Holiday Blog

By One

December 10, 2007 9:52 AM | Link to this

BBQ!!!!!!!!!

By FCM

December 10, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

1 lb. burger 1/2 lb mild sausage (Jimmy Dean/Tennesee Pride), 1/2 lb hot sausage (Jimmy Dean/Tennesee Pride), (COOK and DRAIN all 3 items above) add 1 can Rotel tomato w/green chiles, and 2 lbs velveta (melted)…Keep Hot and serve with chips. That may not sound like much but to a lucky few in the 80-90’s that meant Christmas was under way…..gosh I miss that party (but not the people since I still see them when I have a chance!). Now days, I make it up and we eat it as we set up the tree.

We will bake cookies the weekend before Christmas…this is another traditional food I cannot have the holidays without. Thanksgiving with Boiled Custard and Pecan Pie…..Christmas Eve with Heavenly delight, Christmas Morning with homemade Cinamon Rolls/Sticky Buns (we made both), Christmas night with a Prime Rib, New Years eve with something spicy, and New Years Day with the traditional stuff…..but it just isn’t the holiday ‘Season’ without that cheese dip mixture, carols, candles, and a tree glowing………true it is better w/friends as the night grows dark (7-whenever the invite usually said). (There were tons of other delicious foods at the party too….fresh smoked venison, quail, brisket, & turkey—-done by my Dads—no they aren’t gay-, swedish meatballs, various vegetables, dips and breads.)

By Denise

December 10, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this

Stuffed eggs aka devilled eggs.

By JJ

December 10, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this

FCM You had me until Velveeta (nasty). I cannot stand that stuff…….but I know it’s good in recipes. ha ha

We have our traditional cookie party this coming Sunday. My daughter, some of her friends, a few neighbors, and a few of my friends will be making and decorating cookies. We were at at Pier One this weekend, and picked up some Gingerbread cookie mix and there was a gingerbread Woman cookie cutter attached to the box. Then, I ordered some Chocolate Chip Cookie Cough from one of the neighborhood kids and that was delivered Friday night. I will purchase Pillsbury Sugar Cookie rolls and roll it out for the kids…….we also bought a bunch of decorations this weekend at Kroger. The Kroger in Suwanee and their grand re-opening and a ton of stuff was on sale yesterday!!!!

By Aurora

December 10, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this

My favorite holiday food is my mother’s Christmas Eve dinner. Standing Rib Roast with Au jus, brocolli-rice casserole (no velvetta - but Cheese Whiz), dinner rolls and REAL butter, green beans, and a nice salad. AND don’t forget the pumpkin pie and fresh whipped cream!!!!!

My mouth is watering……

By FCM

December 10, 2007 11:13 AM | Link to this

@JJ— LOL—this is the only thing I eat w/Velveeta in it!!!! Maybe the other stuff disguises the taste.

I do make a broccoli cassarole with Velveeta that co-workers and family rave over—-however I don’t eat it.

Happy holidays to you and yours—-enjoy the cookie fest….I think we will deliver some of the ones we make too (stealing your tradition)….it will allow us lots of fun baking, lots of variety to eat, and not lots of leftovers.

By JJ

December 10, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this

FCM We make brocolli rice casserole with Cheese Whiz, like Aurora. And her mother’s dinner sounds delicious……

You have fun with your cookies too. I can’t wait I am so excited. I think we have about 20 people coming over Sunday…..

By Jen

December 10, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

My favorite things to make and see at parties:

And that’s the menu for my open house on Christmas Eve!

By JJ

December 10, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

Jen LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cream cheese with the “pick-a-pepper” jelly…that’s a staple at every party I have……

Don’t forget the Baileys!!! I put it in my coffee every weekend, and especially Christmas morning!!!

By Scott

December 10, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Pretzels covered in white chocolate, chocolate covered peanut butter balls and Rum cake.

By FCM

December 10, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

Scott the buck-eyes (chocolate covered peanutbutter balls) are part of the mandatory cookie prep for holidays at my house. Sugar cookies too, snickerdoodles, oatmeal Rasinette, double chocolate chip, and the peanutbutter with chocolate kisses in the middle, hmmm might need to re-think the Raisinettes—too much chocolate?—-NAH! It’s the Hols.

@Jen—funny you mention the Sausage Balls….I am making them for a potluck tomorrow. The aforementioned party I recalled had an Adult punch you might like for your party: Freeze some peaches in a ring…..in a punch bowl add equal parts champagne and gingerale…plus one bottle peach brandy/schnapps and use the frozen peaches as the aid to keep it all cold…keep replinishing the champagne and ginger ale.—-careful it packs a heck of a punch——-let’s just say there were very few church attendees the day after this bash (since it was always on a Saturday night) . My Mother always puts out the cream cheese pepper jelly for any party. YUM! I forgot about it.

JJ— Bailey’s was another favorite of hers. Might have to try that in the coffee this Christmas.

By JJ

December 10, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this

FCM You and I need to get together. I think we have alot in common….. ;)

My package store, they have the cutest little four pack of Bailey’s. One mini bottle will net me three cups of coffee.

By LydiasDad

December 10, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

Speaking of Christmas, to those who say there is no War on Christmas:

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=776

More PC nonsense from the anti-Christmas police.

By Becky

December 10, 2007 3:02 PM | Link to this

Everything that has been mentioned sounds great..I’m not big on the cheese whiz though..I will be baking a rum cake, chocolate ship cookies & several other types..Not real sure yet..I make my own salsa & give to friends..Hope that all have a very Merry Christmas..

By Noelle

December 10, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this

I’m partial to pigs in blankets myself. I could eat an entire platter if I didn’t know better. :)

I also love white chocolate cranberry cookies, which are the basic Nestle Toll House cookie recipe with white chocolate and dried cranberries substituted for the semisweet chips and nuts. Very yummy and very popular!

By cathy lee

December 10, 2007 3:21 PM | Link to this

my favorite dish is honey baked ham, potatosald, and fresh green beans and freshly baked rolls .yum yum

By Rosie

December 10, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this

Not really party food but my holiday favorites include Orange Slice candy, coconut candies (can’t remember the official name), and the soft-stick peppermint candy as well as the box of assorted flavor candy sticks - my Grandmother and my Mother always made sure we had these around. I can only find them at Burger’s between Marietta and Woodstock. Sort of old fashioned candy that are still favorites!

By katrina

December 10, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this

JJ you call it “traditional” but all your cookie mix is purchased! full of preservatives and everything else to give those kids cancer. mixing it yourself would take probably less time and be so much better - use real butter, sugar, etc. instead of corn syrup and chemicals!

By FCM

December 10, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this

I think JJ means her party is a tradition….although I see nothing wrong with her purchasing doughs.

I am notorious for making HORRIBLE cookies when I try to do it from scratch….we would give them to the dog but we like the dog…..My Mother often mixes up the doughs and sends them to me—I still get warm cookies from the oven that way!. However, since I am better at cakes and breads than she is I tend to make those (including baking) and she utilizes them….plus it cuts back on both of our baking chores (ok so I bake more but fresh from the oven cookies are so worth it).

The fact that JJ wants to make memories is the important part and makes it the best of traditions!

By HB

December 10, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

Cheese straws and toasted pecans — yum! Both homemade, of course — really easy recipes, so no excuse for store-bought. And I’m with Katrina on the cookies — mixing the dough from scratch takes 10 extra minutes at most and the difference in taste is tremendous. Why bother baking your own if you’re not making them from scratch? If you really want to go to the trouble to bake packaged dough into cookies that taste just like the ones made in a factory, more power to you, but it’d be a lot easier to just buy a bag of chemically preserved treats.

By FCM

December 10, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this

@ Lydia’s Dad: I am not a big fan/supporter of Wooten (or really any other op-ed columnist in the paper)however several years ago (2001? 02? 03?) I cannot recall what year….I believe it was he who wrote a piece that I put up in my office for quite sometime. It was talking about how they take Christ out of Christmas every year…he had the (sarcastic I am sure) idea of putting a Candy Cane in all the natvity set Jesus’ hands….thereby making them secular displays instead of theological ones….Of course his main point what similar to what you posted in the link. You might like that column if you can find it in the archieves or maybe the paper will re-run the column.

By Lynne

December 10, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

In the first dip mentioned with sausage, rotels, etc. - you can substitute cream cheese for the Velveeta and it’s delicous!

By RS

December 10, 2007 6:39 PM | Link to this

One year I took spinach dip to an office potluck before Thanksgiving, and that became my requested dish every time had anything at the office. So this year when Thanksgiving rolled around I was no longer working there, but I thought “I should be eating spinach dip right about now”, so I had to make some!

By Jennifer

December 10, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this

My family must-have Christmas cookie is Spitzbuben, German almond butter cookies with raspberry jam filling. I also usually make Baklava, turtle cookies (cookies with chocolate icing and pecans), bourbon brownies (with lots of bourbon!), traditional decorated sugar cookies, lemon bars, and caramel date cookies. (When my kids were small, they decided that the dates in the caramel date cookies look like roaches, and they still refer to them as “Roach Cookies!” ) Other holiday yummies are cheese twists, spanokopita, roasted veggies, and a big antipasto tray.
And don’t forget the fudge - you can never have too much chocolate! Also, since I grew up with lots of Jewish neighbors, I learned to make Hanukkah latkes, so I try to get my annual latke fix (never have been able to make them like my neighbor back home!)

By JJ

December 11, 2007 7:38 AM | Link to this

Katrina Don’t know if you are trying to stir up anything here, but I have been using packaged cookie dough for years. No cancer here. But thanks for the thoughts. And with 20 people coming over, I don’t really have time to make dough from scratch, not to mention two Christmas parties I am attending this weekend.

FCM Thanks. And yes, I am passing the tradition on, which started with my Grandmother. I am now passing it on to my daughter, to the 4th generation. And with 20+ people coming over, I don’t really have time to make dough from scratch. It’s the memories that matter. 10 years from now no one will care if I used scratch or rolled dough.

Merry Christmas!!!

By Becky

December 11, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this

FCM, I like that Rotel dip, too. Chop up some cilantro & add, it’s delicious & adds some color. This blog has made me want to go to the kitchen and make fudge right now.

By FCM

December 11, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

mmmmmmm…thanks Becky I may make this again for Christmas Eve and will try the cilantro then…….oh and incase anyone thinks it makes to much….this Rotel stuff freezes well and tastes great on baked potatoes.