Christmas Holiday Ideas

Archive for the ‘Christmas Food And Recipes’ Category

Barbecued Butterflied Leg Of Lamb With Mint And Pocket Bread

9 Servings

Ingredients:

1    Leg of lamb (5-6 lb)*

3/4 c  Balsamic vinegar

1/3 c  Mint jelly

1/3 c  fresh mint leaves,Minced

Fresh mint sprigs (opt)

Salt

Pepper

Small pocket bread**

* – boned and trimmed of surface fat

** – or regular pocket bread, cut in half crosswise

Instructions:

1. Lay meat boned side up. Slash about halfway through thickest portions, as needed, and pull meat, patting cut edges down, to make the piece relatively even.

2. Place lamb in a 9×13″ pan. In a 1 1/2 quart pan over medium-high heat, stir vinegar with 1/3 cup mint jelly just until boiling. Stir in mint and pour evenly over lamb. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to a day. Turn meat over occasionally.

3. On firegrate in a barbecue, with a lid, ignite 50-60 charcoal briquets. When briquets are dotted with ash, in about 30 minutes, spread them into a single layer; scatter 10-12 more briquets over coals. Set grill 5-6″ above coals. Lift meat onto grill; reserve marinade. Put lid on barbecue and open vents.

4.Turn meat as needed to brown evenly; baste with marinade. Cook until thickest part of meat is done to your liking; for rare (140′ on a thermometer) in center of thickest part, allow about 40 minutes total.

Thinner sections will be well done.

5. Transfer lamb to a platter and let rest 5-10 minutes. Garnish with mint sprigs. Slice meat thin. Season to taste with mint jelly, salt, and pepper. Eat with knife and fork or tuck into pocket bread.

Aunt Sadie’s Brisket Of Beef

** 8 Servings

Ingredients:

3    Large onions-Sliced Paper Thin

8    Whole allspice

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Hungarian paprika

5-6 lb brisket; 1st cut

Instructions:

Remove any excess fat from brisket, but leave a little on top. Place one half of the onions on bottom of pan.

Season the onions with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and lots of Hungarian paprika.  Place brisket on top of onions, then other half of onions and allspice on top of the brisket. Cover and roast in a 300 degree F. oven for 3 hours.

Test your brisket and when it is fork tender, take it out. Let it cool and then slice it very thin.  Strain juice and either thicken it with a little cornstarch or serve it au jus. You will have a very dark brown juice.

NOTE: Best when made one day in advance.

Angel Food Candy

Ingredients:
10 Servings
2 c  Light Corn Syrup,Karo
2 c  Brown Sugar,Firmly Packed
4 t  Baking Soda
4 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate,Cut Up
12 oz Chocolate Chips,1 Pk
1/4 c  Butter (Or Regular  -Margarine)
Paraffin,*

NOTE:  The first 4-Oz of semi sweet chocolate is in the block style. Also the chocolate chips should be semi-sweet.

* The paraffin should be a 2 1/2 X 3-inch piece that has been cut up.

Instructions:

Combine the corn syrup and brown sugar in a 4-quart heavy Dutch oven.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils.
Continue cooking the mixture until it reaches the hard crack stage
(300 degrees F) on the candy thermometer, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda being
careful as the mixture will foam up.  Pour the mixture at once in to
a greased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan. When cool, turn out of the pan.
Break into pieces using a meat mallet or wooden spoon.  Combine the
semi-sweet chocolate pieces and the chocolate chips, butter and
paraffin wax in the top of a double boiler. Place over simmering
water, stirring until melted.  Remove form the heat, but keep over
the hot water.  Dip the candy into the chocolate using a large
cooking fork.  Place on waxed paper lined baking sheets. Let stand
until chocolate is set.  Store the candy in a cool place in covered
containers. If you wish, do not coat the candy with the chocolate
Candy can be stored for several months in the freezer.

Makes 3 pounds of candy.

Check out our Christmas Ebook Package for Cookie Recipes!

Americana Peanut Cheesecake

12 Servings

Ingredients:

3/4 c  Chopped roasted peanuts,div
2 T  Chopped roasted peanuts,div
1 c  Graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c  Butter (or margarine),melted
2/3 c  Creamy peanut butter
4 pk (3 ounces each) cream cheese-softened
1 cn (14 ozs) sweetened condensed
1/3 c  Lemon juice
1 t  Vanilla extract
1 pk (4 ozs) whipped toppi,Frozen -thawed

Instructions:

In small bowl, combine 3/4 cup chopped peanuts, graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture into bototom and 1″ up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate crust 20 minutes or until set. In large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat softened cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk and mix well. Add lemon juice and vanilla; blend well. Fold in whipped topping. Pour mixture into prepared crust; garnish top with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or until well chilled.

A 2-Minute Fudge

36 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lb Powdered sugar

1/2 c  Cocoa

1/4 t  Salt

1/4 c  Milk

1 T  Vanilla extract

1/2 c  Butter

1 c  Nuts,chopped

Instructions:

In a 1 1/2 qt. casserole, stir sugar, cocoa, salt, milk and vanilla together until partially blended (it will be too stiff to blend thoroughly).  Put butter over top in center of dish.  Microwave at high for 2 minutes, or until smooth.  If all butter has not melted in cooking, it will as mixture is stirred.  Blend in nuts.  Pour into a lightly buttered 8×4x3″ dish.  Chill 1 hour in refrigerator or 20 to 30 minutes in freezer. Cut into squares.  Makes about 36 squares.

There are many techniques for improving your holidays.  If you don’t believe it, just take a look at the advertising circulars in your Sunday newspaper or take a quick television advertising tour.

The perfect toy will make your child happy and will fill you with the joy of Christmas.  A new set of bargain priced indoor-outdoor Christmas lights will make you the envy of the neighborhood and will give you a warm sense of holiday satisfaction.  Christmas, the jewelers tell us, won’t really be complete unless that special woman receives the gift that lasts forever (and takes nearly as long to pay off).  Even the simple notion of purchasing a holiday greeting card is imbued with heightened significance.  Tear jerking commercials remind us just how important it is to buy the name brand cards if we really want to communicate our feelings for loved ones during the holiday season.

It is no wonder holiday stress has reached epidemic proportions.  We receive message after message telling us just how important every single thing we buy and do is with respect to having a good holiday season.  Simultaneously, we are bombarded with reminders that this is the most important time of the year.  Confronted with these messages, we look for a way out.  We look for a way to capture that elusive sense of holiday satisfaction—often with a wad of cash or a credit card.

There’s nothing wrong with spending within your means to have an enjoyable holiday.  It is, after all, a time of giving and a time of celebration and some level of cost is probably inevitable.  No one should begrudge another for buying that holiday diamond or eschewing cut-rate greeting cards.  However, there are ways to increase your enjoyment of the holidays without spending one extra dime.

One great piece of holiday wisdom is the simple reminder to “think about ideas and people instead of things.”  Even the most free-spending Christmas shopper, when asked, will tell you that the holidays are a time to reflect on the messages of the season and to spend time with loved ones.  The spirit of the holidays can be transmitted by proxy in the form of a shiny toy or even shinier ring, but the message is actually more clearly communicated by a simple hug or a quality conversation.

Too often, we use things as our means of expression instead of using ourselves.  By retaining a focus on people and ideas instead of things, we find can begin to really communicate the message of love that underlies everyone’s understanding of the holidays.  A hug, a conversation or a walk around the block with a loved one doesn’t cost a dime and can be the best way to build holiday cheer, pleasant memories, and an appreciation of the holidays.

Another free means by which you can enjoy the holidays more is by making a contribution of time to a cause you support.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with making financial or material contributions to charities.  In fact, those contributions are entirely necessary for most charitable organizations to stay afloat and are also a great way to celebrate the holidays.  However, giving of yourself can really make the holidays matter and add a dimension to your appreciation of the holiday season.

Volunteering one’s time and energy to a charitable cause can increase one’s appreciation of the holidays and allows them to truly embody the spirit of giving that underpins the season.  These simple acts of kindness can be truly transformative—not only for those who benefit from the gift but also for those who are willing to volunteer.

If you want another strand of Christmas lights and they fit into your budget, go ahead.  Feel free to pick up that great toy for your child and the expensive knick-knack for your spouse.  Buy only the best wrapping paper, if you so desire.  If you feel like you can improve your holiday season with a few purchases, you can go ahead and try.

However, you should also remember that there are a few things you can do that won’t cost you a bit that can really increase the quality of your holiday season.  Remember to think about people and ideas—instead of things.  Consider volunteering your time and effort to a worthwhile cause, too.  Simple things like these can improve a holiday more than any gadget or gift.

Christmas is a time of year that brings friends and family together who may not have the pleasure of one another’s company at any other time throughout the year. While family ties may be a bit difficult to maintain in the world in which we live today, the traditions of Christmas for many families is what keeps us grounded and in touch with one another no matter how far apart we are geographically. The problem is that if one person is doing the cooking for all, that person tends to spend endless hours in the kitchen and misses out on the joys of the company of others year after year. One way to avoid this is by rotating locations for the festivities from one year to the next. Another way, a much simpler way, is to delegate items of contribution from all guests in attendence each year so that the cooking and meal preparation duties are shared among the masses.

Of course this isn’t a perfect plan but it is a good plan. Another great plan is to prepare pieces and parts of your Christmas dinner ahead of time. With careful planning there are items that may be prepared as much as a few weeks ahead of the big day and stored either in air tight containers at room temperature or frozen for heating or baking on the big day or within a reasonable time frame of Christmas for best results. Any of the prep work that can be taken care of before the big day is one less thing to be taken care of when the time comes and that becomes a load off your mind.

Make lists. Lists are wonderful things. If you learn to live by your lists you will wonder how on earth you ever got anything done without them. When you are planning your Christmas dinner right down everything you plan to have, who is bringing what, what you are making, and what ingredients will be needed to complete each and every single dish. Go through your pantry and see which items you have in abundance and which items you will need to prepare the meals. Head to the store at least a week ahead of the big day and purchase all but the fresh ingredients you will need in order to prepare your Christmas feast.

Another thing you will need to do is make sure you have a list of all the non food items you will need to stock ahead of time. Make sure all the bathrooms are stocked, that you have plenty of garbage bags, waste baskets, paper plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, and other items that will be needed in order to make things go smoothly when your guests begin to arrive. These are little things that matter and may get overlooked if you fail to plan ahead.

You should also make a list of decorations, invitations, and gifts or games you may need to purchase for the day too. You want your day to go as smoothly as possible and you want everyone to fill wanted, appreciated, and anticipated. It may be a great idea to pick up a couple of generic gifts for a male or female in case someone unexpected shows up (you really never know) and have extra wrapping paper and supplies on hand in case someone has an emergency rewrap (as in a kid opened a gift intended for someone else). Most importantly plan to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy as much of the festivities as possible.

During the Christmas season, summer and its body-conscious state of mind  are distant memories. Hearty indulgence in the many foods shared at Christmas therefore doesn’t produce the same feelings of guilt. Nevertheless, its not a pleasant thought to start the New Year carrying any extra pounds. So why then eat yourself into a resolution to ‘take off a few extra pounds’ if you can smartly avoid it?

Whether it’s sharing cookies and candies at work, or having an evening out  at a party or dinner, you can have Christmas food and enjoy it. While you seem to be eating heartily with a smile, the key is to have a secret strategy of moderation. It involves sticking to a plan that can be called ‘Eating on a Budget.’

‘Eating on a Budget’ is not about the cost of what is eaten, but about the quantity of what is eaten. It is important that a ‘budget’ or eating in moderation plan is developed because it is almost impossible to avoid exposure to a lot of cookies, candies and other sweets at Christmas. At work, you may risk appearing like the Grinch who stole Christmas if your response will always be something like, ‘Uh..no..bah humbug’ all the time that some Christmas goodies are offered. It will seem as if you aren’t in the spirit of the holidays especially since at that time of year everyone is usually in a festive and more relaxed mood, and the pace at work is usually slower.

A practical way to partake in Christmas goodies, for example, is to substitute some holiday cookies for say the bagel that you usually have with breakfast or for a mid-morning snack. And instead of just taking one cookie, from the platter, which is noticeable and likely will encourage a colleague to tell you to have more, take three instead. That’s where the plan can come into play. You can then enjoy the cookies over two or more hours, because nobody will
be watching how you really eat. You can always have a few candies, one cookie or a cookie and a half by your desk and that way it will seem as if you are heartily enjoying the holiday treats.

Another strategy is to bring – bake or buy – low calorie Christmas cookies and candies to work to counteract others that are being offered. Since eating healthy is highly encouraged, health-conscious cookies will not be looked down upon so long as they taste great. A box of sugar-free Christmas chocolate candies for example will look just as delightful as regular chocolate candies.

It’s interesting to note that in a poll sponsored by the National Confectioners Association in 2004, chocolate was the favorite food gift that Americans said they preferred to receive for the holidays. The lowly and much maligned fruit
cake was last on the list. The second favorite holiday food gift was a fruit basket and a plate of cookies was third on the list, according to the Association.

For an occasion such as a Christmas party or a dinner, including Christmas Dinner, where larger quantities and selection of food is available, the ‘Eating on a Budget’ plan means that serving portions and the choice of food selected should be carefully watched.

At a party where more desserts and sweets are likely to be available, a few of the selections can be sampled. If the urge to try everything can’t be resisted, then do so, but then second helpings have to be severely limited. The same is somewhat true for Christmas Dinners. One big difference is that the food served during Christmas Dinner will be heavier, so by selecting portions wisely, one can always say truthfully that the stomach is full.

And indeed, after a sumptuous Holiday Dinner, your body is likely to be full from food and your soul full of joy from sharing another memorable holiday tradition with family, friends and loved ones.

Christmas is a time of year when different families around the world will get together and observe traditions that are the same for them year after year and yet vastly different from those that other families share around the block. There are very few universal Christmas traditions any more and there is nothing wrong with that. In America however, there are some items that many people consider traditional holiday cooking and there is little that will be done to dissuade these opinions. The truth is that many of these traditional holiday foods are largely traditional in specific regions rather than the United States having one nations wide traditional Christmas dinner.

Turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas I’ve ever seen was lasagna. It was a Christmas Eve tradition but a delicious tradition just the same. There are no right or wrong traditions only those traditions that work well for you and your family. If you feel the need to change a long-standing tradition for a large extended family by all means discuss it with everyone involved. Otherwise it is your tradition and you should feel free to make it your own.

At the same time, there is something comforting and reminiscent of home to have those traditions to come home to year after year. I can’t help but think of the movie Christmas with the Kranks. The entire movie was spent in an attempt to break with the traditional Christmas trappings and trimmings only to make a mad dash to return to them in the end. That is often the way things go when attempting to break with tradition. If you are considering this for the first time this Christmas be sure to hang on to some of your old traditions in case you find that it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without them. You certainly don’t want it to be too late and miss out on the spirit of Christmas in your home.

Other great traditional favorites for many Americans as far as Christmas cooking goes are: sweet potato casseroles, devilled eggs, dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, apple pie, mince meat pie, and pecan pie. Of course there are regional favorites that are often highly dependent upon where you live such as key lime pie, lemon icebox pie, oyster dressing, deep fried turkey. If one of these is a Christmas tradition for you, no matter where you are in the world you will think of home or Christmas whenever you come across them. It’s really amazing how that happens and quite nice too when family and friends seem far away to have something as simple as a dish of food make them seem that much closer.

That, of course, is the great, and almost perfect things about Christmas traditions. We pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don’t have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family.

We all love the holidays and want to them to be a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience.  As a result, we tend to spend a great deal of time and effort engaging in various activities trying to make the time period extra special.  Our desire to have the best holidays possible often delivers a result more ironic than O’Henry’s Gift of the Magi.  Instead of enjoying the holiday season, we spend it in stress, worrying about how to make our holidays perfect.

One of the chief causes of holiday stress is that gnawing feeling that the things you must do are going to outstrip your available time.  Shopping, cooking, packing, wrapping and decorating suddenly fill what used to be your free time.  Special holiday events and parties may begin to pepper your schedule, too.  You fear being the crazed shopper banging on closed shop doors on Christmas Eve or are certain you will be forced to take the family out for a Chinese dinner because there is simply no way to get everything done!

There are many great resources providing quality hints and tips to reduce holiday stress, and if you feel yourself experiencing a great deal of pressure in December, you should definitely find some of these materials and consider the myriad of great ideas to make your winters easier.  In addition to the many great suggestions these sources provide, there are a few basic steps you can take to make your to-do list seem more manageable and to reduce your stress level.

Adjust Your Expectations

Some may benefit from simply readjusting their expectations of the holidays.  The omnipresent media and advertising industries can lead us to believe that any holiday celebration that doesn’t end up resembling a Currier & Ives print is a failure.  This, of course, is not the case.  It’s fine to strive for a wonderful holiday season, but it’s not necessary to create the Perfect Holiday.  Instead of concerning yourself with every Christmas detail, you can reduce your stress level by focusing on the parts of the holidays that are most meaningful and important to you and placing less emphasis on other aspects of the season.

By readjusting your expectations and goals for the holidays, you can reduce time pressures considerably.  A focus on what matters most to you insures that you will not spend precious hours involving yourself in activities and projects that are really not part of your “core” holiday goals.

Start Early

We often laugh at the fact Christmas decorations tend to go up in shopping malls right after Halloween decorations disappear.  Although we don’t necessarily need to take the not-so-subtle message of holiday commercialization to heart, we can learn a little bit something from the early decoration trend.  By starting our holiday preparations early, we can reduce the amount of pressure and stress we experience during the holiday season.

It may seem unusual, but it really is okay to check whether or not the Christmas lights are working before the day you plan on decorating.  And there’s no reason you can’t spend a little idle time in November doing a big of holiday shopping.  By doing some of your “required” tasks early, you can avoid the feeling of being in a rush in late December.

Follow Santa’s Lead

Santa Claus, the song tells us, makes a list and checks it twice.  If he left delivery of millions of toys up to his memory, he would probably be the North Pole’s most stressed resident.  You can learn an important lesson from Santa Claus and can create your own organized list of holiday tasks and chores.

Although you may not want to over-regulate yourself, it is a good idea to make a pretty detailed list of everything you’ll need to do in preparation for the holidays.  If you can produce this list early, you will be able to schedule out events in a reasonable manner, making sure you are not caught up in the hustle and bustle that makes the holidays so frustrating for some people.

The holidays can be a source of great satisfaction and enjoyment.  Unfortunately, they can also become a high-pressure race for those who are not adequately prepared.  By carefully assessing your holiday needs and expectations, starting early on the holidays and keeping an organized to-do list, you can make your holidays a pleasure!