Month: December 2018

It’s that time of year to spread a little holiday cheer. I used to do a whole lot more holiday baking, but I still make a few things. Christmas jam is a standard because it’s so easy to make, is a nice festive red, and it’s really tasty. It’s also foolproof.

I vow to never make plum jelly again. I made some that didn’t jell. Dumped it back in the pot, added more pectin, and I still have many jars of what could only be plum pancake syrup. Sigh! So I’m sticking with my Christmas strawberry/cranberry jam.

I also have a few standing orders for rum cake. Nothing fancy there, it’s the ancient Bacardi rum cake recipe. But it’s about as good as a cake can get, is super moist, and lasts for days. Plus did I mention it’s full of RUM?

It remains to be seen what else crawls out of my kitchen this holiday season. I made some good old oatmeal cookies this morning. I was grocery shopping with Mr. Man the other day and he decided he needed oatmeal cookies. I’m not one to keep anyone from their dreams, so we bought some oatmeal. I patiently waited for several days, thinking maybe he was going to make his cookie dream come true, and I could just swoop in and help myself. But noooooo. He outlasted me. I finally gave up and made them myself.

Other possibilities this season include chocolate covered brandied cherries, chocolate covered brownie bites, fudge, assorted cookies, cheesecake, toffee, caramels….. Just gained 20 pounds thinking about it. Maybe I should take a pass. Or maybe not. We’ll see……

A little late to reflect on Thanksgiving, but it’s  a busy time of year. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, it’s a mad rush to get everything done and try to keep from gaining twenty pounds. I’ll be an epic failure at that last one.

I did the whole Thanksgiving feast this year, and how did I survive? PLAN AHEAD!

I cooked everything myself. Dinner was ready at 1:30. And how did I spend my morning? Washed my hair. Had a leisurely cup or two of coffee while I watch a Hallmark Christmas movie. Played some computer games. No kidding. It was a very relaxing day, because I did absolutely everything ahead of time.

A couple of weeks before, I made sweet potatoes and stuck them in the freezer. The longer they sit in that sauce getting delicate, the better they taste. I just put then in the fridge to thaw out a couple of days ahead of time.

Two days before, I made the things that would keep: Noni’s Italian cake, chocolate Kahlua bundt cake, and carrot cake. The day before I made pumpkin pie, apple pie, mashed potatoes, dressing, roasted brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, and the infamous green bean casserole. Prepped stuff for a salad bar and set the table the table too.

Thanksgiving morning, we shoved the turkey in an oven bag, and put it in to bake at 8:00. Then I had nothing to do until I started sticking things in the oven at noon. It was awesome.

Why eat so early? Well, a few people have to go to another house for dinner that night. But mostly it’s because our Thanksgiving tradition requires “Second Meal”. No matter how miserable we are, nobody can go home until we drag out all the leftovers and go at it again. Most heat up plates of their favorite stuff. I require a cold turkey sandwich with lots of mayo and salty Ruffles potato chips with rrridges. We all have our traditions, so don’t poo poo ours.

Of course I was too busy fixing food to take time to take any pictures. Some of the recipes I used are already posted. I’ll post the rest without photos and you can just imagine they look good. Maybe next time I fix them, I’ll remember to take a picture. But don’t hold your breath.