Holiday Recipe Thread

[Jolie Rouge]

**Snowman Soup**

Need:
1 individual pack hot chocolate mix
3 Hershey's chocolate kisses
15 mini-marshmallows
1 candy cane
mug or styrofoam cup
tag

These make adorable gifts for teachers, neighbors, friends and family.
Enjoy making them with your children!

Assemble these items in plastic wrap or a plastic baggie. Tie with pretty ribbon. Place items in mug or cup, slide the candycane in, and attach the poem - or print out your free tags here.
---
Was told you've been real good this year.
Always glad to hear it!
With freezing weather drawing near,
You'll need to warm the spirit!

So here's a little Snowman Soup
Complete with stirring stick.
Add hot water, sip it slow.
It's sure to do the trick!

Click here to print a free tag to go with this idea!
http://www.theideabox.com/pr.nsf/offer/SnowmanSoup

---------------------------------------
**Magic Reindeer Food**

Need:

1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals or candy sprinkles
zip lock bag
tag
stapler

This is an fun activity to make and do on Christmas Eve. It's also a fun and easy craft for groups of children to make. Just put these items in a plasic zip-lock baggie. Then, staple the tag to the top! You can add a little glitter to the tag for added sparkle! You can find edible "glitter" with cake decorating supplies to make it look even more "magical" (found mine at Walmart...)

----
Be sure to take this magic food
and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and glitter path
will guide them on their way -
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas Day!

Click here to print a free tag to go with this idea!
http://www.theideabox.com/pr.nsf/offer/ReindeerFood

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[Jolie Rouge]

What better way to warm your heart than a steaming cup of hot chocolate! - From the show Martha Stewart's Comforts of Home / "Oprah"

2 cups of heavy cream
6 cups of whole milk
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 block of dark chocolate

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate into curls; set aside.

Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (about 4 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove mixture from the flame. Immediately pour over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, gently stir to combine.

Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until light foam forms.

Serve immediately. Recipe makes 8 cups. Garnish with chocolate shavings or Martha's Homemade Marshmallows.


Nothing goes better with hot cocoa or Martha's white hot chocolate than homemade marshmallows!

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let it stand 30 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244° (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

Generously dust an 8 x 12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners' sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Recipe makes approximately 40 marshmallows.

[Jolie Rouge]

"I love this idea Martha calls 'Helping Hands.' It's a project you can do with your children, and then when you're done, you can give them as gifts," says Oprah.


Dough:
2 cups sifted all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Decorating:
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
Sanding sugar

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat until smooth, about one minute.

Add reserved flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Make cookie pattern and heart stencil while wrapped dough is chilling. For the pattern, have your child trace his or her hand on a manila file folder, and cut out the tracing. You will lay this on the dough and trace around it with the tip of a paring knife. Or, older children can use their hand to outline the cookies, drawing around it on the dough with a skewer and using a knife tip to cut along the line. For the heart stencil, cut a heart shape from a piece of parchment paper, discarding the center.

Preheat oven to 345°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a well-floured work surface, roll out cold dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hand shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Dough scraps may be re-rolled twice.

Bake until edges just begin to brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. To decorate the cookies with sanding-sugar hearts, lay the heart stencil over a cookie. Combine the egg white with the water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash in the heart and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Lift the stencil and repeat with remaining cookies.

Let cookies cool on pans for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


You will NEVER guess where I found these recipes .....

[Jolie Rouge]

Martha likes natural smells to greet people when they walk through her door. One of her favorite scents come from what she calls Apple Cider Potpourri—even the name of it sounds yummy!

Cheese Cloth
String
Spices
Fresh Apple Cider
Wooden Spoon
Pot
Stove

Pour apple cider in a pot and heat on your stovetop.

Cut a square of cheesecloth, which you can find in any grocery store. Place any assortment of herbs and spices you like in the cheesecloth. Martha likes star anise, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, cloves and candied ginger. She also suggests using spices such as cardamom, allspice and bay leaves.

Tie your cheesecloth into a packet with a string. Then, tie your spice packet onto the handle of a wooden spoon.

Place spoon over the top of your pot and submerge the spices in the warming cider. Let your spices mull in the cider. It will made your house smell wonderful and tastes great!

[2chevys]

Jello Dump Salad

This is so easy because all you do is dump it in a bowl and stir!!

1 -16 oz. carton low fat cottage cheeze
1-12 oz carton cool whip (I also use low fat)
1 small box of orange jello-don't cook just dump in the powder
1 small can drained crushed pineapple

These are the basics but you can also add marshmallows, coconut, diced mandarine oranges, fruit cocktail, nuts or change the jello flavor but my fav. is orange.

[Jolie Rouge]

1 medium onion
6 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons matzo meal
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Applesauce
Sour Cream

1) Coarsely shred onion into a large bowl. Shred potatoes into bowl
with onion, stirring occasionally. The onion will keep the potato from
browning. Stir in eggs, matzo meal, parsley, salt and pepper.
2) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add potato mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into oil. Fry until crisp
and golden; turn and fry remaining side until golden--about 5 minutes
on each side. Transfer to platter and keep warm. Repeat until all
potato mixture has been used, adding oil as necessary.
3) Serve with applesauce and sour cream. Makes 6 Servings

[Jolie Rouge]

Tips For Surviving Those Holiday Parties:

* Never go to a party when you are hungry. The body is more efficient
at burning calories when you eat during the day. If you skip breakfast
and lunch to save calories, you will probably eat more than usual.

* Watch out for alcohol calories; they are usually stored as fat.

* Make time for exercise, especially when you will be attending a
party. Sustaining or even increasing your activity during the holidays
is helpful to burn those extra calories. Moderate exercise can reduce
your appetite and help you control how much you eat. So make time by
scheduling a 30 minute walk or bike ride before you begin your day.

* Drink water with your meals instead of soda or iced tea, as this
will save calories.

* Listen to your stomach and stop eating when your are satisfied or
begin to feel full. This will help you more than any other behavior
during the holiday season.

[lameduch27]

BUMPING this cause I want more recipes,,,hehehehe. Does anyone have the recipe for the hot tea that has Lipton instant tea, I think Tang, Wylers lemonade,,,and other things? I love it and had the recipe years ago. I wanted to make some up and put it in jars as little gifts for my family. HELP please.

[conniehunny]

Instant Russian Tea


Makes 3 cups

1/2 cup instant tea powder
2 cups orange-flavored drink mix (e.g. Tang)
3 ounces lemonade-flavor drink powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


Directions
1 In a large bowl, mix together powdered drink mixes, sugar, and spices. Place in jars.
2 Instructions to include with gift:
1. Place 2 to 3 rounded teaspoonfuls in a cup.
2. Add boiling water and serve.



Makes 3 cups

[Jolie Rouge]

3 pounds apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups water
1 cup white sugar
1 T lemon juice

Place apples in a large saucepan and just barely cover with water.
Simmer over medium-low heat until apples are tender.
Run cooked apples through a food mill or blender. Stir in the sugar
and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 4 cups plus.

[Jolie Rouge]

Here is LA it is traditional to eat black-eyed peas and cabbagee for New Years Day; black-eyed peas represent good fortune for the comming year and cabbage represents money. Most people eat boiled cabbage and black-eyed peas over rice. This is a something a little different :


1 15-oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/8 cup butter, melted
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Combine black-eyed peas and the next 7 ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place mixture in saucepan and add cheeses. Stir over medium heat until cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or crusty bread slices.