Easy Holiday Recipes

I am having an x-mas dinner at my house on the 23rd with a few of my close friends.. anyone willing to share some of their favorite winter recipes? ; )

My fondest memories for Christmas dinners (aside from the turkey) always included Waldorf Salad:

My mom never wrote down the recipe but here’s one that includes the same ingredients she would use (minus the lettuce). Some recipes include grapes, spices, etc. This is just a very simple version but it’s so refreshing.

Merry Christmas!

A quick survey of my friends showed the usual New Year resolutions.

• Lose weight
• Spend more time with the family
• Get the kids eating healthier food
• Save money
• Pay off the credit card
• Travel more
• Take up a new hobby

Sound familiar?

What if I told you that the key to nailing your New Year resolutions this year is as simple as making a commitment to eating at home with the family?

“Too easy!” you say, “So what’s the catch?”

The catch? No catch, you just have to cook the meals yourself.

Not convinced eating at healthy home cooked meals will solve all these problems?

Let me show you in more detail:

Lose weight: You have more control over food you prepare at home. You’re less likely to go overboard on the carbs and you can watch the fat, salt and sugar content too. Go for fresh, simple food and do as little to it as you can. Combine this with a gentle exercise routine of say, 30 minutes brisk walking a day, and the weight problem will virtually solve itself.

Spend more time with the family: We’re all so busy these days, but if you can make a house rule that everyone is home at a certain time for dinner (at least some of the time), then you get the value of sharing a meal together as well as sharing some time together. This is made all the more special because you’ve prepared the meal yourself. In fact, get the kids involved and teach them some valuable skills while you are at it.

Get the kids eating healthier food: As you take care of your own resolution to lose weight the kids will benefit too from the healthier food. The only difference is that active kids and teens need more carbs than you do, so give them a serving of low GI brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or wholegrain bread.

Save money; Pay more off the credit card; and Travel more: I’ve lumped these three together because they can all be solved the same way. That is, once you are regularly eating at home, buying unprocessed foods, and not forking out a fortune on fast food and take out, you’ll notice a welcome side effect on your budget. You’ll be starting to save money. Money you can put away for a ‘rainy day’, put on the credit card, or save for a decent holiday. Every little bit helps, and in my experience raw fruit and vegetables and other unprocessed foods are much cheaper to buy than food that just needs to be heated and served.

Take up a new hobby: I think you’ve probably already guessed where I’m heading with this one! Yes, why not join the fastest growing movement in the western world and really get into cooking your own food! You don’t need to produce restaurant quality food every night. Who needs that kind of pressure! All you need is to allow yourself to enjoy food, fresh food, with as many of your senses as you can muster, and share the enthusiasm with your family.

Oh, and a source of easy dinner recipes never goes astray. I can help out there too, so be sure to check out my website for heaps of free recipes as well as tips on healthy eating.

So, what are you waiting for? Will you be going to next years New Year’s Eve party knowing that you’ve failed to keep your resolutions again?

Or are you going to enjoy ticking them all off this year? You’ll never have to make a resolution again…or you could have some fun cultivating a whole set of new vices!

 

Nerida Murray
http://www.articlesbase.com/main-course-articles/how-easy-dinner-recipes-can-help-you-keep-all-your-new-year-resolutions-743054.html

Ingredients

• 1/2 (3 pounds) large watermelon, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup watermelon flavored 70 proof vodka (recommended: Smirnoff Twist of Watermelon)* see Cook’s Note
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• Special equipment: 16 (1/4 cup) ice pop molds, 16 wooden pop sticks or wooden coffee stirrers at least 2-inches longer than the molds.

Directions

That are fun and easy enough for a 6yr old to help with.

Here are some ideas I found for you. There are pictures of them on the Kraft website. Halloween is a choice!! Have fun and enjoy!!

Jack-o’-Lantern

3 RITZ Crackers
1 Tbsp. KRAFT EASY CHEESE American Pasteurized Cheese Snack
1 tsp. apple peel
3 parsley springs

SPREAD crackers evenly with cheese snack.
CUT apple peel into small pieces for the jack-o’-lanterns’ eyes, noses and mouths. Arrange on crackers as desired.
ADD parsley for the pumpkin stems.

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“Eyeball” Cupcakes

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted (4 to 4-1/2 cups)
24 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks
24 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 tube (19.28 g) red decorating gel

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Spoon evenly into 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Spread evenly onto tops of cupcakes.
PLACE 1 fruit snack on top of each cupcake. Add 1 candy-coated chocolate piece to center of each fruit snack for the eyeball. Draw squiggly lines with decorating gel from the eyeballs to outsides of fruit snacks to resemble eyeball veins.

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Halloween Spook Cookies

2 squares BAKER’S Premium White Baking Chocolate or BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
6 NABISCO Cookies, such as NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, CHIPS AHOY! Real Chocolate Chip Cookies and NILLA Wafers
Decorations, such as decorating gels, assorted candies and chewy fruit snack rolls

MICROWAVE chocolate in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min., stirring after 45 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
COAT cookies with melted chocolate. Place on sheet of wax paper, then decorate as desired (see Tips below).
LET stand until chocolate is set.

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Witches’ Brew for Kids

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Black Cherry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup blueberries
3 qt. (12 cups) prepared KOOL-AID Orange Flavor Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Mix, chilled

FOR Hand: Dissolve black cherry gelatin in 1-1/2 cups boiling water, stirring 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
FOR Eyeballs: Meanwhile, dissolve orange gelatin in 3/4 cup boiling water, stirring 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour into round or square ice cube trays. Refrigerate until thickened but not set. Insert a blueberry into the center of each gelatin eye ball. Refrigerate until completely set.
TO Assemble: Trace outline of small hand on piece of paper. Cut out pattern, then place on top of cherry gelatin. Cut around the pattern with a small sharp knife. Carefully pull hand away from pan. Place hand in punch bowl, allowing the fingers to hang over the side of the bowl. Arrange the eyeballs around the inside edge of the punch bowl. Gradually pour in the prepared drink. Serve immediately.

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I make this all the time…it’s so good!! (It’s not spicy at all either!)

Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
Ground nutmeg to taste

COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter and milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin and spices; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
ADD pasta; toss lightly. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Popcorn Balls

12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Gelatin, any flavor
1-1/2 cups PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, coarsely chopped

PLACE popcorn in large bowl.
MIX syrup and sugar in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Add peanuts.
POUR over popcorn; mix well. Cool about 5 minutes. Shape into 18 balls, each about 3 inches in diameter.

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Trick-or-Treat Banana Pops

6 medium bananas
12 wooden pop sticks
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. multi-colored sprinkles

CUT bananas in half crosswise. Insert pop stick into cut end of each banana half. Place on tray; cover. Freeze 3 hours or until firm.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into tall glass.
DIP frozen bananas into chocolate mixture, turning to evenly coat. Immediately roll in sprinkles. Place on wax paper-covered tray. Serve immediately. Cover leftover pops and store in freezer.

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Caramel-Dipped Apples

5 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 bag (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels (about 50)
2 Tbsp. water

INSERT wooden pop sticks (from bag of caramels) into stem end of each apple. Cover large plate with wax paper; grease paper with butter. Set aside.
PLACE caramels in large saucepan. Add water; cook on medium-low heat until caramels are completely melted, stirring constantly.
DIP apples into melted caramel until evenly coated, spooning caramel over apples if necessary. Allow excess caramel to drip off. Scrape bottoms of apples, then place on prepared plate. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 15 min. before serving. Store leftover dipped apples in refrigerator.

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OREO® Caramel-Dipped Apples

5 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels (about 50)
12 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 square BAKER’S Premium White Baking Chocolate, melted
Yellow and red food coloring (optional)

INSERT wooden pop stick (from bag of caramels) into stem end of each apple; set aside.
PLACE caramels and 2 Tbsp. water in large saucepan; cook on medium-low heat until caramels are melted, stirring frequently.
DIP apples into melted caramel, spooning caramel over apples to coat. Roll in chopped cookies, pressing cookies gently into caramel to secure. Place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet; let stand 25 minutes or until caramel is set.
STIR 4 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring into melted white chocolate to tint orange. Cool 15 minutes. Drizzle over apples; let stand until firm. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Here are a few from Food Network…

Green Ghoulade
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

2 (6-ounce) cans limeade, frozen concentrate, thawed
3 cups lemon-lime soda
3 1/2 cups green sports drink
Green food coloring
Ice
Whipped cream, for topping
Candy sticks or sipping straw, optional

In a pitcher, combine limeade, soda, and sports drink. Add 5 drops of food coloring, or until desired color green, and stir. Add ice and pour ghoulade to each glass. Place whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe it on top of each glass. Garnish with a fun straw or candy stick.

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Gum Worm Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Cupcakes:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 1/2 cups cola
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil

Frosting:
2 cans ready-to-spread white frosting
20 drops yellow food coloring
10 drops red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Garnish:
48 candy worms
1/2 package chocolate cookies, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place cupcake papers in muffin pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, cola, eggs, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl often. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on cooling racks before frosting.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine frosting, food colorings, orange extract and sifted powder sugar. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag or zip-top bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round decorating tip. Pipe the frosting on the cupcake by starting at the outside edge, circling twice and than working toward the center.

Finish cupcakes by sticking 2 candy worms into frosting and sprinkling tops with crushed cookies.

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Witches Fingers
From Food Network Kitchens

1 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
Pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup grated Cheddar, (about 4 ounces)
1 large egg yolk
Whole unblanched almonds
Kosher salt

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until the butter and sugar melts. Remove pan from the heat and sift the flour into the pan. Stir the dough together with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and stir constantly until pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, and beat until cooled, about 2 minutes. Add the cayenne, and whole eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each 1 thoroughly before adding the next. Mix in the mustard and cheese.

Put 1/4-inch plain tip in a pastry bag, and spoon the dough into the bag. Pipe 3 1/2-inch long thin finger-like shapes onto prepared pans. Beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and dab or brush the tops of each witches’ finger with it. Lay an almond on the end of each witches finger so that it looks like a nail, sprinkle fingers with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking until the fingers are golden brown and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack.

Technorati Tags: easy holiday recipes, easy recipes, Holiday Recipes

I’m looking for some unique bread recipes to make with my Turkey feast. I have a bread machine and I also enjoy traditional recipes. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin cranberry bread is always a hit, and you can make it a couple days ahead.

I’ve also baked this in a muffin pan for brunch Thanksgiving morning. Bake at same temp, but start testing for doneness after 15 min or so.

You could also make a compound butter by blending softened unsalted butter with some pumpkin pie spice.

Technorati Tags: easy holiday recipes, easy recipes, Holiday Recipes

I’m looking for perhaps a pudding or easy tart that I can make. Something simple because I’m making a fairly complex meal to go with it. The meal will be asian but the dessert doesn’t necessarily have to ‘match’ the cuisine.. it’s not a formal dinner party.

Go out to www.foodnetwork.com and have a field day.

Sainsburys has loads of great deals coming to you this Easter, the first one being for roast beef which will be sold at half price! Watch Jamie Oliver prepare a delicious Roast Beef recipe that is sure to make your Sunday lunch!

For more recipe ideas and further deals visit: http://www2.sainsburys.co.uk/food/mealideas/easter/easter_meal_planner

Duration : 0:0:21

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Technorati Tags: Easter Deals, Jamie Oliver, Roast beef, Roast Beef Recipes, Sainsburys, Sunday Lunch

I’m looking for some cool halloween recipes. As we all know halloween is coming up. It’s my favorite time of the year.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, these are great!

Pumpkin Pasties

http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/samhain07/pumpkinpasties.htm

There a whole bunch more Hogwarts recipes here:

http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/recipes.html

How to make turkey soup. Here’s a great recipe for the last of the leftover turkey. This recipe also uses the turkey carcass, adding extra flavor that you can’t find in a can.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, 1 chopped and 1 finely diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 turkey carcass
4 cups of chicken stock
4 cups of water
1 bay leaf
couple of peppercorns
2 sprigs of parsley
1/2 tbsp of thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Pull apart any leftover turkey meat with your hands, really working the bones to find the remaining secret sweet meat.
2. Cook the onion, carrot and celery in extra virgin olive oil over moderately high heat, stirring for 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are golden.
4. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the turkey carcass, chicken stock, water, bay leaf and peppercorns.
6. Make a bouquet garni by tying fresh parsley and thyme in a little bundle so that you can remove it easily later on.
7. Bring everything to a boil.
8. Then lower to a simmer and cook for about and hour.
9. Remove large pieces of the carcass and strain the soup back into a skillet.
10. Heat over medium heat.
11. Add the turkey and diced carrots and season with salt and pepper.
12. Simmer the soup and skim any froth or fat as it rises to the surface.

Visit HolidayKitchen.TV for step by step instructions and to buy the DVD!

Duration : 0:2:36

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Technorati Tags: christmas, cooking, holiday, Leftover, recipe, soup, turkey, video

I’m looking for great holiday recipes there are so many out there it’s hard to know whats good. I was wondering if someone had an old recipe they like to make and would share it
WOW! thanks for all the great recipes they sound heavenly:)

Sausage, apple, cranberry stuffing—–Very Yummy!!!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
3/4 cup turkey stock
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

Pumpkin bars— good!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the pumpkin. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually blend in sugar, then beat until smooth. Spread over cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into squares.
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Pumpkin, apple cobbler—- simple, & good.

INGREDIENTS
8 small Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup pumpkin butter
1/2 (14 ounce) package pumpkin quick bread mix
8 tablespoons butter
sweetened whipped cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the apples and pumpkin butter. Spread evenly in a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Pour the pumpkin bread mix into a bowl, and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the apples.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the apples are tender enough to insert a fork. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Sweet potato bake—–Yummy!!!!!

INGREDIENTS

2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon orange zest

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, cover the sweet potatoes with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; transfer to a food processor and puree.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the ginger, margarine, sugar, and orange peel. Allow margarine to melt and mix ingredients together well. Add the puree and swirl together. Serve warm