom’s butterball cookies, or apple crisp
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Watching the movie Elf for 10+ hours on repeat
Amy Bonis | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
A secret cookie recipe, and pecan-chocolate pie
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Singing Christmas carols, exchanging homemade ornaments, and our rowdy Chinese Gift Exchange
Parker Massengill | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Chocolate chess pie
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Spending time with the family during our big annual dinner on Christmas Eve
Curt Sandfort | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Prime rib for dinner and toffee cheesecake for dessert
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving with Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on repeat in the background
Joyce Moore | Processor
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Macaroni and cheese
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Spending time gathered with my family and doing absolutely nothing
Katherine Kuzich | Processor
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Homemade parker house rolls and macaroni and cheese
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Sitting around the fire pit with delicious cocktails while we deep fry the turkey
Zack Adam | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Pecan and pumpkin pie
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Visiting the gingerbread houses at the Omni Grove in Asheville, NC
Teresa Walker | Corporate Trainer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Dressing
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Gathering together and sharing what we are thankful for
Melba Tabor | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Tomato casserole
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
We love wearing “ugly” sweaters and filling out the present tags with silly names
Trish DeHart | ICD Coordinator
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Grandma’s stuffing
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Spending time together as a family
Chris McLaurin | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar crust
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Eating oysters with the family
Christine Quante | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Sour cream pound cake from Grandma Bubba
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Going skeet shooting on Thanksgiving day and reading Luke about the birth of Christ
Regina Simkins | Processing Manager
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
It’s all great!
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Watching the Thanksgiving day parade and browsing all the shopping sales
Kim Davis | Loan Officer
What is your favorite family recipe to enjoy during the holidays?
Making homemade Pearson’s bun candy bars from Fort Wayne, where I grew up – especially the maple bun bars
Daniel Miller | Loan Officer
What is your most meaningful family holiday tradition?
Watching the Detroit Lions lose the football game with the family
This time of the year is especially important to express your gratitude and take time to reflect on the past year. We hope you enjoy your own family traditions and favorite meals, maybe even stealing one or two from above.
Have a wonderful holiday season, however you choose to celebrate!