Favorite Holiday Recipes

I have so many recipes that I love during the holidays.  I wanted to record and share some of my favorites:

Nothing says Christmas like the smell of gingerbread! I am not a fan of rolling, cutting and decorating cookies, so as much as I like the IDEA of gingerbread boys, it just causes, stress, frustration and a big mess. It's not going to happen. This is my alternative so that I can still get my ginger fix, both taste and smell.  I sent these home with cub scouts this year and within 20 min a mom called me for the recipe.  Yep, they are that good!

Yummy Ginger Snaps

6 TB margarine

½ c white sugar

½ c brown sugar

2 egg whites

¼ c molasses

2 c flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp soda

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

Cream sugars and margarine.  Beat in egg wites and add molasses.  Stir in dry ingredients, mixing well.  Spoon by tsp full onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 min @ 375º.

The holidays are not complete, and I am not exaggerating, without homemade Wassail.  This will bring visions of old fashioned Christmases on waves of delicious aromas.

Wassail

5 c sugar

4 quarts water

2 TB whole cloves

4 fresh lemons or 2c lemon juice

12 cinnamon sticks

4 quarts orange juice (prepared)

1 gallon apple cider

Boil sugar and water.  Add cinnamon sticks and cloves.  Boil 10 min, cool and then add juices.  Let stand 1 hour.  Strain.  Serve hot.  Keep leftovers refridgerated.  WARNING:  This recipe makes 3 gallons of wassail!

I could eat a whole pan of Christmas Jell-o Salad all by myself I love it that much.   My mother usually makes this at Christmas time, unfortunately, she did not make it this year and I really missed it!  Paul is not crazy about it and so if I make it, I would end up eating the whole thing myself!

Christmas Salad

1 sm pkg lime Jell-o

½ lb. marshmallows

½ pt whip cream

2- 3oz pkg cream cheese

½ pt mayo (or a little less)

1 med. can crushed pineapple

1c pineapple juice

1 pkg cherry Jell-o

Dissolve lime Jell-o in 1c boiling water.  Add and melt marshmallows.  Add 1c pineapple juice.  Cool.  Mix cream cheese and mayo together, then add to mixture along with whip cream adn pineapple.  Set until firm.  Make cherry Jell-o according to directions.  When cooled, spoon carefully on top of green layer and set.  Cut into squares to serve.  Pretty and tasty!

Last year, we began our own tradition of decorating graham cracker houses.  Although I glue the houses together ahead of time, (We don't need the kind of frustration that comes with trying to build them with real gingerbread and frosting, at least not until the kids are quite a bit older!) we still need some good old Royal frosting to stick the pounds and pounds of candy, and marshmallow santas and snowmen onto and around the houses.

Royal Frosting

3 egg whites (room temperature)

4c powdered sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients at high speed for 5-10 min.  Use immediately.  Can be stored for short time covered with a damp cloth.  Re-beating will not restore texture.  Yield 2½ cups.

So many of our holiday memories are tied to yummy traditional tastes and smells.  I love anything that brings both into my home and helps to recreate memories for me and my family as well as making new memories.

A couple of requested recipes- snickerdoodles and playdoh

A couple of weeks ago at a gathering, I was asked for the following two recipes. They are some of our favorites. So here they are:
Paul's Favorite Snickerdoodles
½ c butter
½ c shortening
1½ c sugar
2 eggs
2¼ c flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar
1½ Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400º. Cream butter, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs. Blend in dry ingredients except 2 T sugar and 1T cinnamon. Roll dough into balls. Roll balls in mixture of 2 T sugar and cinnamon. Place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 min. They are done when they crack on top but are not browned. If overcooked they will not be soft. However, placing them in an air tight container with a slice of bread can sometimes restore moisture and softness.
Christian loves to make these! Kids love to roll them into balls and roll them in the cinnamon and sugar.

My favorite Soft playdoh
1 c flour
1 c water
1 Tbsp cream of tartar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ c salt
food coloring

Mix all ingredients and cook over med-low heat. Cool. Knead. Store in a sealed container or bag. Kids love to help add and mix ingredients before cooking. This stuff lasts an amazingly long time in the refrigerator. I recommend making a batch for each child so they can choose their own color and have plenty to play with.

My kids love to help me make both of these recipes. In fact, I think we will be making playdoh tomorrow afternoon! We love to do bubbles in the summer too. Be sure to check out our recipe for those here.

Family favorite recipes!

I thought I would post a couple of our family's favorite dinner recipes. The first recipe, I adapted from one I found on a blog that I have since lost track of. If anyone knows which it came from I would love to find it again. It is quick, it's simple, it's healthy, and (drum roll.....) we ALL like it! It is rare that dinner gets a cheer from every member of the family. Usually there is at least one family member rolling their eyes, moaning, gagging or some combination thereof.


Veggie Sausage Skillet

1lb pasta (we like penne)
1 package sausage (we used Hillshire Farms smoked, the oval one)
1 pint grape tomatoes (cut in half)
minced garlic
olive oil
grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
any add ins, we enjoy broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, mushrooms etc.

pasta and veggies

1. Start by cooking pasta according to the directions. I am lazy so I add my veggies about half way through so I only use one pot.

sausage, garlic, tomatoes

2. Meanwhile, slice sausage into discs and brown in a large skillet
3. Slice grape tomatoes in half and add them to the skillet with minced garlic.

4. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and then add to skillet. Pour in some extra virgin olive oil and stir well.

5. Serve with grated cheese on top.  This recipe is different everytime I make it depending on the ingredients I have on hand.  The only thing that has to be constant is the sausage and some kind of pasta for it to be a hit.Paul likes to season his with Tony's seasoning to add a little kick.

The second recipe comes from my good friend Alaina. She is an amazing cook that just makes things up as she goes along. As a result she doesn't deal with many exact measurements, so my stuff never turns out quite as good as hers. I think, just maybe, she likes it that way. ;) I want to be like her when I grow up! (Even though I happen to be older than she is).

Chicken Penne Pasta

Penne pasta

Rotelli's Alfredo sauce

1-2 c Italian cheese blend

enough chicken to feed your family

I add veggies as well. Some of our favorites are chopped asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach.

1. Marinate chicken over night or all day (don't cut short, the marinating time really makes it tender and flavorful) in:

virgin olive oil, teriyaki sauce, Italian dressing, black pepper, Cajun seasoning (we use Tony's) and a little meat tenderizer.

2. Cook pasta according to the directions. I add veggies to the pasta for the last half of cooking time.

3. Grill chicken and cube.

4. Drain pasta and veggies. Add chicken and stir in Alfredo sauce and cheese. Warm and serve. You can also add a little chopped cilantro too.

This recipe is also met with "Yummm, we're having that chicken pasta stuff again." As I mentioned before, I much prefer this response to "Ewwww, how much do I HAVE to eat?"

Here's hoping your dinner menu receives rave reviews from your family. I know mine are my most difficult critics.

Chez Bruderer

Every once in a while my hubby has dinner meetings or continuing education classes and isn't here for the evening. When that happens, I don't feel like fixing a big dinner but I don't want mac & cheese either. I have recently discovered a way to cook multiple kinds of pre-prepared foods at the same time! Enter heavy duty, wide aluminum foil. I cover a cookie sheet with the foil, folding it to make "walls" between entrees. I then bake it all together. The kids and I each get a variety of choices, just like going to a restaurant without the hassle. The best part... no pans to wash, just clean up the foil!

Tonight I had broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken, Jordan and the girls had Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets, and Christian chose meatloaf balls (pre-frozen from last week). We all enjoyed Costco's Sweet Potato fries with brown sugar and chili powder. Now just so you don't think we eat this kind of food all the time I must say I have made 5 home cooked, balanced meals in the last week and 7 the week before. A night of battered pressed foods doesn't hurt every once in a while. Everyone cleaned their plates without complaint, and with very little clean up we had time for a movie night with popcorn ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! I was a fun Mom for a night without the nagging. It works for me!

Another use for garden tomatoes

Christian requested I post this "recipe" because he has declared it one of his new favorites. He ate he ended up eating the equivalent of over 2 whole tomatoes tonight.

I just sliced some tomatoes in thick slices (about 4 per tomato) sprinkle on salt, pepper and crushed oregano leaves. Top with grated mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese melts a little.

I know it's a real tough recipe that would give even you Martha Stewarts out there a run for your money but we got 4 out of 6 thumbs up! (Jenna isn't quite ready yet and Emma has decided she doesn't like tomato seeds. We'll keep giving them to her anyway! :)

SALSA! SALSA! SALSA!!!

Our tomatoes are coming on (finally, it took longer because we planted late this year) which means it's time to make salsa! I love it fresh. I thought I would share our additions to my sister Laurie's recipe:

10-12 tomatoes or
2 qts bottled tomatoes (drained), chopped
1 bell pepper (we use red), chopped
1 med purple onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
1-2 jalapeño peppers finely chopped
2 tsp lime juice

We add:
1-3 tsp vinegar
1-3 tsp sugar

We like to put tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds until the peelings slide off, but you can leave peel on if you want. We are trying roasted garlic this year, smells good. I'll add on the verdict if we like it better! ~~We really are enjoying the subtle difference roasting makes. We did learn that it takes more than when it is raw because roasting makes it more mellow tasting. The best salsa is made without exact measurements. Every batch will be different depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes and the heat of the peppers. Taste as you go and find your own favorite combination!

SALSA! SALSA! SALSA!!!

I actually have a friend who likes salsa more than we do! She eats it with a spoon and drinks the juice at the bottom of the jar. You know who you are! :)

P.S. I am adding this to the Over-used Recipe Swap

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

I also made this recipe a couple of days ago and finished the leftovers for lunch! The whole family liked this one. I did add some yellow crook-neck squash and a little garlic to mine and used Hillshire Farms sausage (you know the ones that are shrink wrapped in an oval shape).
http://workitmom.com/bloggers/orderingdisorder/2008/08/07/pasta-with-broccoli-and-sausage/
Check out her recipe for hummus as well! I really liked it with whole wheat pitas. Too bad it was too "healthy" for the rest of the family.
I enjoy her recipes and sense of humor; though she does have some colorful language as she describes some of the cooking instructions (not too bad, I would be careful about letting my kids cook from her site).

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

I am always looking for new recipes and so I thought I would share some of our family's favorites. I am making this tonight. This recipe has been adapted from two different sources: my friend Bethany and this site http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/06/crockpot-salsa-chicken-recipe.html (great crock pot site) but since she got it from someone else and I am combining them, I am claiming the following recipe as mine!

6-9 chicken thighs, or 2-3 breasts
1 can rinsed black beans
1 cup chunky salsa
1 cup frozen white corn
3 T lime juice
1 T chili powder

The Directions. Put your chicken in the crockpot; mine was still frozen. Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.If you decide to use breasts, increase your salsa by 1/2 cup. Breasts are drier than thighs.
Serve as taco filling, as taco salad topping, or even enchilada filling, etc. Leftovers freeze great in a freezer bag!

Don't you love a recipe that people can eat at different mealtimes? I have parent teacher conference at 6 pm and Paul doesn't get home until after 7 pm. It's one of those nights! I'm just glad it doesn't happen very often for us. I feel it is so important to have meals together as a family!