Holiday Meal Plans

Holiday Baking 2019

Dear Sis,

This year Mama Jenn and I decided to join forces! We scheduled 5 play dates and made 2 kinds of dough each time we get together. We are also going to make 2 kinds of candy. Here is what we plan to make:

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

We made a double batch and added one bag of milk chocolate chips and one bag of holiday M&Ms.

Perfect Sugar Cookies

This dough is so versatile. It can be rolled dyed and shaped into pinwheel cookies, or rolled in color sugar or cinnamon sugar to make snickerdoodles! I made snickerdoodles this time:)

Cranberry Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

We didn’t soak our dry fruit, so the cookies would be less tender.

Gingerbread Cut-Outs

Cranberry Citrus Shortbread

Macaroon Kiss Thumbprints

Maple Pecan Snowballs

Peanut Butter Cookies

We are still on the hunt for the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe that is WORTH repeating!

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

I won’t be making these again either.

Chocolate Mint Burst Cookies
Yields 48
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 c unsalted butter, soft
  2. 1 c dark brown sugar
  3. 1 c granulated sugar
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 T vanilla extract
  6. 2 t peppermint extract
  7. 1/2 t salt
  8. 1 t baking soda
  9. 3 1/2 c unbleached flour
  10. 48 Junior Mints or mini York peppermint patties
  11. 1/2 c white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Beat together butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and extracts.
  2. Stir in dry ingredients until well combined.
  3. Preheat oven to 350.
  4. Using a cookie scoop to portion dough, place a mint candy in the center of each ball and hand roll to seal completely.
  5. Bake on sheets 9 minutes. Cool on sheets a few minutes until set enough to move to wire racks to cool completely.
  6. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Let stand until set before stacking and/or storing.
Adapted from Sugar Hero
Adapted from Sugar Hero
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Peppermint Bark

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

Mint Oreo Truffles

Reece’s Peanut Butter Fudge

William was laying on the floor with the babies and we thought… wouldn’t it be nice if we could get all the kids in the picture. Carter was not eager to join in:)

Love,

b

Passover Seder 2019

Dear Sis,

Today was a busy day at our house. Daddy decided to make a quick trip home while the simulator was down at airplane school. Papa Carmin drove to the airport to pick him up so we could stay behind to greet Papa Jeff when he arrived.

Papa Jeff stopped for a few hours, along the drive home, from a job. He and Daddy arrived just in time to help Papa Carmin move the Consew into the truck so he can bring it to you:) We had lunch together before Papa Jeff had to finish the drive home.

Seder Menu

Susan’s Marinated Lamb with Garlic Cream Sauce

Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Apple Sauce

Matza/Kosher Grape Juice/Seder Plate

I wasn’t able to find lamb chops at our local grocery, so we used stew meat. We marinated it as usual, but panfried it instead of grilling it. It was just as yummy:)

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets
  2. 1/4 c olive oil
  3. 1 t garlic powder
  4. 1/2 t salt
  5. 1/4 t pepper
  6. 1/2 c grated Parmesan
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. In a 9x13 inch casserole dish, toss together cauliflower, oil, and seasonings.
  3. Bake 15 minutes. Stir and return to oven 10 minutes more.
  4. Mix in Parmesan before serving.
Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

We used prepared horseradish because I couldn’t find root form at the grocery store. We used some of our lamb in place of a shank bone, we used some of our dyed boiled eggs in place of a roasted egg, and we used apple sauce in place of Charoset, so that it would be alcohol free.

Over all it was a wonderful day, visiting with all my favorite guys:)

Love,

b

Pizza Hamantaschen

Dear Sis,

These super easy pizza bites are perfect for toddlers at Purim!

We used a packaged refrigerator section pizza dough to save time and effort. 

We got 1 dozen 2 1/2 inch circles. If we had taken the time to roll out the leftover dough,we would have gotten a few more:)

We placed a dollop of sauce in the center of each dough circle and topped it with one slice of turkey pepperoni, some turkey sausage, and a bit of shredded cheese. Then we folded them into triangles like traditional Hamantaschen cookies and baked them.

We used the temperature suggested on the dough package and just kept a close eye knowing they wouldn’t need to bake anywhere near the suggested 20 minutes:)

Happy Purim!

Love,

b

Traditional Hamantaschen

Dear Sis,

We made traditional jelly filled Hamantaschen cookies in the morning to share with our Jewish neighbors and munch on throughout the day. 

Hamantaschen
Yields 30
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Ingredients
  1. 4 oz cream cheese, soft
  2. 1/2 c unsalted butter, soft
  3. 1/4 c granulated sugar
  4. 1 t vanilla extract
  5. 1/4 t salt
  6. 1 c unbleached flour
  7. 1/4 c apricot preserves
  8. 1/4 c raspberry preserves
  9. 1 egg white, beaten
Instructions
  1. Cream together cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy.
  2. Stir in flour until dough forms. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 min - overnight.
  3. Line baking sheets with parchment.
  4. Full dough on a floured/powdered sugared surface to 1/8". Cut 2 1/2" disks and place on prepared sheets.
  5. Warm preserves in microwave slightly to make more pliable. Fill each cookie center with preservers.
  6. Brush egg white around edges, fold into a triangle, press, to seal.
  7. Chill 30 minutes before baking!
  8. Bake cookies 12 minutes at 350.
Adapted from Saveur
Adapted from Saveur
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
William rolled out a half dozen of his own. They turned out so much like the rest it was hard to tell them apart. My kitchen helper is getting better all the time:) …still pretty messy with the flour though.

Happy Purim!

Love,

b

Gingerbread Cookies

Dear Sis,

Today William and I made Gingerbread. We turned some of them into tree ornaments:)

Gingerbread
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Ingredients
  1. 3 c unbleached flour
  2. 3/4 c dark brown sugar
  3. 1 T ground cinnamon
  4. 1 T ground ginger
  5. 3/4 t baking soda
  6. 1/2 t ground cloves
  7. 1/2 t salt
  8. 12 T unsalted butter, sliced and soft
  9. 3/4 c backstop molasses
  10. 2 T milk
Instructions
  1. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until well combined.
  2. Add butter slices and mix until it is cut into dry mixture.
  3. Gradually beat in molasses and milk. Wrap dough in plastic and chill.
  4. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
  5. Roll dough to about 1/4 inch, dusting with a flour/powdered sugar mixture, as needed. Cut out and place on lined sheets and bake 8-9 minutes. Cool cookies a few minutes on sheets before removing to wire racks to complete cooling.
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
Love,

b

First Night of Hanukkah

Dear Sis,

We made Kugel this morning to kick of Hanukkah. Our recipe makes a 9×13 casserole, which is way too much for just William and I, so we gave half of it to the family across the street that also celebrated Hanukkah:)

Apple Noodle Kugel
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. egg noodles, cooked
  2. 1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
  3. 12 oz cream cheese, soft
  4. 3/4 c + 2 T unsalted butter, soft
  5. 3/4 c + 2 T granulated sugar
  6. 6 eggs
  7. 3 c apples, peeled and chopped
  8. 1/2 t cinnamon
  9. 1/4 t nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Beat together sour cream, cream cheese, 3/4 c each butter and sugar, and six eggs, until smooth. Pour over cooked noodles and stir until noodles are well coated.
  2. Panfry apples with 2 T each butter and sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, until soft and caramelized.
  3. Mix apples into cheese noodle mixture and pour into prepared baking dish.
  4. Bake 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

This year, I have one gift for each night. William really enjoys having his own menorah. I looked at a dozen different foam, plush, and wooden toddler menorahs before I settled on the KidCraft set.

Happy Hanukkah!

Love,

b

Thanksgiving

Dear Sis,

We made way to much food for 2.5 people! …but it is all yummy and leftovers guarantee I don’t have to work very hard the next few days to feed my family. 

William’s eyes got very big when he saw his very full plate and a full set of utensils!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Turkey Breast & Gravy 

Cheesy Potato Casserole & Creamed Corn

Cracker Barrel Carrots & Green Bean Mushroom Casserole

Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole

Homemade Crescent Rolls

1860s Pumpkin Pudding & Pear Pie

We have had this dish at other dinner parties, but we had never tried it ourselves. We decided we like it best without the corn flakes and extra butter. The recipe below includes these preferential adjustments.

Cheesy Potato Casserole
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 28 oz frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
  2. 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
  3. 1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
  4. 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
  5. 1/2 c salted butter, melted
  6. 1 t garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients. Spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  2. Bake 45-60 minutes at 350. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Lil Luna
Adapted from Lil Luna
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Surprisingly, this is a recipe Josh found and made for us a few times. Tonight he was kind enough to share his source.

Cracker Barrel Style Carrots
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 lb. fresh baby carrots
  2. 2 T salted butter
  3. 1 T brown sugar
  4. pinch nutmeg
  5. pinch salt
Instructions
  1. Place carrots in a large saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until soft 30-45 minutes.
  2. Drain two-thirds of the water. Stir in the butter, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Serve warm.
Adapted from CopyKat Recipes
Adapted from CopyKat Recipes
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

 

I’ve always liked the premise of Green Bean Casserole… green beans and mushrooms basking in yummy creaminess. However, I’ve never tasted the perfect balance before tonight. Fresh beans and mushrooms are a must! 

Green Bean Mushroom Casserole
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 lb. fresh green beans, washed & trimmed
  2. 8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
  3. 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
  4. 3/4 c whole milk
  5. 1/2 t ground pepper
  6. 3/4 c fried onions
Instructions
  1. Place beans in a large stock pot and boil until al' dente, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
  2. Stir in mushrooms, soup, milk, and pepper. Pour into a square casserole dish.
  3. Top with fried onion. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Again, I’ve loved the idea on Sweet Potato Casserole, but I’ve never had one that wasn’t too sweet for my liking until tonight.

Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 12
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  1. 3 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  2. 1/4 c half and half
  3. 2 T butter
  4. 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
  5. 1/8 t salt
Pecan Streusel Topping
  1. 1/2 c pecans, crushed
  2. 1/4 c brown sugar
  3. 1/4 c butter, soft
  4. 1/4 c unbleached flour
  5. 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
  6. 1/8 t salt
  7. 2 c mini marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and boil until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
  2. Mash cooked sweet potatoes with remaining ingredients and spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  3. For topping, cream together all ingredients except marshmallows.
  4. Sprinkle 1 c marshmallows over mashed sweet potatoes. Top with broken up bits of pecan streusel. Sprinkle with remaining marshmallows.
  5. Bake casserole 15-20 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden, at 375.
Adapted from Celebrating Sweets
Adapted from Celebrating Sweets
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

I used to make homemade crescents all the time, but haven’t since Josh and I were dating. I’m glad I brushed off this old favorite:)

Homemade Crescent Rolls
Yields 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 c warm water
  2. 1 T dry active yeast
  3. 1/2 c butter, melted
  4. 1/2 c milk or half n half
  5. 1/3 c sugar
  6. 1/2 t salt
  7. 1 egg
  8. 3 1/2 - 4 c unbleached flour
Instructions
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
  2. Whisk together melted butter, milk, and sugar. Beat in dissolved yeast and egg.
  3. Add 1/2 c flour at a time, stirring between additions. Knead until smooth.
  4. Grease dough and rise 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350.
  6. Roll dough into a large circle. Cut into 12 wedges and roll up from the wide end. Shape into crescents and arrange on two baking sheets. Bake 12-18 minutes, until golden and baked through.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

1 fine sweet pumpkin

6 eggs

1/4 pound of butter

1/2 pink of new milk

ginger

nutmeg

1 wine glass of brandy

sugar

paste

Instructions:

Stew the pumpkin till soft and dry; rub it through a sieve, mix with the pulp the eggs quite light, butter, milk, some powdered ginger and nutmeg, the brandy, and sugar to your taste. Should it be too liquid, stew it a little drier, put a paste round the edges, and in the bottom of a shallow dish or place; pour in the mixture, cut some thin bits of paste, twist them, and law them across the top, and bake it nicely.

The Virginia Housewife (1860)

Pumpkin Pudding
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
  2. 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  3. 6 eggs
  4. 3/4 c whole milk
  5. 1/2 c granulated sugar
  6. 1/2 c salted butter, melted
  7. 1/4 c brandy
  8. 1 t ground ginger
  9. 1/2 t ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Unroll pie shell into a pie plate. Piece with a fork to vent.
  2. Place puree into a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  3. Beat in remaining ingredients as listed. Pour into prepared pie plate.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Sweet Crumb Pear Pie
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
  2. 6-8 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
  3. 2 T granulated sugar
  4. 1 T cornstarch
  5. 1/2 t cinnamon
  6. 1/4 t nutmeg
  7. 1/8 t salt
  8. 1 c unbleached flour
  9. 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
  10. 1/2 c unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Place pie shell in a pie plate and piece with a fork to vent.
  2. Toss pears with granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over crust.
  3. For sweet crumb topping, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over spiced pears.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes more. Cool.
Adapted from Mostly Homemade Mom
Adapted from Mostly Homemade Mom
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

b