Category — Christmas
Setting A Festive Table
Setting A Festive Table – Tips For A Striking Presentation
by: Bob Kiefer
You’ll be slaving over a hot stove for hours, preparing a feast fit for kings this Christmas. From the turkey to the desserts, you put love into every recipe, and your family digs in with gusto. Why not add some festive touches to the table as well, and make the presentation as breathtaking as the dishes you’ll be serving? It doesn’t take much time or money to transform your table from humbug to very merry.
Choosing a Theme
The easiest way to coordinate your decor is to choose a theme. Your theme can be as specific as a single Christmas carol, or as broad as a certain style or colors. For example, you could choose “Jingle Bells” as your theme, making the centerpiece a miniature one-horse open sleigh, and attaching bells to everything that doesn’t voluntarily move. Or, choose a “Country Christmas” theme and add lots of country touches to your table, like felt cut-outs and cross-stitched napkins.
If you’re planning on selecting colors for your table, stick with one main color and a maximum of two accent colors. Holiday colors of green, red, and white look very festive, or accent with silver or gold for a more elegant touch. Blue and white work nicely together for a winter theme.
Table Coverings
You may have your great-great-grandmother’s handmade lace tablecloth stowed away, ready to use for your Christmas dinner. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, but if spillage and possible staining are a major worry for you, save the lace for accenting your decorative holiday displays instead and pick up some inexpensive cotton or other fabric to cover your table with, or use clean sheets in various colors. You can even use two contrasting colors of fabric, and use the second, smaller piece to hang at an angle over the larger one. Christmas prints are cute and charming, but try to steer clear of anything too busy or bright, as the fabric will overshadow any other accents you add.
For a children’s table, cover the surface with butcher paper or inverted wrapping paper and provide crayons at each setting. Christmas crackers are also great fun for kids, and look cute sitting on each dinner plate.
Centerpieces
Centerpieces can be as simple as a small grouping of different sized candles. You needn’t go overboard and spend hundreds of dollars on fresh flowers and a beautiful decorator’s vase to hold them in. Potted Poinsettias make a pretty centerpiece, as do small baskets filled with pine sprigs and pinecones, or clear glass bowls full of bright Christmas tree balls.
Keeping your chosen theme in mind, choose a centerpiece that will stand out among your dishes of food, and become a conversation piece for guests. If you plan to use lit candles, never leave them unattended, and choose unscented candles wherever possible.
Napkins
You don’t have to limit yourself to simple linen napkins, although these work perfectly well. Use facecloths, small hand towels, or handkerchiefs instead if you prefer. Roll your napkins and fold the roll in half, securing with a pretty bow, or fold them origami style into an interesting shape.
Napkin rings can be made from pipe cleaners, mini wreaths, licorice strings, ribbons, artificial flower stems, or anything else you can think of that will look festive and do the job. Tie bells, small ornaments, pinecones, silk flowers, or even small toys onto each napkin ring for added decoration.
Serving Dishes and Platters
Your serving dishes don’t need to match each other to look pretty. A mixture of different styles and colors add whimsy and a country feel to your presentation. If you don’t have enough trivets for all of your dishes, cover pre-cut pieces of thick cardboard with aluminum foil and use these as shiny mats that will protect your table and still look nice.
Place Cards
If you want to use place cards to prearrange the seating at your table, use your theme to come up with imaginative ways to create or display them. Gift tags are an easy idea, and they can be attached to each napkin or wine glass with ribbon or pipe cleaners. Miniature artificial poinsettia pots are available at many dollar stores, and they make gorgeous place card holders. Simply fashion your cards and attach them to straws or toothpicks, then secure them into the pots.
Pinecones can hold name cards as well, if you maneuver the cards so that the ‘teeth’ of the cones hold them in place. Create shapes out of clay or dough, thread the cards through candy cane sticks, or simply place your cards on the top of each dinner plate. The possibilities here are endless.
Extras and Finishing Touches
Adding candles of varying heights and colors will add warmth to your table setting. Scatter tea lights, votives, pillars, and tapers around the center of the table, making sure that they are secure and not interfering with anything that could be flammable.
You can also decorate the stems on wine glasses with purchased wine charms or pipe cleaners, or tie small bells to each one with ribbon. Tie cutlery together in a similar fashion if you wish, or tuck utensils securely inside rolled napkins.
For an added touch, decorate each chair with bows, bits of garland, or pretty fabric. Anything goes as long as it doesn’t scratch or otherwise interfere with your guests’ enjoyment of your wonderful meal.
With a bit of extra effort, you can take a plain and boring table and create a stunning masterpiece that will impress your guests even before the first course is served.
About The Author
Bob Kiefer is a webmaster of 10 sites. Vist http://www.for-women-only.com for more exciting holiday ideas.
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Organize Your Christmas Baking
How to Organize Your Christmas Baking Without Going Crazy
by: Patty Gale
There is nothing more comforting than the smell of Christmas cookies fresh out of the oven. As a little girl, I remember eagerly watching my mom, as she would carefully remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven. I couldn’t wait to help decorate with the homemade frosting, the cinnamon candies and the multi-colored sprinkles that would make each cookie design come to life.
Those were different times then. Mom didn’t work outside the home and family lives weren’t as hectic as they are today. Today, it seems like there is a mad rush from Halloween to Christmas Day and little time to simply enjoy the moments shared.
You can enjoy the fun times of homemade holiday baking by planning ahead of time. Christmas cookies make delicious, thoughtful gifts and are a great way to involve children in the festivities.
First, let’s look at the calendar and start planning with enough time. The first thing is to decide if you are going to bake holiday cookies for home, for entertaining or if you are going to be giving them as gifts and how many. Allow yourself plenty of time to start getting things together. Late October isn’t too early.
Next, let’s decide how many varieties of cookies to bake. A variety is nice, but too many can be overwhelming. I like to bake three to four different types of cookies. This way, I can make larger dough batches ahead of time, and still have a nice display.
Once you’ve decided how many different kinds you are going to bake, the next thing to do is pick your recipes. Whether you use your own Christmas cookie book or find recipes on the web, make a copy of each so that you can keep them all together. This makes it simpler than flipping around from the various cookbooks and will also help to make sure your cookbooks don’t get soiled, either.
Now it’s time to gather your ingredient list. Determine how many cookies you want to make of each recipe and then adjust your ingredients accordingly. Make one list of all ingredients, so that shopping can be done in one trip without forgetting important items.
Let’s review the recipes to see if there is any dough that can be made and frozen ahead of time. This will be a huge time-saver as later on, you will simply be able to defrost the dough, bake and decorate. Since you have all already shopped for the ingredients, set aside an hour or so to mix the dough recipes.
Let’s get out that calendar again and pick a time to set aside for the actual baking. Since we’ve already prepared the dough, all we need to do is organize our decorations. It’s best to just do one type of cookie at a time, this way you won’t have to go back and forth between cookies.
Whether it’s during the week or on the weekend, clear off everything else from that day except for your baking. This way, you’re not rushed and can simply enjoy the day. If you will be involving children, this is a great time to just enjoy very special moments together.
These special times come once a year and sometimes once in a lifetime. Christmas baking is a memorable tradition that you can start with your family.
About The Author
Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur who specializes in personalization and customer care for all of her clients. She exchanged her suits, hose and heels to work from home in her “jammies” and is on a mission to empower others to do the same.
She can be reached at: http://www.Gingerbread-Goodies.com
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Christmas Cheesecake
Christmas Cheesecake
by: Andrew Krause
This is a cheesecake that I have been making for over 20 years if you follow the recipe to the tee you won’t have any problem, it is also colorful as well as the most lucious piece of pastry that you ever put in your mouth.
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter ir margarine melted
2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
8 ounces sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cup in total
chopped candied cherries,
red and green
raisins, walnuts, candied pineapple
1/2 cup small chocolate chips
In a 5 quart mixing bowl place 2 pounds of cream cheese and 1 cup granulated sugar and mix on low speed until cream cheese is softened and smooth, place in bowl 8 ounces sour cream and continue mixing until well blended, at this time add 2 eggs, mix for 2 minutes then add 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, mix on second speed until your cheesecake batter is smooth and creamy.
At this time your cheesecake mixture should be fluffy like ice cream as it comes out of the ice cream machine. Add the candied fruit, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, chocolate chips, fold everything together.
Prepair your 10 inch x 2 inches springform pan, in a large bowl place your graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar, and your melted butter or margarine, then with a wire whisk, whisk them together until well combined, brush onto the sides of your springform pan a little softened butter so the crumbs have something to hold to, place the crumbs on the sides and bottom of the pan. Now you add slowly to the pan your cheesecake mix as not to disturb the crumbs too much, now you should have a full pan.
The total weight of the cheesecake with the crumbs on the sides should be 5 to 5-1/4 pounds if you have some batter leftover just chill it, put some whip cream on it and enjoy.
Preheat your oven to 275 degrees and not more, when your oven is hot place the cheesecake in it and bake for 55 minutes then shut off the oven and let it in there for 3 hours, at the end of this time you should have the most beautiful cheesecake you ever seen, let the cheesecake on the table for 1 1/2 hours then place it in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. Now remove it from the pan and enjoy.
Before serving sprinkle some red and green edible glitter that you can purchase at any store that has cake decorating supplies.
About The Author
Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Healthy Eggnog Recipe
Happy Healthy Holidays with this Eggnog Recipe
by: Hans Dekker
When it is holiday time, only one drink comes to mind: eggnog.
This healthy drink recipe is delicious and it uses soymilk instead of whole milk. It gets a completely new flavor and color with the addition of peppermint oil.
A drink fills up your tummy just before you hit the sack. Serve it warm and you will be on your way to sleepy town.
Now you can dream away while Santa does his magic.
Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
2 cups soymilk
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. peppermint oil
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin spice
To Make:
First, take your 4 eggs and put the egg whites into a bowl and the egg yolks into a bowl.
Put a half a cup of white sugar into each egg bowl. Beat each egg bowl slightly.
Add the heavy cream gradually to the egg whites. Keep whipping this mixture. Add vanilla to this egg bowl. Now in one medium sized bowl, combine both of the egg mixtures.
Slowly add the soymilk. Continue stirring while you are adding the milk. Eggnog would not be complete without using some ground nutmeg. This recipe adds it right into the mix and not just as a garnish on top.
This recipe also uses more spices than just traditional nutmeg. Now add ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice to the mixing bowl. Keep whipping the eggnog. Now time for a special addition to ordinary eggnog.
Add one tablespoon of peppermint oil. This gives regular eggnog more of a Christmas flavor.
Chill your eggnog in the refrigerator before serving. After it has chilled, pour the eggnog into a holiday punch bowl. Add a dash of ground nutmeg on top and a dollop of fat free whip cream before serving a glass to one your guests.
About The Author
Hans Dekker is author of the healthy recipes section of http://www.steaks-guide.com/.
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole for the Holidays
by: David Jones
Every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas one dish always stands out, Sweet Potato Casserole. My Wife’s Grandmother made the best dishes, particularly on Thanksgiving and Christmas. She gave us her sweet potato recipe and it is terrific. Give it a try this year:
2 to 3 cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 bag marshmallows
cinnamon to taste
brown sugar to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or macadamia
Mix first 6 ingredients together and place them in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts.
Next, cover the entire casserole with marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees F until marshmallows are nice and brown.
About the Author
David Jones
More recipes are available free at http://www.virtualemedia.com. Also, check out http://www.virtualecatalog.com, http://www.geminimalls.com and http://www.virtualedirectory.com for your shopping convenience.
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Christmas Table Top Decorations
Unique Christmas Table Top Decorations For Parties
by: Johann Erickson
Christmas table decorations for those one of a kind Christmas parties are fun and easy to make. If you do plan on making your own Christmas table decorations, they can be time consuming and if you have a dozen or so tables to decorate, you need help!
It depends on the type of Christmas party you will be hosting, the atmosphere you wish to provide and the style you want to showcase. If you’re having a Christmas party for children, simple centerpieces with take home accents will do but if it’s an elegant grown up Christmas party, your Christmas table decorations will probably be elegant and traditional.
If you’re indeed hosting a Christmas party for children, be as creative as you wish. A good idea is to decorate using styrofoam balls. They are inexpensive, usually around five dollars at the craft store and they are sold in bags of single sizes or mixed sizes. With some non-toxic craft paint, some glue on eyeballs and seed beads, you can turn a ball into an adorable snowman or an ornament fit for the tree.
The best way to make a snowman who will actually stand up straight is to cut a small circular piece of thick cardboard, using a thin bamboo stick put a hole in the center and allow the stick to stand. Take one of the largest styrofoam balls and slide it down the bamboo stick to the base of the cardboard, then repeat with a medium sized ball and then a small one for the snowman’s head. Decorate with your imagination!
To give the illusion of bright ornamental balls, either paint or spray paint the different sizes of the styrofoam balls and roll them in glitter. Add stripes and stencil on stars or snowflakes to make them unique. Use a paper clip to secure a ribbon for hanging.
For adult parties, sometimes more design effects should be used to create the perfect Christmas table decoration. Start with the other decorations in the room, the theme and go with it. Start with the tablecloth…if it’s country style then use a bright flannel topper or Christmas colors like red, green, gold, silver or white. If the room is dim, consider adding lighting elements on some of the tables.
One beautiful way is by adding floating candles in dyed water.
At your local discount store in the craft section there are beautiful glass and plastic bowl options to choose from and the average price for a small to mid sized piece is about a dollar and a half or three dollars for the larger ones. Fill the bowls ¾ full, add food coloring and stir in your desired color. Packages of floating tealites or votive candles are about five dollars for a twenty-four pack and when lit in a darkened area, they appear so elegant.
Confetti sprinkled around the bowls on the tables in holiday colors with twirls of ribbon adds just the right finishing touch.
Another idea is to make your own crystal balls using etching solution; you can even purchase festive stencils to etch. Using the same bowls turned upside down with a small candle with do the trick as long as they are sitting on a base that allows air to flow for the flame. To make a fitting base with the look of gold foiling, without the cost or the time, use aluminum foil and gold craft paint. Wad up the aluminum foil to give it a crinkled appearance and carefully open it up to its original size. On a flat surface lightly paint gold accents all over the shiny silver side of the aluminum foil. Two oblong wooden blocks, also available for pennies at the craft store will do the job when wrapped and placed beneath the crystal ball. Finish off the look with small gift boxes wrapped in multi designed Christmas wrapping paper or foil with a hidden dinner mint for each guest at the table.
Christmas table decorations are a must for any Christmas holiday party and the guests will be astounded with the creations. These are all easy and they don’t take much time to put together. Make your party unforgettable using simple elements for your Christmas table decorations and explore the creative aspect of Christmas décor in it’s many forms.
About The Author
Johann Erickson is a writer for such sites as Online Discount Mart (http://www.onlinediscountmart.com) and TV Products 4 Less (http://www.tvproducts4less.com)
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Turkey Gravy Secrets
Turkey Gravy Secrets Revealed
by: Chef Phronc
To make the best tasting turkey gravy you need three things; well-seasoned fat, flour, and a good rich broth. For each cup of finished gravy you will need one tablespoon of fat, one tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of broth.
Start by making up some rich turkey broth. You can use the turkey neck, heart, gizzard or other parts usually found packed inside the turkey cavity. Add some minced onion, diced celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt in enough water to cover, simmer until vegetables are tender. Dice the turkey liver, add to the broth and simmer for about 15 minutes.
You can use the turkey bones if you like. The turkey bones yield much more broth, just add more onions and celery to the pan. You will have to carve the turkey ahead of time, which means no whole roasted turkey sitting on the dinner table waiting to be carved by the host or hostess.
Make sure you use the drippings from the roasting pan, as grandpa always said “that’s the goodies”, just after you’ve removed the cooked turkey and roasting rack from the roasting pan. Strain poultry drippings through a sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup.
Add 3 tablespoons of corn oil to the bottom of the roasting pan. Stir around to get out the brown bits that have baked on. Add to your turkey drippings. “Wash” the roasting pan out with the turkey broth if it’s made or add water your going to use in the broth if you haven’t made it yet.
The trick is to know how many cups of broth you have and if you have enough fat. Remember you will need one tablespoon of fat, one tablespoon of flour and 1 cup of broth for each cup of finished gravy.
If you are light on broth you can add some canned chicken broth. If you are light on fat you can add a small amount of corn oil. You can save the rest of your broth for storing and reheating the turkey.
Here are a few more tips to making great tasting gravy:
First take the measured fat and combine with the proper amount of measured flour in a medium saucepan. Make sure you have covered all the flour with fat and blended it well. Place on burner. Slowly bring the flour and fat mixture to a simmer until it begins to smell slightly salty. It will be bubbly; the color will be a light brown.
Next remove pan from burner; whisk in all the measured liquids.
Finally return the pan to the burner, again, slowly bring this to a simmer.
Remember you already cooked the flour in the fat so all you need to do now is stir this until it thickens up to your liking. You can let it stay sort of thin or let it cook out until it is thicker than your Mashed potatoes. The choice is yours.
About The Author
Chef Phronc
Frank Flohr (aka Chef Phronc) is passionate about cooking. Frank serves up a full plater of cooking tips, recipes and culimary information on his blog at http://www.recipecorral.com/blog. Unleash the hidden “Chef” inside you!
February 19, 2008 No Comments
10 Christmas Decoration Tips
The 10 Christmas Decoration Tips You Must Know
by: Rosie Fletcher
Decorating for Christmas is one of the best things about the holidays. The twinkling of lights, the sight of a perfectly trimmed tree and a perfectly placed wreath adorning your front door are all gentle reminders of the joyous Christmas season.
When decorating your home, you want the décor to reflect your own personal style while keeping the Christmas tradition always present. A few tips can help make this holiday decorating season even brighter.
Christmas Decoration Tip #1: Lights Out
With each year that passes, Christmas lights tend to burn out at some point. Unless you have a strand that burns with the exception of the troublesome light, it can be a real headache to find the faulty bulb. Consider investing in a light tester, which will check each individual light and detect the one that needs replacing. These can be found with the Christmas supplies at most department stores.
Christmas Decoration Tip #2: Angels Nearby
Whenever possible, decorate your home with angels. They add a touch of peace and tranquility to your home and we all need to know that there are angels watching over us.
Christmas Decoration Tip #3: Be fruity
Prepare a fruit-filled clear glass bowl as a centerpiece for your dining room table. Nothing smells like Christmas as much as an orange or a nice fruit combination.
Decoration Tip #4: Add a personal touch
If you hang Christmas stockings, consider personalizing them with your name, your spouses name and those of your children. These days, even pets have stockings, so don’t forget to add Fido’s name on a stocking. You can easily personalize a traditional stocking using a glitter pen, preferably one that writes in silver or gold. A personalized stocking is a nice idea and a special added touch.
Christmas Decoration Tip #5: Pucker up
Decorate your home with poinsettia and mistletoe, which are both holiday traditions. A nice artificial poinsettia plant will always be beautiful and is easy to take care of – no water required. A mistletoe is always a nice touch and especially if you just need one more reason to smooch.
Christmas Decoration Tip #6: Working with wreaths
Don’t forget to place a beautiful green wreath on the front door of your home. Make sure to add a red bow for a brightening touch! Artificial wreaths will last year after year, but real wreaths do have a wonderful scent. If you want to add wreath’s to the windows in your home, consider purchasing a magnetic wreath hanger. This type of hanger comes in two parts – one goes on the inside of your home and the piece with the hook will go on the outside. These hangers have been around for years, but they are steadily beginning to gain in popularity. The magnets are so strong that they can work through doors and windows, which is ideal for hanging wreaths on the outside of your home without the fuss of a traditional plastic wreath hanger, which drapes across the top of your door.
Christmas Decoration Tip #7: A perfect fit
When choosing a Christmas tree, make sure to measure the preferred location from side to side and from floor to roof. You will want to make sure that perfect tree fits when you bring it home. Artificial trees are easy care, but a real tree requires plenty of water.
Christmas Decoration Tip #8: It’s all about tradition
It’s nice to start a family tradition by decorating your tree on a certain day each year. Perhaps after Thanksgiving dinner, the whole family can spend the evening dressing their home for Santa.
Christmas Decoration Tip #9: Shop smart
Make sure that all electric decorations are UL listed to ensure that they have been tested for quality and safety. Don’t forget to unplug everything before you leave home or go to bed at night.
Christmas Decoration Tip #10: Say Cheese
Always remember to have plenty of film and batteries for the camera. Now that you have the perfect decorations, don’t forget to capture them on film.
About The Author
Rosie Fletcher
For more great Christmas decoration related resources check out http://decorations.christmashub.com
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Delicious Christmas Puddings
Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings
by: Amy Tylor
Pudding Recipes given here are easy to cook and absolutely delicious. Properly made Christmas puddings will be extremely tasty and make your Christmas celebrations a memorable experience. Enjoy these Puddings with your loved ones during this Christmas.
Christmas Pudding (1).
Ingredients of Christmas Pudding:-
1 lb. raisins (stoned), 1 lb. chopped apples, 1 lb. currants, 1 lb. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. mixed peel, chopped fine, 1 lb. shelled and ground Brazil nuts, 1/2 lb. chopped sweet almonds, 1 oz. bitter almonds (ground), 1 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 oz. mixed spice and 6 eggs.
Instructions:-
Wash, pick, and dry the fruit, rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, beat up the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together; if the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. Fill some greased basins with the mixture, and boil the puddings from 3 to 4 hours.
Christmas Pudding (2).
Ingredients:-
12 oz. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. currants, 1/2 lb. raisins, 1/2 lb. sweet almonds, 1 doz. bitter almonds, 3/4 lb. moist sugar, 3 oz. of butter, 2 oz. candied peel, 8 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of spice and 1 teacupful of apple sauce.
Instructions:-
Rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, wash, pick, and dry the fruit, stone the raisins, chop or grind the almonds, beat up the eggs, mixing all well together, at the last stir in the apple sauce. Boil the pudding in a buttered mould for 4 hours, and serve with white sauce.
Christmas Pudding (3).
Ingredients:-
1 lb. each of raisins, currants, sultanas, chopped apples, and Brazil nut kernels; 1/2 lb. each of moist sugar, wholemeal breadcrumbs, wheatmeal, and sweet almonds and butter; 1/4 lb. of mixed peel, 1/2 oz. of mixed spice, 6 eggs, and some milk.
Instructions:-
Wash and pick the currants and sultanas; wash and stone the raisins; chop fine the nut kernels, blanch and chop fine the almonds, and cut up fine the mixed peel. Rub the butter into the meal and breadcrumbs. First mix all the dry ingredients, then beat well the eggs and add them. Pour as much milk as is necessary to moisten the mixture sufficiently to work it with a wooden spoon. Have ready buttered pudding basins, nearly fill them with the mixture, cover with pieces of buttered paper, tie pudding cloths over the basins, and boil for 4 hours.
Christmas Plum Pudding (1)
Ingredients of Christmas Plum Pudding:-
One cupful of finely-chopped beef suet, two cupfuls of fine bread crumbs, one heaping cupful of sugar, one cupful of seeded raisins, one cupful of well-washed currants, one cupful of chopped blanched almonds, half a cupful of citron, sliced thin, a teaspoonful of salt, one of cloves, two of cinnamon, half a grated nutmeg and four well-beaten eggs.
Making of Christmas Plum Pudding:-
Dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of warm water. Flour the fruit thoroughly from a pint of flour; then mix the remainder as follows: In a large bowl put the well-beaten eggs, sugar, spices and salt in one cupful of milk. Stir in the fruit, chopped nuts, bread crumbs and suet, one after the other, until all are used, putting in the dissolved soda last and adding enough flour to make the fruit stick together, which will take all the pint. Boil or steam three to four hours. Serve with wine or any well-flavored sauce.
Christmas Plum Pudding (2)
Ingredients:-
2 cups ground suet, 2 cups bread crumbs, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 2 cups sugar. 2 cups seeded raisins. 2 cups currants, 1 cup finely cut citron, 1 cup finely cut figs, 1 tablespoon finely cut orange peel, 1 tablespoon finely cut lemon peel, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground mace, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 cup water or prune juice and 1 cup grape or other fruit juice
Instructions:-
Mix thoroughly all dry ingredients and add fruit; stir in water and fruit juice and mix thoroughly. Add more water if necessary to make stiff dough. Fill greased molds 2/3 full, and steam two or three hours. This pudding should be prepared and cooked a week or more before used. Before serving steam one hour and serve with hard, lemon or foamy sauce.
About The Author
Amy Tylor is recently appointed as the webmaster of Christmas Directory http://www.ecommercedealers.com/christmas/. They publish informative articles on unique christmas gift ideas.
February 19, 2008 No Comments
Eggnog Cookies
Eggnog Cookies – Great Fun for the Holidays
by: Debi Geroux
There is nothing more fun during the holidays than to pull our your favorite cookie recipes and take the afternoon baking with the kids. Of course, it’s always MORE fun when you have an easy to make cookie recipe that produces delicious holiday cookies. Eggnog cookies fit the bill at holiday time when eggnog is in abundance.
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Cream sugar and butter until light. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake 20 to 23 minutes until bottoms turn light brown.
Recipe yields 6 dozen.
About The Author
Debi Geroux is the President of Purple Kitty LLC, an online retail business, and webmaster of http://www.PurpleKittyYarns.com and http://www.OurSoaringEagle.com which brings you craft ideas, free patterns, recipes and unique gifts.
February 19, 2008 No Comments
