Tag Archives: Christmas Recipe

Holiday Fun with Stephanie Julian

Posted on December 20, 2011 by TBRG| Leave a comment

Today we have Stephanie Julian on sharing on of her families favorite holiday recipes and I have to say after reading the recipe I know for a fact my guys would love it. Stephanie also has a new book out How to Worship a Goddess. 

I’m not much of a cook through most of the year, mostly because I just don’t have the time. I like to bake when I have the time, and my kids love fresh cookies and brownies every now and then, but we really shouldn’t be eating all those sweets anyway, right?

But at the holidays, my inner Giada (I’m a closet Food Network fan, have been for years) kicks in and suddenly I’m buying KitchenAid mixers and Cuisinart food processors and whipping up cookies and brownies and candy and fudge, not to mention making chicken stock for homemade soup and biscuits to go with beef stew.

I blame my mom.

Now she’s a great cook.

Her chicken pot pie, complete with homemade noodles, is legendary. I can’t get close to matching her chicken soup, her pulled pork is divine and her Russian tea balls melt in your mouth.

But it wouldn’t be Christmas (or Thanksgiving or Easter) without my mom’s potato filling.

My guys gorge on it until they’re sick. My husband has been known to horde it. My father-in-law sits by the bowl and growls at anyone who gets near it.

Yes, it’s that’s good.

I’ve never attempted my own version, mostly because I know I wouldn’t get close to my mom’s and I would never hear the end of it.

Someday, I know it will be up to me to make it. But for the next twenty years (I hope), Mom’s potato filling will be made by Mom herself.

 

Mom’s Potato Filling

Five pounds of potatoes

Two stalks of celery, chopped fine

One medium onion, chopped fine

Half a bag of bread cubes

Half stick of butter

1 ¼ to 1 ¾ cups of half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Saute onions and celery until soft while potatoes boil.

Bake bread cubes in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, until dry.

Mash potatoes with butter and 1 ¼ cups of half and half. Stir in bread cubes, onions and celery and add more half and half if the mixture gets too stiff.

Salt and pepper to taste. Dot with butter and put in the oven on warm until ready to eat.

 

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Holiday Fun with Delilah Marvelle

Posted on December 15, 2011 by TBRG| 1 Comment

The first time we went to RomCon we had never heard of Delilah, that soon changed and I now count her as a good friend. In fact my oldest has crush on her daughter, but shh don’t tell him I said anything. She sent us these amazing cookies that I can’t wait to try. 

I have three all time favorite Christmas movies I simply would never be able to chose from:
Elf (OMG), A Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 edition), and the ever glorious It’s a Wonderful Life.  I cry throughout each and every one of these and HAVE to watch them all every single year at least once (though it ends up being 3-4 times each)
As far as Christmas music goes:
Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You
Bing Crosby’s White Christmas
Eartha Kitt’s Santa Baby
Christmas Apricot Sage Cookies:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 C butter
2 TBS snipped sage, lemon thyme or Rosemary
3 TBS milk
1 egg white
1 TBS water
Fresh sage leaves
sugar
2 TBS apricot preserves
Directions:
1.) In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar & cornmeal.  Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and clings.  Stir in herbs.  Add milk and stire with fork to combine.  Form mixture into a ball and knead dough until smooth.  Divide dough in half.
2.) On a highly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness.  Using a 2 1/2 inch round cookies cutter, cut out dough.
3.) In a small bowl combine egg white and water.  Brush half of the cookies with the edgg white mixture.  Place a small sage leaf or two on each cookie.  Brush leaves with egg white mixture.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4.) Bake in 375 degree oven for about 7 minutes or until edges are firm and bottom are lightly browned.  Transfer onto wire racks.
5.) Spread apricot preserves on the bottom of each cookie without a safe leaf.  Top preserves layer with a sage topped-leafed cookie, bottom side down.
Makes 16 sandwich cookies

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Holiday Fun with Ashley March

Posted on December 14, 2011 by TBRG| 1 Comment

Ashley has got to be one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. She is the spearhead of the Romance Biggest Winner. We had to have her on to share one of her favorite holiday recipes.

Here’s my favorite holiday recipe. =) (Note: these are addictive. We might need to put a warning out there to the RBW competitors. ;)
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients:
Ritz Crackers
Creamy Peanut butter
Vanilla flavored (white) almond bark
Directions:
To melt almond bark:
Break bark into squares with knife.  Place into a microwave safe glass dish.  Microwave a few squares for 30 seconds at a time.  Stir well.  Continue to microwave for 30 seconds at a time until completely melted.  Be careful not to burn bark!
To make cookies:
Sandwich two crackers together with a generous amount of peanut butter.  Press together so peanut butter spreads to edge.  Use your fingers to wipe off any excess that squeezes out.  Using tongs, dip crackers into melted almond bark.  Place on foil or waxed paper to harden.

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Holiday Fun with Elisabeth Naughton

Posted on December 13, 2011 by TBRG| 2 Comments

One of the people I love to talk to on twitter is Elisabeth Naughton, she is a ton of fun and loves the same movies as me. I had to ask her to share her favorite holiday treats with us and also her favorite holiday read. 

Your question got me thinking…you know, I don’t know that I’ve ever read a holiday themed romance! How out of it am I? When I was younger I used to get all excited about the holidays but the older I get, the more work they seem! Maybe what I really need is a good holiday themed romance to get me in the mood!
My favorite holiday goodie though is easy…
Tea Time Tassies (Like mini pecan pies…heaven!): 
TEA TIME TASSIES
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter, unsalted
1 c. flourFILLING:

1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix cream cheese, butter, and flour together and chill until firm. Form pastry into 24 (1 inch) balls. Press into cupcake tins; fill with filling. To prepare Filling: Mix together egg, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Use half of nuts in bottom of each pastry shell. Add egg mixture to shells and top with remaining nuts. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

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Holiday Fun with Jessa Slade

Posted on December 9, 2011 by TBRG| 3 Comments

To meet Jessa is to love her. We happened to meet her the first year we went to RomCon. She has since become a great friend to us here. Now if you follow Jessa on twitter you know that she loves chocolate. So when she shared her holiday recipe complete with picture I almost licked my phone. These are so good I’m just going to turn this over to her.

I’m a lazy holiday baker. Or maybe I’m being unfair to myself; I’m a BUSY holiday baker. Everybody’s busy, right? So here’s my lazy/busy baker best.

Creamy Mint Brownies

One box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix: Yes, it’s a box! Remember, we’re busy. Plus, once you dress it up, nobody will notice it’s from a box. Other box mixes would probably work, but I like the Duncan Hines because it’s usually 99 cents at my store. Also, it makes a 13×9 pan which is better than an 8×8 pan by about… uh, I can’t do the math because I’m too busy. Make the brownies following the directions for “more fudge-like brownies” which take only 2 eggs instead of 3. (Thus saving time AND money!) Make sure not to over-bake; dry brownies are a drag and a little gooey is good.

For added chocolateyness, I sometimes mix in Nestle Toll House mini chocolate chips. Totally unnecessary, except when isn’t more chocolate necessary? I use the mini chips because big chips or chunks can overwhelm the batter.

Once the brownies are baked and completely cool, you add the creamy minty layer.

Mint layer:
3 tablespoons of softened butter*
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar**
1 teaspoon of real mint extract*
2 tablespoons of milk

* Get good ingredients. Not margarine, not mint “flavored.” I know, I know, it’s a box mix; but to disguise the boxiness, you need the extra oomph of good quality additives.

** A lot of recipes that use powdered sugar say you should sift it first to get out the lumps. Whatever! We’re busy!

Use a hand blender to mix all ingredients into a creamy frosting consistency. Add extra sugar or milk to thicken or thin the mix as
needed. Spread in an even layer over the cooled brownies. Put pan in refrigerator so the mint layer gets a bit of a crust on it. While the
mint layer is hardening, make the chocolate layer.

Melt together 1/2 cup of chocolate chips/chunks/bars* and 2
tablespoons of butter.

* I really like the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Dark. You get a lot of chocolate — decent quality and not too sweet, which is a good
contrast to the sweet brownie and mint layer — for a respectable price. It’s scored into squares so it’s easy to break and melt. And
eat.

Let the melted choco mix cool a little bit, then spread on the minted brownie. Be careful when you spread the chocolate; its warmth will
soften the mint layer and you don’t want to mingle the layers. Once the chocolate layer has hardened a bit, just cut into squares and
eat!*

*If you want to get fancy and festive, you can mix up another batch of the mint layer, and use a cake decorator bag, poultry injector, etc. to pipe decorations on the top of the brownies. The sugar layer sets up crusty and holds its shape fairly well. Or use chocolate curls,
those are fun too.

I find there is sometimes not enough chocolate at Thanksgiving and Christmas because everybody is focused on the pumpkin and pecan, eggnog and ginger. But in the middle of the earthy tones of the holiday table, these little dark and light mint brownies squares look quite elegant.

Favorite holiday story:

“The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen

And this is one time when you need to read either in hard copy or on a big color tablet because you MUST read the story from the book STORIES FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY EDMUND DULAC. In this case, it was as much the beautiful images from Dulac as the story that delighted me as a child.

But the story itself is wonderful for the winter season. From the imagery of the swirling hoar frost to the northern adventures of a
brave girl, it was everything perfect for reading to myself on a snowy night in Chicago waiting for hot cocoa and Christmas morning!

 

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Holiday Fun with Beth Williamson

Posted on December 8, 2011 by TBRG| 1 Comment

Today Beth Williamson (also known as Emma Lang) is sharing her favorite holiday recipe and stories..

Favorite story? Little Drummer Boy. Favorite Rankin and Bass Christmas movie? The Year without a Santa Claus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Year_Without_a_Santa_Claus)

I like this recipe because it’s so simple and does not require a mixer.

Pumpkin Bread
(Makes 2 loaves)

Preheat oven to 350

3 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1 cup oil
5 eggs, beaten
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
Nuts (optional)

Grease loaf pans. Mix together all dry ingredients with a spoon. Blend in water and oil, then mix in beaten eggs. Blend in pumpkin. Fold in nuts.
Divide batter between pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

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Holiday Fun with Melissa Schroeder

Posted on December 6, 2011 by TBRG| 1 Comment

Today Melissa Schroeder is sharing one of her favorite holiday recipes with us. I love recipes that have been handed down as they make for a sweeter holiday.

This is an old Czech recipe that has been handed down in our family and is included in The Write Ingredients from Samhain.

Favorite books, hmm, I love to read some books set in the winter. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas comes to mind. I also love to dig into Harry Potter that time of year. I do have favorite movies to watch. A Christmas Story plays all day in our house when TNT does the 24 hours of it, but I also love The Ref, Dennis Leary at his sarcastic best with a great supporting cast. For the first time in more than a dozen years, we are making a trip back to be with our family this holiday. I can’t wait to have a serving or three of these nut rolls.

Grandma Bodnar’s Nut Rolls

 

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup lukewarm milk

2 eggs

3 envelopes yeast

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 cups flour

 

Filling (mix together):

1-1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 egg white

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble yeast into warm milk. Add to rest of dough ingredients and mix well until hands are clean from dough. Let rise 1 hour in a warm place. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick and spread with filling, not too close to edge. Roll up and seal all edges so filling doesn’t leak out.  Let rise 1 hour again. Bake and brush with butter. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

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Holiday Fun with Melissa Mayhue

Posted on December 5, 2011 by TBRG| 2 Comments
Today we have Melissa Mayhue sharing one of her families favorite holiday recipes with us. I have to say after reading this recipe I may be changing my fudge recipe. 
As far as favorite Christmas reads, I have to shame-facedly [not a word, but it should be] admit that I don’t have a book I re-read each Christmas.  There are so many new books I have waiting their turn in my TBR piles, I have very little time for re-reading.  Now, if we want to talk about a Christmas-themed book that made enough of an impression on me that I still love it, I do have one of those.
Christina Skye’s CHRISTMAS KNIGHT is one of my all-time favorite stories.  Of course, I don’t think Christina has written a romance that I haven’t read!
Now for my recipe:
This fudge is something my mother made every single Christmas for as long as I can remember.  She didn’t stop making it until well into her 80′s and by then my sons expected me to start!   It’s one of those foods that actually transports me to the holidays.  One taste and my brain BELIEVES it is December.  :-)
Christmas Candy
3 1/2 cups white sugar
13 ounces evaporated milk
1/4 pound butter
24 ounces Hershey bars, plain, broken into small pieces [any combination of bars to equal 24 ounces total]
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
1 pound chopped pecans
16 ounces marshmallow creme
2 Tablespoons vanilla
Combine milk, sugar and butter in a large pan.  Boil at medium heat to soft ball stage.  [I recommend a candy thermometer].  Stir in Hershey bars, chocolate chips, vanilla, marshmallow creme and pecans.
Mix well and pour into large buttered pan [like a 9" x 13" cake pan].
Cool and cut into squares.  Makes approximately 5 pounds of rich, smooth, delicious fudge!
Wishing you ALL the happiest of holidays!!!

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Holiday Fun with Katharine Ashe

Posted on December 1, 2011 by TBRG| 1 Comment

One of the best things with being a reviewer is discovering new to us authors. One of those authors we recently discovered and had on the blog is Katharine Ashe. We had so much fun we had to have her back to share her favorite holiday recipe.

Warm thanks to my lovely hostesses for inviting me to join their holiday fun.

 

My favorite Christmas movie is It’s A Wonderful Life. With romance, true goodness, heartache, high drama, a nasty villain, abiding love, and the wonder of Christmas magic, it makes me laugh and weep with joy every year.

When it comes to Christmas books, I’ve never forgotten a marvelous story I read years ago, a novella set in the Regency era. In it, a war hero—scarred both inside and out—returns home for the holidays and falls for the girl who has always adored him. It was deliciously romantic. The trouble is, I cannot for the life of me remember the title or the name of the author! If anybody can fill in my awful memory blank, I’ll send you a signed copy of my SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS (featuring lots of yummy Christmas adventure, including a steamy mistletoe kiss).

 

And now for the recipe… My favorite holiday cookies are decadently elegant and fit perfectly into pretty little tins to give as gifts. I love secret identities; all the heroes of my books have them—just like these cookies: nobody realizes they’re made with Hershey’s Kisses! I usually make them while watching one of my favorite old Christmas movies and sipping a cup of creamy tea. Kids love to help with this recipe too.

 

Chocolate Kiss Dreams

1 cup butter (the recipe allows for margarine, but the flavor begs for butter!)

2/3 cup white granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa (the fancier the better, so I often splurge on a tin of imported Pernigotti cocoa from Williams-Sonoma)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 bag Hershey’s Kisses, wrappers removed

Powdered sugar

 

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. Stir together flour and cocoa; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Add pecans; beat until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 375˚F. Mold scant tablespoon of dough around each chocolate Kiss, covering completely. Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, about 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll in sugar again just before serving if desired. Makes about 4 ½ dozen cookies.

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Holiday Fun with Shiloh Walker

Posted on November 9, 2011 by TBRG| Leave a comment

Today we have Shiloh Walker sharing one of her favorite holiday recipes with us. I have to say that these sound delicious and I will be making them at some point in the next couple of weeks. 

Okay, so this recipe would have to be credited to “Shiloh Walker’s Mom…” LOL.  It’s not mine but it’s a recipe I tend to think of when the holiday’s roll around.  She makes it a lot.

HE-MAN MEATBALLS

MEATBALLS:
3 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs (can substitute with saltine crackers)

In a separate bowl, mix your ground beef, egg and bread crumbs. Mix together and shape into meatballs about 1.5-2 inches. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until done). Drain any grease accumulation.

SAUCE:
1 medium onion (diced)
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon garlic
3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 sugar
Small bottle of ketchup (14-16 oz.)
1/2 cup water

Saute diced onion in butter until soft.
Add and stir in salt, pepper and garlic.
Add and stir Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup sugar.
Add and stir entire bottle of ketchup and water.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Mix occasionally to avoid sticking.

Mix meatballs and sauce together simmering on low heat for another 20-30 minutes.


As for my favorite holiday story that I read…I don’t have one, but I have plenty that I watch, usually with my kids.  Some of our favorites include the old classics like Rudolph, The Year Without A Santa Claus, Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey and I really fell in love with Disney’s version of A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey.

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