Christmas Holiday Ideas

THE SWEET SMELL OF CHRISTMAS BOOK

2012-01-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great children's Christmas book for ages 2 and up? Then you need to pick up a copy of Smelly Bear! Sounds a bit gross? That's actually what my children nicknamed this classic scratch and sniff book "The Sweet Smell of Christmas" by Patricia Scarry. This was and still is my children's absolute favorite, even now that they are all grown up. The story is timeless as Little Bear delights in the various smells that make up Christmas - an apple pie, a pine tree (my personal favorite), a candy cane, a gingerbread boy cookie, a cup of hot chocolate and an orange in his stocking. The book is filled with these oh so yummy scratch and sniff elements. My kids read it so often they eventually scratched all the smells right off the pages. A few years ago, I bought each of them a brand new one and placed it in their stockings and it still brought just as much joy to them as adults as it did when they were little. This book has been a true joy to read with my family. Who knew a "Smelly Bear" could smell so good!

CHRISTMAS FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

2012-01-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

This french toast recipe is one of my favorites, it is SO easy and ideal to serve Christmas morning! This is definitely an alternative to traditional french toast, as it is baked instead of pan-seared. As a result, it's as easy as a casserole and still tastes like traditional french toast, the best of both worlds! I prepare it on Christmas Eve and refrigerate overnight so when I wake up Christmas Day all I have to do is pop it in the oven. The cinnamon, vanilla, fruit and sugar fill the house with sweet smells of Christmas while we are opening our gifts. The best part is when the gift unwrapping is finished, I pull it out of the oven and we are ready to eat!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2     Cup Butter
1        Cup Light Brown Sugar
3        Teaspoons Cinnamon (Ground)
3      Apples (Granny Smith)
1/2     Cup Cranberries (Dried)
1        Loaf French Bread
1        Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Milk
6        Eggs (Large)

Makes 6-8 servings

STEP 1: Melt 1/2 Cup Butter. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, mix melted Butter with 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar and 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon.

1/2 Cup Butter
1    Cup Light Brown Sugar
1    Teaspoon Cinnamon (Ground)

STEP 2: Peel, core and slice 3 Apples (Granny Smith). Add sliced Apples and 1/2 Cup Cranberries to mixture in baking dish stirring well. Then evenly distribute mixture over bottom of baking dish.

3 Apples (Granny Smith)
1/2 Cup Cranberries (Dried)

STEP 3: Cut French Bread into 1 inch slices and place evenly on top of mixture in baking dish.

1 Loaf French Bread

STEP 4: Stir together, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract, 1 1/2 Cups Milk, 6 Eggs and 2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon. Pour mixture on top of bread. Once top of bread is soaked with mixture, turn each slice of bread over so both sides will be soaked with mixture.

1       Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Milk
6       Eggs (Large)
2       Teaspoons Cinnamon (Ground)

STEP 5: Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Bake 40 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Then remove aluminum foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Total baking time is 45 minutes.

SERVE WITH FAVORITE TOPPINGS - Powdered Sugar, Syrup, Fruit, Whipped Cream

WHITE CHRISTMAS VIDALIA ONION DIP

2012-01-29T12:58:00.000-08:00

When entertaining I like to be able to stop running around the kitchen when my guests arrive and start relaxing with them. So I tend to serve appetizers that I can make well in advance and either serve cold right out of the fridge or warm right out of the oven. At a party recently, I knew this recipe would become a new staple for me as I watched the hostess place it on the table bubbling hot from the oven. It's creamy, hot, and filled with more cheese than you can imagine (if that were possible)! Having made it many times, I can tell you that it will go fast and is so easy to make. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

3        Cups Vidalia Onions (Diced) - When out of season I use Onions labelled "Sweet".
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Swiss Cheese
1 1/2 Cups Shredded/Grated Gruyere Cheese
2       Cups Mayonnaise - I use Light Hellman's.
1       Cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
1       French Baguette or Crackers
         Parsley (Fresh) for Garnishing

Makes a large 9.5 inch Pyrex or Chantal pie dish. During holidays I use Chantal Bakeware that comes in different shapes and colors. The Christmas Tree Chantal Bakeware I used in the photograph came from Home Goods. It holds 2 cups so I only used 1/2 of all the ingredients in the recipe.

http://www.chantal.com/view_all.php?cat=449

STEP 1: Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ingredients, stirring together until evenly mixed. Then place combined ingredients into baking dish.

3       Cups Vidalia Onions (Diced) or Sweet Onion if Vidalia is out of season.
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Swiss Cheese
1 1/2 Cups Shredded/Grated Gruyere Cheese
2       Cups Mayonnaise - I use Light Hellman's.

STEP 2: Sprinkle 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese on top of combined ingredients prepared in Step 1.

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

STEP 3: Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

STEP 4: Remove from oven & cool for a few minutes. Then garnish top with Parsley and serve with sliced & toasted French Baguette or Crackers.

FESTIVE ROAST BEEF APPETIZER

2012-01-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Loving Christmas the way I do, I am always on the look out for great tasting foods to dress up a holiday table. Red and green foods go a long way in adding a festive touch. So when I attended a party that served these open faced roast beef sandwiches with its tangy and spicy flavor, I knew I had found a new addition to my seasonal menu. I have even placed them in the center of the table as the centerpiece food. People really do rave about these sandwiches - going back for seconds, asking for the recipe as well as asking to take some home if there are any leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

20 Pieces Deli Roast Beef (Thinly sliced)
1 Cup Red Raspberry Jam
2 Tablespoons Horseradish
4 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard + A little extra for covering open face bread
10 Petite Croissants or 40 Pieces of Bread of choice
Parsley (Fresh) for Garnishing

Makes 40 appetizers.

STEP 1: Stir together ingredients below until combined fully.

1 Cup Red Raspberry Jam
2 Tablespoons Horseradish
4 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard

STEP 2: Cut Petite Croissants in half horizontally, then cut in half vertically so each croissant is now in 4 even pieces.

10 Petite Croissants (halved horizontally, then halved vertically making 4 equal pieces)

STEP 3: Spread a thin layer of Dijon Mustard on open face of bread, then add approximately 1/2 teaspoon of Jam, Horseradish, Dijon Mustard mixture on top of the thin layer of Dijon Mustard.

Jam, Horseradish, Mustard Mixture (You will use 1/3 the mixture now and the remaining
2/3 in Step 5

STEP 4: Cut the 20 pieces of Roast Beef in half. Roll a half slice of roast beef and place on top of jam, horseradish & mustard mixture.

20 Pieces Roast Beef (Sliced thinly)

STEP 5: Dollop a 2nd layer (approximately 1 teaspoon) of jam, horseradish & mustard mixture on top of roast beef slice. Garnish Parsley on top of Jam, Horseradish, Mustard Mixture.

Jam, Horseradish, Mustard Mixture (Remaining 2/3)
Parsley for garnishing

SANTA'S FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2012-01-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

To begin this post, I need to say, I am a sweet tea drinker so I'm pretty "sugared out" by dessert time. As a result I don’t often indulge in what I bake. So while I’ve probably made thousands of these cookies, I have only sampled a few since I first started making them years ago for my family. As time went on, invitations to pot luck's would be accompanied with requests to bring "Debbie's cookies". After my children and their friends moved away, I started receiving requests for care packages filled with "Debbie's cookies". I have even become known as "The Cookie Lady" at my dentist's office which says a lot in a generally sugar-free zone! To be honest, how much people love these cookies never truly registered with me until a few years ago after returning home from a friend's beach house with her family. My friend gently revealed to me how disappointed her adult son was when he asked her why I hadn't brought any of "Debbie’s cookies"! Whether you make them for your family, friends or Santa – this easy recipe is sure to be a huge hit!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Butter (I use Buttery Promise Margarine)
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
4 Eggs (I use Extra Large)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Cups Flour
5 Cups Oatmeal (Instant)
3 Bags (11.5 oz. per bag) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Bags (11.5 oz. per bag)) Milk Chocolate Chips

Makes approximately 70 cookies.

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together ingredients below until smooth with electric mixer.

2 Cups Butter (I use Buttery Promise Margarine)
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
4 Eggs (I use Extra Large for moister cookies)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt

STEP 2: Add ingredients below to mixture from Step 1. Mix flour and oatmeal gradually until evenly incorporated with electric mixer.

4 Cups Flour - All-Purpose
5 Cups Oatmeal - Instant

STEP 3: The best part! Add chocolate chips! I mix by hand, not electric mixer. While my recommendations are below, you can add or subtract to taste, although I must say the chocolatier the better!!!

3 Bags (11.5 oz. per bag) Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Bags (11.5 oz. per bag) Milk Chocolate Chips

HINT: I've also made this cookie dough recipe solely with Butterscotch Chips or White Chocolate Chips! There are countless variations (Mint Chocolate Chips, Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, Raisins, etc.) you can experiment with according to your taste! Everyone has their favorite!

STEP 4 : Form dough into golf ball size and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or when edges of cookies begin to brown. Then remove from oven.

HINT: I use AirBake Cookie Sheets. AirBake is made up of 2 aluminum sheets enclosing a layer of air. It heats the dough evenly and the bottoms of the cookies do not burn. The Large 14x16 square fits a Double Oven. The Mega 15 1/2x20 rectangle fits an Oven Range but will not fit a Double Oven. I learned that the hard way!!! AirBake link provided below.

http://www.airbake.com/

STEP 5: Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to foil. If making a 2nd batch on same cookie sheet, wash cookie sheet clean in between baking batches.

HINT: I usually make the dough in advance and freeze. It is less messy to handle when it is time to bake and very convenient to have on hand in the freezer whenever needed.