On the 11th Day of CHRISTmas…Give Away with Rachel Olsen
Published December 11, 2008We’re in the homestretch ladies…..Welcome to day eleven of the 12 Days of CHRISTmas giveaway!!! There are holiday ideas, easy recipes and both practical and pampering prizes to win. Best of all, each day you will meet one of my fellow “sistas” from the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaking team. Get to know them and their wonderful resources including books and teaching cd’s. Why, you might even just discover the speaker you have been looking for to appear at your next event.
So get in the holiday spirit. Tune in each day. Hop on and leave a comment. The more you leave, the better your chances of winning. The 12 daily winners will be announced on Saturday, the 13th day of December so comment on all 12 posts if you can!
Today you get to meet one of the most patient women in the world, one who extends much grace to those of us on the speaker team who OCCASIONALLY turn in our Proverbs 31 devotions to her, the editor, a tad bit late (Ahem….guilty as charged!) Oh, you will love her as much as I do. She is a dynamo with words, whether written or spoken, an teacher extraordinaire (and she is giving away one generous gift today!!!) So, without further ado, cyber sisters……meet Rachel Olsen!
Rachel Olsen is a happily married mother of two … author, editor, university teacher and national women’s speaker (not to mention chef, laundress and shuttle driver).
Rachel is General Editor and contributing author for the devotional book God’s Purpose for Every Woman. She’s a contributing writer to Experiencing God’s Power in Your Ministry. She also recently signed with David C. Cook Publishing to author her forthcoming book Can You Keep a Secret?
“I wasn’t raised in church,” Rachel reveals, “but at the age of 21 Christ reached out and turned my heart right side up. Shortly after, I discovered a small Christian bookstore around the corner from my apartment. I read nearly all the books in that little mom-and-pop shop, and I’m still reading Christian books today. For me, the words in those pages serve as mentor, encourager, challenger and friend. That’s why I write – with earnest hope that my words can do the same for someone else on their journey with God.”
Rachel’s heart for and ability to connect with her audiences have made her a popular national women’s speaker. She also teaches public speaking to a fresh crop of students each semester at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. “Teaching is a definite passion,” Rachel says, “and I’m honored to serve others in this way.”
When asked to share some of her favorite things, Rachel responds, “That’s easy: Starbucks coffee, Dove dark chocolate, books, worship music that ushers me to God’s throne room, music that makes me walk faster on my treadmill, girlfriends’ nights out, the wide open sky, getting a pedicure, history when its told well, vacations with my family, the smell of puppy’s breath, a day with nothing pressing to do but hang by the pool, fresh fruit, scented soy candles, sleeping late, mopping my kitchen floor, and finding the perfect accessory on sale.”
Rachel enjoys living in her southern, seaside town with her husband and their two grade-school children. “I’m really just a word-geek at heart,” Rachel admits, “who has fallen in love with the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.”
Now for our little get-to-know-you chat with Rachel.
· Are their any holiday traditions your kids just can’t live without?
Each year I gift-wrap all the books in our Christmas book collection (I keep them stored with the ornaments) and arrange them attractively in a basket. The kids get to choose one to unwrap and read each night leading up to Christmas. They love this because they love to read, they get to unwrap something, and it also has an element of surprise to it.
Every year in November I ask each of my kids to name a couple of things they are most looking forward to doing in celebration of Christmas this year. Their answers have varied from year to year. Then I make sure to schedule those things on our December calendar. As long as I get those things done, I don’t sweat whether or not I get everything done that season. Everything else we manage to do just feels like a bonus to us!
This way the kids get their deepest desires met, and mommy feels like a success rather than a failure. I have no choice but to simplify – both of my kids have birthdays the week of Christmas!
· You lost your mother at an early age. How did God become real to you during the first few holidays without your mom? What can we do to reach out to other children in that situation at the holidays?
When my mom died, so did Christmas as I’d known it. Before that, we had big celebrations at our house, hosting the entire extended family for a meal and a gift exchange. It was music, decorations, food, family and gifts galore. Afterwards, well, it was pretty much nothing after that. This had a strong, sorrowful impact on me. I craved those family feelings of Christmas.
I didn’t come to know Christ until a few years after my mom had passed and my family had splintered. Suddenly, Christmas had so much more meaning! Suddenly it didn’t matter if I had the trappings of Christmas – the ornaments, parties or gifts – because I now had Christmas Himself. And that was something I could celebrate in my heart, even if there was no celebration in my house.
I would say invite children who have lost a parent – especially a mom – into your home during the holidays. Allow them the experiences of Christmas. Don’t worry about if they will feel awkward or if it might make them feel sad. And don’t worry if you can’t have them over on Christmas itself. Welcome that girl, teen, or young adult over in December to make Christmas cookies with you, or to help you wrap presents, or to sip hot chocolate while watching a Christmas movie. Just bless her with some of the experiences of Christmas as you point her to Christmas Himself.
· On a lighter note, what is your favorite holiday recipe?
My husband’s family owns some timber land and on part of it they grow sweet potatoes. So, this recipe for Sweet Potato Bread with Chocolate Chips is a holiday favorite in our family. I heart it very much! Note that it makes 5 small loaves – which makes it great for gift-giving as well.
2 ½ sticks of butter
3 cups of sugar
6 eggs
5 ¼ cups of flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ginger
¾ teaspoon cloves
2 ¼ cups chocolate chips
2 ¼ cups chopped nuts (like pecan or walnut)
2 ¼ cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and dry ingredients alternately. Add cooked sweet potatoes. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill lightly greased pans – I use the small foil ones from the grocery. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then drizzle with:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
The icing will be somewhat runny until it dries. This is so YUMMY with coffee!
Sounds delicious!! And thanks Rachel for popping over to chat today!!!
You are most welcome!
Okay gals….you knew this was coming on one of these days didn’t you? Yes, just as Rachel did, I am going to ask all of you who want to be entered into today’s drawing to leave a comment with your favorite holiday recipe. I know, I know, we are all busy; up to our eyeballs in wrapping paper and Christmas cards and trying to find those oh-so-perfect gifts. So, if you are really stressed and can only leave the title of your favorite holiday food fare, that is fine. However, if you also leave the recipe for the rest of us, your name wil be entered twice, giving you a better chance of winning.
And just what might you win? Well, none other than a $25 customizable Starbucks gift card!! Okay, and I’ll fess up and admit to you that I had to email dear Rachel and ask her just what ‘customizable’ meant. Turns out you can actually create the card to look like you want it to – then when the $25 runs out you can reload money onto it and use it again and again. Or you can create it for someone else and give it as a gift. See here: http://www.starbucks.com/mycard/
How absolutely funky and fun!!!!
So, now, to get a chance to win that card….. leave us a comment telling your favorite Yuletide food, complete with recipe if you can. I’ll kick it off:
But first, raise your right hand and promise you won’t laugh.
I’m serious. (I’m sensitive about such things) I am leaving a recipe today for….gulp….. fruitcake.
Yes, you heard me, fruitcake!!!
But this is not the awful, dry, could-use-it-for-a-doorstop kind of fruitcake. It is actually delicious. And, just so you snortin’ gals out there in cyberspace know, I am hired every year to make these fruitcakes for a few of my husband’s friends. To the tune of $20 each, thank you very much!!!! I got the recipe from an old cookbook my mother used when I was a child and that she gave to me when I got engaged. It is the Martha Dixon Copper Kettle Cookbook. Now, sadly, out of print.
Mrs. Dixon was a local television cook in the 1960′s & 70′s long before that other Martha came on the scene. She has this recipe for white fruitcake that is a hit out of the park!! Seriously!! Even those who swear they HATE fruitcake like this holiday treat. In fact, back when she first made it on her noontime cooking show in Lansing, Michigan when I was a wee tot, she received over 6,000 requests for the recipe. Hello!!!??? This was before the Internet. These homemakers had to hand-write her a note and send in a self-addressed stamped envelope in order to get it.
So, stop chuckling and get ready for the best fruitcake EVER!!!! (And note: If you want to make this, it is best to let it sit at room temperature for at least a week to 10 days before eating or giving as a gift, so you’d better get crackin’–eggs that is. There are ten of them in this recipe!!!!!)
White Fruitcake
1/4 cup fruit juice (apple, peach or orange)
1/2 pound candied citron, chopped*
1/2 pound whole candied cherries
3/4 pound orange and/or lemon peel, chopped*
2 pounds white raisins
3/4 pound candied pineapple, chopped*
1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
10 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds whole pecans
(NOTE: If you have trouble finding the candied citron, orange and lemon peel and candied pineapple separately, you can substitute 2 pounds of fruitcake mixed fruit–the chopped red, yellow and green stuff at the grocery store. It will work just fine, but the original recipe is slightly better in my book!)
Soak fruit in juice while preparing the batter. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Add flour, then nuts, then fruit. Pour into three 9-inch loaf pans that have been buttered, lined with a piece of wax paper across the bottom and up both long sides of the pan and then buttered again. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 3/4 to 2 3/4 hours until cake tester comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!!!! Remove immediately from pan and cool on cake racks. Wrap in foil and place in a covered container for 1-2 weeks before eating. Yum!!!
Now, your turn. Leave us a comment with your favorite holiday food (and recipe if you have time) You just may win that way cool $25 Starbucks card from way cool Miss Rachel.
Fun and Fruity Blessings,
Karen
35 Responses to On the 11th Day of CHRISTmas…Give Away with Rachel Olsen
Leave a Reply
Subscribe
My Family
my oldest son’s favorite is peanut butter cup cookies. these are simple(my kind of recipe) and very good if you like reece cups. here it is…. 1/ 2 c. marg , 1/2 c peanut butter, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2c sugar, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1 1/4c flour, 3/4t.salt, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1 egg, miniature peanut butter cups combine all ingredients except peanut butter cups and shape into balls. place them in a mini muffin tin(ungreased). bake @ 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. when you remove slightly push a peanut butter cup in the center and let cool. remove from pan and enjoy!!!
Ummm…where is everybody? Am I at the right place?
I found the yummiest pumpkin dessert recipe….it is delicious!
PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE
1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spices
1/2 tsp. salt
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 c.) butter, melted
1 c. pecans, chopped
Combine pumpkin, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spices and salt in mixing bowl. Beat well. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch glass pan. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture, then sprinkle on the pecans. Pour melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Watch closely at end. Burns easily. Serves 12 to 15.
This will get you much lovin….especially if you serve it warm with cool whip on top!
My Starbucks habit? Well, it’s either a Caramel Frappi or a White Choc Mocha decaf with Caramel.
Disgustingly fattening!
I’m not much of a baker, but my girlfriends that live in my neighborhood decided to have a cookie exchange – we each bake 6 dozen of one kind of cookie and then we assemble at my house and exchange so we end up 6 six dozen assorted cookies to take to our various christmas parties. I can’t wait to read all of your recipies! I will have to “borrow” one!
Easy Coconut macoroons has been a hit for me. I took the recipe from the Joy of cooking Christmas cookies and made it even easier.
Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Thoroughly mix:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1and1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 bag (14 oz) sweetened coconut
I had to bake probably 25-35 minutes but some of my cookies were big. Hope you enjoy!
Another bonus easy one is Almost Thin mints
Just melt Chocolate chips (milk- mint if can find if not add extract) and coat Ritz like crackers. They are good and easy also!
Oh I love recipe swaps!
My family’s favorite is my homemade baklava but my favorite is Christmas Wreath Cookies. Every year I try to make others love them as much as me but I end up eating the majority myself.
Here it is:
Christmas Wreath Cookies
1 cup softened unsalted sweet cream butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs separated
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
mar. cheeries
Preheat oven to 375
Cream butter and sugar. Mix in egg yolks, flour and salt.
Form 1″ balls, dip in egg whites and roll in nuts.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for five minutes.
Remove from oven, press down with thumb (or back of spoon) and place a cherry in the middle.
Put back in oven and bake for 8-10 more minutes.
When I was growing up we made homemade cinnamon rolls for all sorts of occasions. Now I’m not going to leave my recipe. The recipe we used could be used for dinner rolls or made into cinnamon rolls. But even store bought, pop them out of the can rolls would work. What we did to make them special—we took cardboard and covered it with foil and baked our rolls in the shape of a tree or a wreath. After baking we slid them onto the foil covered cardboard. Drizzled them with a glaze frosting and dotted them with candies red and green cherries. Oh and we also lightly sprinkled them with colored sugars. Sometimes in a swirled pattern like the colored sugar was garland wrapped around the tree. We also used red hots with the candied cherries to make it look like holly on the wreath. We covered them well with plastic wrap and delivered them to friends.
I don’t have the recipe handy, but peanut butter balls (also called “buck-eyes” around here) are my favorite! They are pretty easy to make too.
My favorite Christmas recipe is for Peanut Butter Balls. A friend of mine made these and gave us some for Christmas about 8 years ago and my family has been making them ever since. Thanks Susan!
This is a simple recipe but time consuming to roll and dip all the little balls. 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 stick butter, 1 cup, (I like Jif), creamy peanut butter. Cream together and roll into small balls. Refrigerate. Melt 6oz. chocolate chips and 1/4 cake of wax in a double boiler or the microwave. Dip each ball in the chocolate and let dry. Yum!!!
Buckeyes
1 stick margarine, 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 and a half cups peanut butter, 6 oz. chocolate chips, one quarter parrafin wax
Mix margarine, powdered sugar and peanut butter until mealy. Roll into small balls. Melt chocolate chipsand wax in a double boiler over low heat. Dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.
Chocolate Cream Drops
1 small potato, mashed; add 1 stick butter, 2 t. coconut extract, 1 t. vanilla, add powdered sugar until stiff dough forms and add large package of unsweetened coconut.
Melt 1 block wax, large Hershey bar, 6 oz. package of milk chocolate chips. Dip each cream drop into the chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.
Peanut Blossoms
1 c. sugar, 1 c. brown sugar, 1 c. butter, 1 c. creamy peanut butter, 2 eggs, one quarter c. milk, 2 t. vanilla, 3 and a half c. flour, 2 t. baking soda, 1 t. salt, 2(10 oz.) pkg. Hershey Kisses
Cream sugars, butter and peanut butter. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir flour, soda and salt into egg mixture. Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Immeadiately press a chocolate candy into each.
Here’s a recipe for a tasty appetizer – my husband likes for me to make this for the freezer, and just heat up individual servings for us (even when we’re not having people over).
Cindy
________
CRABMEAT MUFFINS HORS’DEUVRE
Ingredients
1½ sticks of oleo or butter
2 (5 oz.) jars of Kraft Old English Cheese (It’s sometimes with the Velveeta in the un-refrigerated section)
2 tsp mayonnaise
½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb backfin crabmeat
2 tblspn lemon juice
2 tblspn green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 pkg English muffins
Prepare:
Cream together above mixture, except crabmeat. Add crabmeat last and just mix lightly.
Fork-break English muffins and spread mixture on top of each muffin. Freeze.
When ready to serve: Don’t thaw. Bake at 350 degrees on pan sprayed with Pam or on a baking stone. Bake approximately 20-25 minutes. I usually cut each muffin into quarters, then serve.
Recipe yield: (if quartered, about 100 servings)
My favorite is holly wreath cookies (made with cornflakes). I don’t know if the folowing recipe is my favorite, I haven’t tried it! I just thought the potato chips were an interesting ingredient. – my cousin made them.
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I added a little extra to make up for the 1/3 cup missing from the peanut butter chips)
1-1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup crushed ridged potato chips
Directions:
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt peanut butter chips and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in peanuts and potato chips. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.
Oops! If you make that recipe above, I hope you read this. I forgot to copy and paste an ingredient.
2 cups peanut butter chips (I used a 12 0z. bag of Reese’s chips, which is about 1 2/3 cups)
Ours is Peanut Butter Pie. Love it! Love it! Love it!
I only make this for the holidays and as soon as it gets close my kids still always ask me “Your making the peanut butter pie aren’t you?” Silly children. Of course.
24 NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
CRUSH cookies in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin or in food processor. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
MIX cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon into crust.
FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Let stand 30 minutes or until pie can be cut easily. Garnish with remaining whipped topping.
I forgot to add a big thank you for the above recipes. The sweet potato bread sounds yummy. I’m not a big fruit cake person but I’m going to give it a try and take your word for it. You can bet that I’ll be trying Sherri’s peanut butter cup cookies. We are a peanut butter lovin’ family.
Thanks again and God Bless!!
Here’s my favorite holiday recipe: Chocolate Peppemint Pie (BTY-my favorite Starbucks coofee is the chocolate peppermint mocha!!)
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 tablespoons ice water, or more if needed
**I often buy a chocolate pre-made crust
Chocolate Peppermint Pie Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pasteurized egg product*
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/2 cup peppermint candies, crushed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
DIRECTIONS
Pie Crust: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter cubes into flour mixture until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle vinegar over flour mixture, tossing with a fork. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over flour mixture, tossing with a fork each time until dough is moistened and crumbly. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently fold the crust into quarters, center over 9-inch pie plate and unfold. Ease the crust into the plate. Trim pastry, leaving a 1-inch overhang beyond plate edge. Fold crust edge under and crimp or flute the edge using a fork or your fingers.
Prick pastry with a fork. Line bottom and up sides of crust with foil and add dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove foil. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack; cool completely.
Filling: In a bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar together.
Combine egg product and whipping cream, gradually add to butter mixture while beating, scraping bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reserve half of mixture in a small bowl. Add cooled white chocolate to remaining half of mixture; beat well. Stir in crushed candy. Spread in baked pie crust; chill 10 minutes.
Return reserved butter mixture to bowl, add cooled semi-sweet chocolate; beat well. Spread over white chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
One of our favorite treats are:
Mini Pretzel Snacks (super easy and quick, a perfect mix of sweet and salty)
Ingredients: Mini pretzels, Chocolate Wafers (like you melt and mold), M&M’s
On a cookie sheet, lay out pretzels in a single layer. Top each pretzel with a chocolate wafer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 seconds–until chocolate is soft. Remove from oven and place an M&M on each. Place cookie sheet in oven to set.
These can be made for any holiday. At Christmas use red and green M&M’s. I buy M&M’s cheap after Christmas and use the red ones for Valentine’s day and the green one’s for St. Patrick’s Day. You can also buy different colors of the candy wafers. Have fun thinking of different combinations.
candy cane cookies–if my mom makes them. YUM-O–sorry no recipe–my mom makes them!
I am cooking a turkey that I’m to make into casseroles
to be distributed to needy families this Christmas.
In a Kraft magazine I found brucheyya recipes for
chicken I’m going to use. I’m doing the Tec-Mex and
Amandine variations,
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chichen breasts cut in cubes
6 oz. pachage of stuffing mix plus 1 1/2 cups water
mix and match your recipe from these options:
seasoning Add-in choices Topping
options posssibilities
1/2 tsp 28oz can italian stewed 1/2 c. shredded
Italian seas- tomatprd, well-drained Mozzarella
oning 2 cloves garlic minced cheese
1/2 tsp. 10 3/4 oz cream of 1/2 c. shredded
ppu;ttry chicken soup mixed Mozzarella
seas- with1/2 cup milk; 2 c. cheese;1/4 c.
oning frozen green beans slivered
almonds
1Tbsp 14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes 1/2 c. shredd-
Chili well-drained, 1′/2 c. salsa; ed mexican
powder 2 c. frozen corn cheese;1/4 c.
sluced green
onions
1) Preheat oven to 400* F, Place chicken(or turkey) in
13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoning.
2)Spread add-ins over chicjen(or turkey). Sprinkle
with topping. combine stuffing mix and water. top
casserole with stuffing mixture/
3)Bake 30 min. or til chicken iscooked through.
Makes 6 servings/
f.
i tried to type the variations in a table form but it didn’t
work . I hope you cna dicipher the seasonings, add-ins, and toppings.
GERMAN CHOCOLATE UPSIDE DOWN ?CAKE
1 box German chocolate cake mix ?(mix as directed on package) ?
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter ?
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
16 oz. box of confectioners’ sugar
?Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, place the coconut and pecans, spread evenly. Mix cake mix according to package directions; pour this over the coconut and pecan mixture in the baking dish. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and cream cheese; mix well and add the box of confectioners’ sugar. Mix well and spoon over cake batter. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool, cut and eat.
Enjoy!
Okay, I don’t know where those question marks came from! Just ignore them and you’ll be fine!
Jen (who tried to save some time by cutting and pasting!)
English Toffee
1 cup real butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 c. water
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Cook butter, sugar and water until it’s a deep, rich, caramel color. (this will take about 15 minutes of rolling boil, stirring constantly) Spread on cookie sheet. Microwave chocolate chips till melted, and spread carefully on top. Cool in fridge and crack into small pieces.
Rocky Road
Take a bag each of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips. Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter.
Melt in the microwave. Stir.
Add a jar of peanuts. Sitr.
Stir in a bag of mini marshmallows.
Spread to cool.
Enjoy.
I’m going to say a not-sweet one – just because there can get to be so many sweet things out there.
Mexican Roll-ups
flour tortillas
cream cheese
chunk chicken (next to the tuna cans)
cilantro
red pepper
taco seasoning ( I just throw in some chili powder, cumin and garlic)
Mix all but tortillas, spread mixture on tortillas, roll up, wrap in saran and chill. Take out and slice into 1″ pieces.Yum
My favorite holiday / Christmas food is my sister-in-law’s cheeseball. I don’t have the recipe.
My favorite to make, is soooo easy
A package of chocolate chipe
a package of butterscotch chips
Spanish peanuts (roasted and salted kind)
Melt the chips, dump in the peanuts
scoop onto waxed/aluminum foil in 2-3 bite sized peices and let them cool down. They are good and oh so easy!
Enjoy!
Shannon
We love meatballs to take to holiday parties. They cook in the crockpot which makes them so easy.
1 bag frozen meatballs (2 lb bag)
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce (found with ketchup)
1 can cranberry sauce
You guessed it. Dump it all together in the crock pot and cook on high for about 4 hours. And you will have the best meatballs. I usually double the recipe when taking to a party.
Merry Christmas!
OK…trying again.
Not being a culinary queen, this recipe is easy and delicious and it’s the only dessert I take anywhere this time of year!
Chocolate Trifle
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 tub of Light CoolWhip (saving on calories!)
1 package of Instant Chocolate pudding
2 Skor chocolate bars
Make cake mix according to box and prepare in two round pans. (After baking, wrap one round layer and freeze – you can save it for the next time you want to make this dessert.)
Using half of the one layer, crumble (not too small) into a LARGE bowl. (The bowl needs to be quite deep.)
Prepare the chocolate pudding according to the box and layer half of the pudding over the crumbled cake.
Next, layer half of the thawed CoolWhip container over the pudding.
Chop up one of the chocolate bars and crumble over the coolwhip.
Repeat, using the other half of the layer cake, the other half of the pudding, the other half of the Coolwhip and the other chocolate bar. To make it look Christmasy, you could also use some red and green sprinkles on top with or without the chocolate bar.
Trust me, this is a crowd pleaser
)
Enjoy!!!!
Have a great day!
Joy
My favorite holiday food are the truffles I make each Christmas. Here is the recipe:
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
* 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls.
Notes:
Roll truffles in ground walnuts (or any ground nuts), cocoa, coconut, confectioners’ sugar, candy sprinkles, etc.
To flavor truffles with liqueurs or other flavorings, omit vanilla. Divide truffle mixture into thirds. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur (almond, coffee, orange) to each mixture; mix well.
One of my family’s favorite cookie recipe at Christmas is Chocolate Crinkles.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In large bowl mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non stick spray. Roll dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 -12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched. Don’t overbake. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet.
I just printed out everyone’s recipes and am determined to experiment on family coming in next weekend! Generally our Christmas includes many cookies, baked using recipes from my Mom and Grandma and their moms. It seems like a way to connect with them now that they are gone and feel a part of the tradition. We especially like Grandma’s short bread recipe that she brought with her from Scotland when she came over as a 20 year old to the “New country”… She arrived before the stock market crashed and lived through the Depression. I am sure we can all identify with that about now!
Here is her recipe….
3 Cups flour sifted
1 cup cornstarch
1 egg
1 pound butter ( or use half butter,half margarine) soft
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
** Mix together. Do not grease or dust pans. Form into balls and flatten on pan. Using a fork, press tines around the edge of flat circle to finish edges. Bake at 250*F-300*F for 45 min to an hour. I have also made these into smaller cookies, used a cookie press, added sprinkles and such. But the authentic way to serve this is to break the large circles into irregular pieces and arrange on a pretty plate. People will love this. Merry Christmas to everyone.
A recent addition to our list favorite holiday treats is the recipe for Oreo Truffles:
In a food processor, combine one package of oreo cookies with one 8-oz block of softened cream cheese; process until well blended. Roll mixture into 3/4 or 1 inch balls. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips or white baking chips, and dip oreo balls into melted chips. Place on waxed or parchment paper and chill. Drizzle with melted chips of opposite color (white on semi-sweet or vise-versa) if desired.
Super easy and super yummy!
My current favorite Christmas Cookie is uninterestingly named “Colorful Candy Bar Cookies” in the Quick Cooking magazine it came in, but my family renamed them DoodleSnickers. (I made these with my oldest son when he was 3 1/2. His name is Davy, we call him Davy Doodle, and these cookies contain mini-Snickers, thus the play on words renaming.)
DoodleSnickers
1/2 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
24 miniature Snickers candy bars
red and green colored sugar
In a small mixing bowl, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. Shape 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of dough around each candy bar. Roll in colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.
Yes, I know they aren’t very traditional and are kind of a CHEAT with the store-bought-already-prepared sugar cookie dough, but the point is that they are super easy and yummy and even a 3 year old can help with them! Now he’s 5 and looks forward to making them with me again. They are his signature contribution.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!