Preparing for the Christmas holiday season is always exciting and also worry producing! Baking, decorating, gift shopping, holiday cards (if you still do them) and planning your family get together.
On the topic of baking I can say that I have changed a great deal. When my children and grand children were little I would let them each pick a favorite baked good or candy that I would make. My brother and mother each picked one as well. If they didn’t pick one of my personal favorites then I would make that too! The end result was at a bare minimum 12 to 13 different items. In recent years I have cut back considerably. People today, in general, are just not eating the sweets that they used to. My family certainly isn’t. When my children were little, my oldest always wanted cut-outs. My oldest son always wanted jello cookies of which I always made a red and a green variety. Other favorites were my peanut butter chocolate ripple fudge, chocolate oatmeal no bakes, and snicker-doodles with green and red sprinkles. Things have progressed to the point where this year I am making one type of cookie and the fudge. Each of my daughters are making a type of cookie as well. We are down to 3 kinds of cookies and the fudge. There will still be leftovers, I’m sure.
Now, decorating, that’s a topic! I absolutely adore decorating! I have more holiday items than any one human should have. However, I love them, each and everyone! Some years I don’t put everything out for one reason or another and over the years I have refined my decorating taste. One item that is usually out is the collection of nutcrackers that my Mom had. She started collecting them when she visited me in Germany (nutcracker central!). Each year one of my kids or another family member would add to it from state-side venues. Since my mother passed I inherited her collection and it has been added to over the last 15 years. I must say it is quite impressive! My taste for decorating runs in the vintage realm and I love to honor the Christmas I remember as a child.
This year I .am having some work done on my floors right after Christmas so the decorating will be limited this year. The tree for sure and some of my favorite ctchotch·kes. Since the nutcracker collection is so large now, sadly it will wait until next year.
The most worrisome part of this whole season is the gift thing! I am sadly behind this year. As your children and grandchildren get older it is more difficult to find just that right central gift. The struggle is real, folks! Somehow or other it will all come together. I have 3 weeks to go and ready or not I will be done.
Our family gets together to celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve. We eat homemade lasagna, laugh, talk and open gifts. There are the above mentioned candy and cookies and of course, more than we need to eat!
Finally, the cards. I am sending or passing out nearly 60 cards. That really isn’t very much compared to what some people do. Many people will get a family photo in their card. This picture we take at Thanksgiving when we are all together. Our family has grown so that we need two pictures. We take one my children and spouses, my brother, brother-in-law and I. The second picture is the grandchildren and includes just this year, my precious little great-grand daughter! I really enjoy the cards, both sending and receiving them. It is a tradition that grounds the holidays for me and reminds me of the people who are important to me and my family.
In the above paragraph I mentioned the Thanksgiving get together. We were all together at my oldest son’s house where we have more room to spread out. As I was nearing completion of the cooking, I looked around for the beaters I had brought for my hand-held mixer to mash the potatoes. Where the heck were they? Well, they were at home in the sink! My son didn’t have a masher. There was a moment of panic! Then I started to think of what I could use. In the end I used the bottom of a coffee mug to mash the potatoes. It worked very well and mashed potatoes were on the table.
There is always a bump or two in the road. I have had a couple lately. My toilet has been difficult to say the least. Today it is finally in tip-top shape again. While trying to iron out the difficulty myself I used a couple of old techniques that work well. The first is using Dawn dish detergent and hot water. You put about a half of a cup of Dawn in the toilet bowl and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. The dish soap is heavier than water and will sink to the bottom. After it has set for the required time, fill a pitcher with hot water (not boiling) and pour it into the toilet bowl. Allow this to sit. You may have to do this process twice. It should clear the clog.
The other method I tried is with vinegar and baking soda. Does that sound familiar from the kids’ volcano science projects? Anyway, you put a cup of baking soda in the toilet bowl. It again is heavier than the water and will sink to the bottom. Next put a cup of vinegar in. It will bubble and froth. Put the lid down and let it sit for 30 minutes. This works very well!
In my case neither worked because it wasn’t your normal clog. When the toilet was finally cleared it turned out to be a piece of wax. Wax, of course, would not dissolve with either of the methods written above. However, they are worth keeping in your knowledge banks if you should ever need them.
Have you ever been in the car heading out somewhere and check your car mirror and see a stray hair somewhere or many? Perhaps you have one in the mustache area or on your chin or even a stray one in the brow area. Why is it always in the car, in the clear light of day while hurrying off that you see such intruders?! Other people may not ever notice when you get to your destination. You will know though, and it will bother you. I have one recommendation that has saved me countless times. In your purse, bag or car console you have to carry a pair of tweezers!!! Word to the wise.
Recipes
This is what to do with leftover sweet potato casserole.
Topping 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 1/3 Tbsp Turbinado sugar
Allow the eggs and milk to reach room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Then add the milk and sweet potato casserole until well combined. In another bowl mix all of the dry ingredients except the cinnamon. Add them to the first mixture until well combined and then stir in the pecans. Scoop the batter into greased muffin tins or use cupcake papers. Mix together the Turbinado sugar and cinnamon and generously sprinkle on the muffins. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Allow to cool a few minutes and then remove from the muffin tins to a rack to cool fully.
*You may use mashed sweet potatoes instead of the casserole. You will just need to increase the cinnamon.
*I did not have Turbinado sugar on hand when I went to make the muffins and used regular granulated sugar instead.
Hassleback Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
I used large baking potatoes. I cut off any imperfections. Then I placed each potato between two small wooden spoons. This was done so that I could cut the potatoes as required for this style without cutting completely through the potato. The wooden spoons stopped the knife from going too far.
Then I used a mixture of olive oil, melted butter, salt and pepper to brush each potato between the slices and all over the top. I placed the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.
I placed the potatoes in the oven and baked for 45 minutes.
They were delicious. My son said that in a way they reminded him of the way potatoes are in scalloped potatoes.
I could see adding onion and/or garlic powder to the oil and butter mixture. You could also sprinkle chives on top or perhaps stuff the slices with any great mixture of cheese or meat. Time to get creative!
Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
This recipe is great for a winter lunch or supper.
1 lb. white beans
ham bone and/or diced ham (as much as desired)
3 or 4 carrots peeled and sliced
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth or stock
1 onion diced
2 or 3 stalks of celery sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
First you need to soak the beans in water for at least 3 hours or overnight. Make sure they have enough water to remain covered as they swell.
Drain the beans and add all ingredients into your slow cooker. If there is not enough liquid to cover the rest of the ingredients add water until this is achieved.
Cook on high for the first hour and then on low for 3 to 4 hours. The beans should be mushy. Remove the bay leaf and serve. I served with crusty bread such as Italian or French.
I would love it if you would leave a comment about your family’s holiday traditions and favorite recipes! Let’s share.
Happy Holidays to All!
