3rd Day of Christmas with Glynnis Whitwer

chaos.calmFrom unrealistic expectations to traditions to your screaming schedule as well as those annual holiday encounters with the in-laws and outlaws, this free 5 Day challenge will allow your holidays to go from chaos to calm. Click HERE for the free 5 Day Challenge and they will automatically come to your inbox. Merry Christmas!

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Glynnis-for-websiteWelcome to the 3rd Day of Christmas with my co-author and ministry partner Glynnis Whitwer. Glynnis and her husband Tod live in Glendale Arizona, where Christmas is usually bright and sunny!  Yet she still feels the need for a Gingerbread Latte to ward off the “winter” chill.    They have five young adult children ranging in age from 16 to 22.

I Used to Be So OrganizedIf you are looking for a plan to get organized in the New Year, you might want to check out Glynnis’ book, “I Used to Be So Organized.”  It contains insights into how the culture has changed and tips on how to get organized in our new, busy society.

 

And now, here is Glynnis:

When I ask my son Robbie what he simply must have for it to officially be Christmas, his answer is always the same “Blueberry Muffins.”   There’s nothing like the smell of something baking early Christmas morning to radiate home to my people.

Another special Christmas morning treat is Monkey Bread.  Maybe you call it something different, but it’s about the easiest thing I can make.

Blueberry Muffins

Normally I choose a box mix (Krusteaz is my favorite) and sprinkle raw sugar on top before baking for a crispy crust, but this year I’m trying a made-from-scratch recipe from Allrecipes.com.  The Streusel Topping won me over.

blueberry muffinBlueberry Muffins with Streusel topping

(Makes 8 large muffins)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1-1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1-cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

StickyBunsTopMonkey Bread

I first had this recipe served by my pastor’s wife almost 30 years ago.  It was good then and it’s good now.  And so easy because you prepare it the night before!

About 20 frozen Rhodes Bake-N-Serv dinner rolls

1 (3 ounce) package of butterscotch cook and serve pudding mix

3/4 cup of brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

Instructions

The night before you want to serve these rolls, thoroughly butter or spray a bundt pan and place the frozen dinner rolls in the bottom. Sprinkle with the powdered pudding mix. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the frozen rolls. Sprinkle top with the pecans and pour melted butter all over the top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft free place, for about 7 hours, or overnight.  (I put mine in an unheated oven)

When ready to bake, remove the risen rolls from the oven (if that’s where you put yours) preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Loosen around the edges of the pan and the center tube and let rest a few minutes; turn out onto a large plate. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY:

glynnisAs a special gift, Glynnis is giving away a beautiful blue kitchen accessory gift assortment.  The items include six double-sided toile/striped napkins, two 6” lampshades, fabric covered jam pot and a lovely notepad.

To be entered to win simply tell us what your family has to eat on Christmas morning. At our place we have cream cheese -stuffed eggnog French toast made with cinnamon swirl raisin bread.

And you?

294 Comments

  1. we meet at my inlaws with extended family and cook home-made pizza (from the crust to the sauce) every year, then we have white santa gifts exchange. it’s so much fun because everybody likes to gather by the kitchen where the fresh hot pizza comes out of the oven

  2. We have the extended family at mom and dad’s and the brunch includes ham and eggs, goetta (a local sausage/oatmeal mix that fries up in slices), coffee cakes, egg and French toast casseroles, pineapple and Christmas cookies.

  3. Well, I feel terrible that I don’t have a “classic” tradition. My kids are little and don’t remember from year to year what we have or have not eaten.
    HOWEVER I usually make coffee cake, muffins, or rolls for the morning, and set it out in the living room as a special treat.

  4. We have Monkey Bread (although its
    Different recipe than Glyns’s but hers sounds good, I may have to give it a whirl this year) and a egg casserole.

  5. cinnamon rolls every Christmas, and the rest of the menu changes every year depending on the whims of the family

  6. growing up we’d always have a brunch with my mom’s quiches. I still make them for my in-laws celebration, which helps me feel like I have a part of my childhood with me on Christmas morning since I no longer celebrate Christmas morning with my parents.

  7. The last several years the family has gonrto IHOP…..not mama’s idea so THIS year we are having egg sausage bake (overnight in the crockpot) and muffins!!!

  8. we have a breakfast casserole that is put together the night before and baked in the morning. That and coffee. Also, tamales with fried eggs! yummy!

  9. We just eat whatever is in the stockings! Everyone will eat once we get to Nana’s and have lunch and open presents there.

  10. Maybe it’s sad, but we have Krispy Kreme donuts. This allows us to spend all the morning hours with family and not start cooking/clean-up until lunch. It works for us.

  11. It’s always homemade cinnamon rolls or triple berry muffins at our house!! Love the smell of them baking while we open stockings :-)

  12. This year I’m doing a breakfast casserole. Eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy. My son tears into his stocking candy early so I don’t want sweet foods for breakfast.

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