OLD-FASHIONED CARAMEL POPCORN

Allrecipes - Caramel Popcorn

Skip the cold and crowded shopping frenzy by giving a homemade gift with this old-fashioned popcorn recipe.  Besides being inexpensive and easy,  you get to spend your holiday time in the peace and quiet of your warm and cozy kitchen.  I found this recipe on Allrecipes.  Starting with fresh homemade popcorn, it is covered with a salty/sweet coating of caramel, chocolate and roasted peanuts.  Once the popcorn coating sets, you can package it festively in a fun container dressed up with cellophane and ribbon.  I found the Popcorn container as well as the cellophane and ribbon at the Dollar Tree.

                                                                  INGREDIENTS                                                            
                                                          16  Cups Popped Popcorn
                                                            1  Cup Roasted Peanuts
                                                              1  Cup Brown Sugar
                                                                   1/2 Cup Butter
                                                           1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
                                                          1  Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
                                                                  1 Teaspoon Salt
                                                          1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
                                                        1  Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
                                                            1  Teaspoon Shortening

                                                          
INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:  Grease cookie sheets.

Step 2:  Pop popcorn.

Step 3:  Place popped popcorn (make sure there are no kernels) and roasted peanuts in a microwave safe bag.

Step 4:  Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 4 minutes until bubbly.

 Step 5:  Stir baking soda into bubbly mixture.

Step 6:  Pour bubbly mixture over popcorn and peanuts and shake bag to coat.

Step 7:  Roll down edges of bag and place in microwave and heat for a total of 2 minutes, shaking bags 3 times to mix.

Step 8:  Spread mixture onto sheets to cool.

Step 9:  Combine chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave 90 seconds total, stirring once until melted.

 Step 10: Drizzle over popcorn mixture and let cool to set.

                                                                     Enjoy!

                                                                 ~ Debbie ~

GOD'S GUEST LIST

How would your life be changed if every person you met you asked yourself, "Why has God invited this person into my life?   What blessed influence am I to give or receive?"  Well, that's what Debbie Macomber inspires you to think about throughout this book.  The premise being that God makes no mistakes when inviting people into your life whether they be family, friends or rivals.  The challenge is to pay close enough attention as to why He feels they are important enough to be on the guest list He has created for you.  Thought provoking and encouraging, this book will help you embrace not only the lessons the "easy to love" people bring into your life but the more difficult ones as well!

My Book Club decided to read this newest non-fiction of Macomber's after having read her "One Simple Act" which we found just as inspirational.  Both books are great for gift giving and "God's Guest List" is especially great for anyone struggling with a difficult relationship.

For convenience I purchase books through Amazon, but any local bookstore should carry this one.

Amazon - God's Guest List

                                                            ~ Debbie ~

CHEERS TO A SELF-SERVE WINE BAR

                                            WHAT WINES SHOULD I SERVE

One of the ways that has helped me to enjoy my own parties and make my guests feel more "at home" is a self-serve wine bar.  When stocking the bar I like to offer both "dry" and "sweet" in both red and white wines.  The best way to know how much to stock for your party is to watch what guests drink at parties you attend.  Pick up on what they rave about and then take note to buy the same for your next party. 

At the end of this post I have included a popular wine from each grouping that I have found to be crowd pleasers as well as suggested temperatures to serve.   Since temperatures vary according to individual tastes, an easy rule of thumb is sweet red and white wines should stay refrigerated until the guests arrive, dry red wine should be refrigerated 20 minutes before the guests arrive and dry white wine should be taken out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before the guests arrive.
 

 

                             
                                                          BEVERAGE TUBS
                                                   (Purchased at Home Goods)

While most red wine should be served at room temperature, white wine needs to be kept chilled.   A metal or plastic beverage tub filled to the brim with ice is perfect for keeping drinks cold throughout the evening.  A trick I learned from my son if your beverages are room temperature and you want to make them ice cold fast is to fill the tub with half water and half ice.  Place the bottles in the ice water up to their necks and they will chill much quicker than if they were sitting in ice only.  If chilled bottles weren't invitation enough, add greenery to the tub to make it even more inviting.

                                                    BEVERAGE DISPENSERS
                                                    (Purchased at Home Goods)

An apothecary beverage dispenser is another way to serve wine. Although it is great for serving red wine at room temperature, it can be challenging to keep white wine cold .  Some dispensers actually have the middle of the inside of the glass molded so you can place ice cubes in it.  This enables the beverage to stay chilled without touching and being diluted by the ice as it melts.  The dispensers I have do not have that wonderful feature so what I do is make my own wine ice cubes to add to the dispenser.

What I do is buy an extra bottle of wine that I will be serving in the dispenser.  Then I fill a couple of plastic ice cube trays with this extra bottle of a wine the day prior to the party.  Being alcohol it doesn't totally freeze, but instead becomes halfway between an ice cube and a frozen slushee.  Right before guests arrive I pour the chilled wine into the dispenser and then drop the slushee cubes into the dispenser also and the wine stays cold for hours!!

                                                               GLASSES
                                                       (Purchased at TJMaxx)

More than once I have underestimated how many wine drinkers there will be and have had to scramble in the cupboards for extra glasses in the middle of the party.   Having learned my lesson I now put out more than enough to satisfy a thirsty crowd. 

                                                    CORKSCREW & NAPKINS

In addition to glasses, remember to put out a corkscrew and napkins for the convenience of your guests!  All of this takes a little more up front organization to create a self-serve bar, but the convenience to the hostess as well as the guests, is well worth the extra preparation in advance. 

ACCESSORIES NEEDED:

Wine
Wine Glasses
Wine Bucket or Dispensers
Corkscrew
Napkins

WHAT WINE SHOULD I SERVE: 

Dry White Wine - Chardonnay (Chilled-Serve at 55 degrees-Refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving)

Sweet White Wine - Riesling (Chilled-Serve at 40-45 degrees) - Make sure the label on the bottle does not specify "dry".  If it does say "dry", then it will not have a "sweet" taste.  

Sweet Red Wine -White Zinfindel (Chilled-Serve at 40-45 degrees)

Dry Red Wine - Cabernet Sauvignon (Serve at 65 degrees - Put in refrigerator approximately 20 minutes before serving - Uncork before guests arrive in order to breathe)

New Year's Eve - Champagne (Chilled) or *Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine (Chilled - Serve at 40-45 degrees)

*Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut is my personal favorite as it is slightly sweeter than traditional champagne.  It is also slightly pricier at $15/bottle at my local store but on those special occasions it is worth the splurge!

                                                          ~ Cheers ~ Debbie ~

SLEIGHFUL OF POTATO SALAD

This potato salad is an old family recipe that goes great with leftover turkey sandwiches.  Although my Mom has handed the recipe down to me,  I still always ask her to make it for family gatherings since everything always tastes better when mom makes it! After all these years my brother-in-law and I still fight over who gets to take the leftovers home.  Sometimes my Mom will even make a second bowlful, hide it in the fridge and pull it out when the dispute begins.  There really is a world of difference between her homemade potato salad and store bought.  Try it and see for yourself!

INGREDIENTS:

6 Potatoes, Medium  (Peeled and diced) - I use Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/2 Cup Onion (Finely chopped)
1/2 Cup Celery (Finely sliced)
5 Eggs (Hard boiled)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dressing Recipe:

3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 Cup Evaporated Milk (Comes in small can)
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
Optional Garnish - Parsley & Paprika


INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1:  Peel and dice 6 medium potatoes, then boil until soft.  Drain.

STEP 2:  Cut 1/2 cup onion into fine pieces.

STEP 3:  Slice 1/2 cup celery into fine pieces.

STEP 4:  Hard boil 5 eggs, once cooled cut into small pieces.

STEP 5:  Put potatoes, onion, celery and eggs into bowl together.

STEP 6:  To make dressing, mix together 3/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp. sugar until well blended.  Pour in 1/4 cup evaporated milk and mix well.  Add 2 Tbsp. vinegar.  The mixture will become thicker.

STEP 7:  Pour dressing mixture over potatoes, onion, celery and eggs and blend together thoroughly.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Refrigerate overnight in a sealed container so that the flavor will seep into the potatoes.

OPTIONAL GARNISHING:  Parsley & Paprika

                                                            ~ Debbie ~

RIBBONS OF CUCUMBER

I discovered this tasty yet colorful appetizer at a Christmas party last year.  Guests were raving about them and the platter was empty well before the cocktail hour was finished.  This festive combination of cream cheese spread, green cucumbers and red tomatoes taste as good as they look.  Served on a fresh baguette, they resemble a mini open-faced sandwich, and the creamy and crispy texture blends perfectly into a refreshing taste treat.  Made with Italian dry seasoning, they are mild but really  flavorful.  When I asked the hostess if she would share her recipe she said she actually found it on Allrecipes.   I later used the recipe for a party I hosted with the same raving results!  


INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese,softened
1 (.7 ounce) package Dry Italian-Style Salad Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 French Baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 Cucumber, sliced
1 package Cherry Tomatoes
2 teaspoons Dried Dill Weed

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1:   In a medium bowl, mix together Cream Cheese, Dressing Mix and Mayonnaise.

STEP 2:   Cut French Baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices and toast on both sides in oven.

STEP 3:   Spread a thin layer of the Cream Cheese mixture on toasted French Baguette slices.

STEP 4:  Slice Cucumber thinly about 1/8 thick.  Cut each slice of Cucumber down middle leaving one edge intact.  Turning one side of sliced Cucumber in opposite direction of the other so it now looks like an "S" place on top of Cream Cheese mixture sitting on toasted French Baguette.

STEP 5:  Place a tiny dollop of Cream Cheese mixture on top of each side of sliced Cucumber.

STEP 6:  Slice a Cherry Tomato and place on top of dollop of Cream Cheese mixture on each side of sliced Cucumber.

STEP 7:   Sprinkle with Dried Dill Weed.

                                                            ~ Debbie ~

SPECTACULAR SPINACH STRAWBERRY SALAD

This is by far one of the most Christmasy and colorful salads you can dress up your holiday table with this year.  Filled with juicy red strawberries, healthy green spinach and creamy white feta,  it is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the taste buds.  The best part is it's so easy to make.  And if you are like me, every little bit of extra time helps when it comes to getting the Christmas to-do list accomplished!   While my blog is Christmas oriented, I must admit this is also a fantastic summer salad!  And for those who love nuts, adding some walnuts makes it even tastier! 


INGREDIENTS:

1 Container Spinach
1 Container Strawberries
6 Oz. Feta Cheese
1 Bottle Poppyseed Salad Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:  Slice strawberries into bite size pieces.

Step 2:  Mix sliced strawberries and feta cheese into washed spinach.

Step 3:  When ready to serve,  add  Poppyseed dressing to salad mixture making sure to mix well with all ingredients.

                                                             ~ Debbie ~

ANGELIC COCONUT CREAM PIE

If you are a coconut lover you will love this pie!  Filled with flaky coconut, it is one of many of my mother's all-time favorite homemade pie recipes.  I have such fond memories as a little girl "helping" to make pies with my mother and grandma.   It was an all day affair starting in early morning and going non-stop until dinner time.   The results were absolutely worth the effort.  I must say that I have to attribute many of the amazing recipes on this blog to my mother's incredible cooking talent, as well as, sometimes gratuitous use of butter and sugar.  But hey, the calories don’t count if mom makes it, right?!  If you love the coconut pie, also try her delicious chocolate pie recipe in the category "Dessert" !

 

INGREDIENTS:

PIE CRUST:  I use Jiffy Pie Crust Mix following instructions on back of box.

FILLING:
2/3 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Milk
3 Egg Yolks (Slightly beaten)
3/4 Cup Moist Shredded Coconut
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
OPTIONAL TOPPING: Whipped Cream, Fruit

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1:  Prepare and bake pie crust. (I use Jiffy Pie Crust Mix and follow directions on back of box.  Not every grocery store in my area carries it so sometimes I have to make a special trip to a different store to buy it.  But, it is worth it because it is really good and easy to make.  I have actually found it at Dollar Tree at certain times of the year in particularly autumn.)

STEP 2:  Mix 2/3 Cup Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 1/2 Teaspoon Salt and gradually
stir in 3 Cups Milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.
Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

STEP 3:  Gradually stir at least 1/2 hot mixture into 3 slightly beaten egg yolks.  Then blend the other 1/2 into hot mixture.  Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

STEP 4:  Blend in 3/4 Cup Moist Shredded Coconut, 1 Tablespoon Butter and 1 1/2 Teaspoons
Vanilla while mixture is still hot.

STEP 5:  Pour into baked pie crust.

OPTIONAL:  Top with whipped cream and your favorite fruit when serving :-) 

                                                          ~ Debbie ~