Monday, December 7, 2009

Welcome to Christmas

I'm going to post gift ideas and recipes, as well as other fun things each day until Christmas. Check back often for decorating tips, recipes, and other fun stuff!

GIFT IDEAS
Chocolate spoons - In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 c. milk chocolate chips. Stir until well blended. Dip a plastic spoon into the chocolate, or fill the bowl of the spoon with chocolate, then set spoon on wax paper and refrigerate until firm. Place two or three spoons in a mug (from the Dollar store) along with two or three packets of hot cocoa mix. Wrap in plastic and tie with a ribbon.

A plate of cookies with a tag attached reading "Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, from your "crummy" neighbors.

Time Alone -- Offer to take care of the kids, answer the phone, and deal with any emergencies that crop up in order to give the recipient time to enjoy whatever they want or to catch up with their own to-do list.


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DECORATING TIP

Place small groups of cinnamon sticks with decorative ribbon tied around them all over your home. Potpourri is quite expensive for a full and delightful scent. Cheat this year and enjoy a scent straight from Mother Nature.

GAME IDEA

Christmas Card Puzzles
Gather 10-20 (depending on the size of the group) cards and cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces, using straight lines. Mix the pieces, then lay them out on a flat surface. Take turns one at a time to see how many matches you can make in a given period of time, or have a giant free-for all with everyone trying to make matches at the same time. You could even play pairs and have one grab the pieces while the other puts them together. It’s all up to you. Store the cards in a shoebox for next time.

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RECIPES

Apple Muffins
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 cup vegetable oil or butter, melted
1 cup sweet-tart medium to large apple, cored, peeled and chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin or use paper liners. With a wire whisk combine first set of ingredients. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add chopped apple and wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir only until moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until tested done with tester.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE FUDGE
Fudge is a holiday favorite throughout the south–some version are creamy and others are granular. This recipe makes a deliciously dense, grainy fudge.
2 c. fine granulated sugar 1/4 t. salt
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 t. butter (unsalted)
2/3 c. heavy cream 1/3 c. finely chopped candies orange peel
Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine sugar, chocolate,
cream, and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and
chocolate is melted. Cook mixture, without stirring until a candy thermometer registers 238EF.
Remove pan from heat and add butter and orange peel, swirling pan without stirring. Cool fudge 5
minutes and beat with a wooden spoon until it just begins to lose its gloss (do not overbeat or fudge
will seize). Pour fudge immediately into baking dish and cool 15 minutes, or until it begins to
harden. Cut fudge into 1-inch squares and cool completely. Makes about 1 lb.

CARAMELS
1 c. butter or margarine 1 c. light corn syrup
2 1/4 c packed brown sugar 1 15-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt 1 t. vanilla
Melt butter in heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly. Stir in corn syrup. Mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over MEDIUM heat to firm ball stage (245 EF), approx. 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into buttered 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cool and cut into squares. (I use parchment paper rather than buttering the pan. It makes it a little easier to remove from the pan.)


EASY PARMESAN GARLIC CHICKEN
1/2 c. low fat Kraft Grated Parmesan
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 t. garlic powder

Mix cheese, garlic & dressing mix. Moisten chicken w/water, coat w/cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake 400 for 20-25 min.

GREAT GRAPE JUICE
makes 10 servings
2 ½ c pineapple juice 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 ½ c orange juice 16 oz ginger ale
2 ½ c grape juice
Combine fruit juices. Gently add ginger ale and serve immediately.

HAWAIIAN LOAF
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. mashed ripe banana
4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c. flaked coconut

Beat butter w/ electric mixer until light & fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light. Add eggs, beat well. Stir in banana. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing just until smooth. Fold in pineapple & coconut. Spoon batter into 2 greased & floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake preheated 350 oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 60-70 min.

PEACHY FREEZE
makes 2 servings
¾ c cold milk 3 drops almond extract
¾ c chilled peaches ½ c vanilla ice cream
¼ t salt
Blend milk, peaches, salt & almond extract until smooth. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.

1 comment:

  1. Marilee,
    I love and appreciate all you do to make the Christmas season merrier. I have been enjoying the emails. Thank You!
    Dad is in a nicer place than where he was last time. He is seems to be handling it better. Phone calls form everyone would sure help him through this period. They are pretty sure he rebroke his pelvis, possibly has a hairline break in his left femur, reinjured his right shoulder and has the worst skin tears he has had to date on his elbows and upper arm. He sure sounds better than he is, and has a great sense of humor!
    Again much love to you for spreading Christmas Cheer! ~♥

    ReplyDelete