| Appetizers
| Below
is my mother-in-law's recipe for crab dip, which we
love. It's great for a get together during the holidays.
1
package cream cheese (a little softened)
Crab meat (cut into small pieces) as much as desired
1/4 of an onion, chopped
Horseradish sauce (I use about a tablespoon, just
enough for flavor, but not to overpower)
Mix
all together and serve with crackers, chips, etc.
Recipe contributed by Tawnya Gibson,
staff writer. |
| This
is the hor'duerve that we always have on Christmas
Eve, and it is still my favorite!!
1
package sliced bacon
2 cans of whole water chestnuts
1 box of toothpicks
Wrap each water chestnut in a slice of bacon, stab
a toothpick into the center to hold the bacon and
chestnut together. Place on wire rack (your wire cooling
rack works) inside a baking dish (allows the juice
to drip into pan).
Bake at 250°F until bacon is done, aprox. 15 min.
the cooking time really depends on how well you like
your bacon done and how thick the cut is...
Recipe contributed by Heather
Hales, associate editor. |
Side
Dishes
| Here
is one of my favorite recipes, and my family loves
it. It is similar to the one they serve at Marie Callendar's.
2
eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teasponns soda
1 cup oil
Mix
eggs, sugar, and buttermilk. Add remaining ingredients.
Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 400°F for 25
minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe contributed by Carol Harlow,
staff writer. |
| MANDARIN
ORANGE JELL-O SALAD |
| one
tub of regular size Cool Whip
two packages of orange Jell-O
one six ounce can of whole Mandarin oranges
one eight ounce can of crushed pineapple
Fold
the Jell-O into the Cool Whip, making sure not to
over mix. Carefully fold in the oranges and pineapple.
Served chilled.
Recipe contributed by Lori Garcia,
editor-in-chief. |
Desserts
and Holiday Treats
| 1-1/2
cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup white Karo syrup
2 cubes butter or margarine
3-4 cup miniature marshmallows
Bring
ingredients to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Stir while
boiling. Pour mixture over 4 quarts popcorn (2 bags
of natural flavor microwave popcorn) and 3 to 4 cups
miniature marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are
melted. Put in a greased jello mold or bunt pan for
desired shape.
Recipe contributed by Collette
Renstrom, staff writer. |
| Here's
a recipe my family and I enjoy each year. It's especially
good to put into cute holiday bags or tins for gift-giving!
1 cup butter
(no substitutes)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
pinch salt
Combine all in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
Boil to soft ball stage or less if preferred. Cool
to warm, then pour over 4-5 bags of microwave-popped
popcorn. Stir to coat thoroughly. If desired, blend
in cashews, pecans or your favorite nut.
Recipe contributed by Janice Hayes,
contributor.
|
| 1/2
cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1-6 oz. package chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1-6 oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Melt butter in 9x13 pan. Add vanilla. Sprinkle crumbs
over butter and vanilla. Over this, spread coconut,
then add a layer of chocolate chips and one of butterscotch
chips. Next, spread on the nuts. Finally, drizzle
on condensed milk. Bake at 30 min. at 350°F. Cut
into squares.
Recipe contributed by Jennifer
Nutall, staff writer. |
4-8
oz. jars of Maraschino cherries with stems
1 pkg chocolate almond bark
1 pkg sliced almonds
1 pkg Hershey's kisses |
|
Melt
almond bark in the microwave or over a double boiler
till rich and creamy. Dip a cherry into the melted
almond bark and place on wax paper. This is your mouse's
body and tail. Add a unwrapped Hershey's kiss to the
opposite end of the cherry's stem. This is the mouse's
face. Place two almond slices between the kiss and
the cherry for ears. Let dry for four hours.
Recipe
contributed by Lori Garcia, editor-in-chief. |
| butterscotch
chips
crunchy Asian noodles
Melt
butterscotch chips in microwave or double boiler till
creamy and smooth. Add in package of crunchy Asian
noodles and stir. There should be just enough noodles
so that the butterscotch can give them a good coat.
Spoon small lumps with a tablespoon onto wax paper
and let dry for four hours.
Recipe contributed by Lori Garcia,
editor-in-chief. |
| PERFECTLY
SIMPLE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES |
| one
cup of peanut butter
one cup of sugar
one egg
Beat
egg. Cream in sugar. Fold in peanut butter. Roll into
small balls and place on greased baking sheet. Use
fork to make a crisscross design and smash the balls.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes or until
done.
Recipe contributed by Lori Garcia,
editor-in-chief. |
|
Holiday
Dinner Tips
Take
Out Takeover
Just
because you don't have time to prepare an elaborate from-scratch
menu, don't shy away from hosting holiday get-togethers. Just
let someone else do most of the work.... purchase:
- Cooked
shrimp and prepared cocktail sauce.
- Seafood
salad - pair with crackers or think slices of baguette.
- Smoked
salmon spread.
- Ham
Salad or chicken salad - spread onto cocktail bread.
- Deli
cold cuts and round loaves of Italian bread to prepare your
own giant "wedge" (cut into thin slices for serving).
- Chips
or precut salad bar vegetables with purchased dips.
- Purchased
pizza bread crusts personalized with your favorite topping
(presliced pepperoni, shredded mozzerella, chopped olives)
Fridge
Too Full?
When your
refrigerator bulges with holiday ingredients, make room by
taking out non-essentials such as unopened jars of jam and
condiments and fresh fruit that will keep at room temperature
for a few days.
Still
need more space? Store foods in an iced picnic cooler. Or
during the winter months, store unneeded items on the hood
of your car inside your garage.
Hot
and Cold Solutions
Food safety experts remind us to keep hot foods hot (at or
above 140°F.) and cold foods cold (at or below 40°F).
Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
To
keep foods hot on a buffet table:
- Set
serving dishes on an electric hot plate or in a candle-warmed
chafing dish.
- Use
your slow cooker as a serving dish.
- Pre-warm
serving dishes by choosing oven-to-table cookware and warming
it in the oven or rinsing the dish in very hot warter (and
then drying) before adding the hot food.
To
keep foods cold:
- Before
the party, freeze flat disks of ice in a shallow round metal
pan. Camouflage the side of the pan with holiday ribbon
or strips of fabric. Set the serving dish on top of the
frozen disk.
- Or,
fill a pie plate or shallow pan with crushed ice or cubes
and set the serving plate on top of the ice.
Olives
Supermarket shelves are laden with a delightful variety of
olives and they make flavorful appetizers whether served alone
or combined with other foods. Choose from among these choices:
- Olives
packed in piquant marinades such as kalamata or nicoise
olives
- Olives
stuffed with pimientos, onions, garlic or chives
For a
quick antipasto appetizer, thread pitted olives on a pick
with cheese tortellini and cubes of salami.
Potluck
Etiquete
When you bring an appetizer main dish or dessert to a party,
be kind to you host or hostess by:
- Letting
them know a head of time if you'll be using the freezer
or oven - for how long and at what temperature.
- Bringing
cold items in your own cooler so you won't strain refigerator
resources
- Toting
the utensiles you'll need for your last-minute preparation.
- Providing
your own serving piece, utensiles and garnish
- Remembering
to take your things home!
Ice
and Easy
To make a festive ice ring for holiday punches, place whole
raw cranberries, citrus clices, pomegranate seeds or red and
green grapes in a ring mold. Fill with water and freeze. Run
the mold briefly under hot water to loosen the ring then floatit
in the punch.
All
the above information came from past December issues of Pillsbury
Classic Cookbooks. |
