Easy holiday recipes

Well Thanksgiving is over, the leftovers are gone, and Christmas is just around the corner. All of us will be busy decorating, shopping, and watching our time and pennies. Here are a few dishes that might help you. Take care and relax as much as possible…I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes

Spiced Peach Halves from Canned Peaches (Beautiful on greens around baked ham.)

2 cans peach halves (29 ounce size)

1 ½ cups sugar

¾ cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons whole cloves

6 cinnamon sticks (short ones)

Drain peaches and reserve liquid. Put peach liquid in a pot and add the sugar, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove cinnamon sticks. Pour hot liquid over the peach halves, cover, and let set overnight. Save cinnamon sticks to re-use. Peach halves can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Easy, Cheap, Sponge Cake from my email Buddy…Tipper

4 eggs separated

1/4 cup water

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup plain flour (all purpose)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, set aside. Using an electric mixer beat egg yolks until they are frothy-then add water and beat for 10 minutes (you cannot over beat). After the 10 minutes of beating-add sugar a little at a time-mixing well. Whisk together flour and salt and fold into egg yolk mixture… Fold egg whites into batter; add lemon extract and stir gently. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until done. The recipe didn’t say to-but I turned the cake upside down-with the pan resting on a jar and let it cool for an hour just like Angel Food cake Recipes tell you to do. Remove cake from pan and serve as is or with strawberries and fresh whipped cream…I like to let the cake rest overnight (covered). Using a thin blade, long serrated knife or very thin fishing line slice cake into four layers. Stack accordingly: Place bottom layer cut side up and cover with sliced, sweetened strawberries, repeat with layer 2 and cover with blue berries, repeat with layer 3 and cover with sliced, sweetened peaches, top with the 4th layer and cover the entire cake with whipped cream or thawed, frozen whipped topping. At my house this is known as Fresh Fruit Cake. You can substitute other fruits as well as vanilla pudding and bananas. It is an especially good desert for New Year’s…agnes)

White House Bean Soup

1 pound of white navy beans, washed and soaked overnight or washed several times in warm water and soaked for about one hour ( Can omit this process and purchase the dry beans that have been canned. Use 5 to 6 cans.) If dry beans or used proceed as follows. However if the canned beans are used, cook the ham for 2 to 2 ½ hours in a covered pot on simmer. Remove ham and proceed from there. To the soaked beans add:

1 ham bone from a baked ham (If using canned dry beans do not add here.)

2 quarts water

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp black pepper

Cook until beans are tender. Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Discard bay leaf. Put ham bone aside to cool. Skim off any fat. (If you are using canned dry beans add them here). To the cooked beans add:

1 small onion, chopped

2 good size carrots, sliced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

2 large potatoes, diced

Slowly bring to a boil and add some of the extra little bits of ham that were not on the bone. Simmer until the vegetables are done and the potatoes and beans are beginning to thicken soup. Add the ham that was on the bone. Salt to taste. Serve with corn bread and a salad.

Potato Soup

In a large soup pot melt 1 stick of butter and add the following:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 rib celery, minced

Cook for a few minutes and add: 8 cups cubed potatoes; salt to taste; and enough cold tap water to come to the top of the potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender and add: 1 quart milk and slowly bring to a boil. Quickly reduce to simmer and add ½ cup of plain dry coffee creamer. If too thick — add more milk. If too thin — carefully add a few instant potatoes to thicken. About 15 minutes before serving, add 2 – 3 cups grated cheddar cheese, and serve with corn bread.

NOTE: For potato corn chowder, add 2 cans of cream style corn when you add the milk.

The following makes use of the Stems left from casseroles or vegetable trays:

Cream of Broccoli Soup: Wash three large heads of broccoli (You can use several large stems. Just peel and cut in large chunks and process as with the broccoli heads.). Put in a saucepot with some water, salt and margarine. Cook till tender. Drain, but save the water. Save some of the florets and put the remainder in the blender along with the reserved water and blend. In a large saucepot, melt ½ cup butter and sauté until tender 2 tablespoon chopped onion and 3 ribs of celery, minced. Stir in ¼ cup flour and add 4 cups chicken broth, continue stirring and bring to the boiling point. Add pureed broccoli, florets and 2 cups scalded half-and-half. Season with a pinch of nutmeg, paprika and salt (if needed). Stir in 2 – 3 Cups grated cheddar. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on top as you serve.

Broccoli Slaw:

Peel the stems of the broccoli and grate on the coarse side of the grater. Grate some carrot and add to the broccoli. Add a little chopped green onion, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, salt to taste, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes and toss together. Add enough mayonnaise, Original Ranch Dressing, or cabbage slaw dressing to resemble cabbage slaw. Serve as you would slaw or as a side dish.

Gifts for teachers:

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments: Mix 1 cup applesauce and 12 ounces cinnamon into shapes or flatten and cut with cookie cutter. Make a small hole in each to insert hanger. Let dry several days and put in oven at 175 degrees for 30 minutes. Attach hanger. These ornaments smell so good.

Apple-Pepper Jelly: In a small sauce pan, heat one half pint jar of apple jelly and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper. Stir constantly. Stir in 6 drops red food color. Immediately strain into hot clean jar. Cover with lid. Refrigerate no longer than 1 month. Delicious over cream cheese with crackers.

Always make sure that your number of landings equal the number of take offs you make.