The "here is what I always make to eat at Christmas" thread..

[BuzzardsWife]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Ya, we make that some years too. We're going to have a boat load of relatives staying with us at Christmas this year, so thanks for bringing it up. We'll have to make it this year for sure.

My contribution to this thread is ... I make Rusty Nails every year at Christmas, and only at Christmas. It's my equivalent of egg nog.

Edit: Here's a link for Christmas Morning Lifesaver recipe, also called Christmas Morning Wifesaver:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,195,1...225195,00.html

There is also a good recipe for it in the red Best of Bridge book..the original one. I use the stuffed french toast wifesaver from the green Best of Bridge (or yellow maybe)

[metallicat]

I don't have a recipe, but my mom and aunt always used to make eggs benedict for breakfast on Christmas morning. Also, for whenever the family gets together, my grandma makes little pieces of thick bread with cheese and bacon on top. VERY simple, but it is something that as kids we used to go bonkers over.

[pope04]

Originally Posted by BuzzardsWife

There is also a good recipe for it in the red Best of Bridge book..the original one. I use the stuffed french toast wifesaver from the green Best of Bridge (or yellow maybe)

My wife, while unable to tell me how exactly it was different from Ford's posted recipe, informed me that she uses the Best of Bridge recipe as a template.

[redforever]

My kids always want this waldorf fruit salad whenever I make a turkey or a roaster chicken.

Waldorf Fruit Salad



Fruits:
1 cup raisins (plumped)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 to 4 apples, unpeeled, chopped bite size (depends on size)
1 to 2 cups grapes, halved, seeded if necessary
1 can mandarin oranges, well drained
1 small can pineapple tidbits, well drained
2 stalks celery, sliced (use pale inner stalks)
2 to 4 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (depends on size)
1 cup pecans, whole, toasted

Dressing:
1/3 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sugar

Heat oven to 350F, spread pecans in a dish, bake for around 8 minutes to toast.

While the pecans are toasting, plump the raisins. I use the dark seedless California variety. Put them in a bowl and add around 1 Tbsp water and stir to coat all the raisins with water. Cover bowl with a saucer or plate and microwave for 20 seconds. Leave covered in the bowl for about 15 minutes to plump.

Put your plumped raisins, the lemon juice and all the other prepared fruits in an icecream pail as it is a big enough container that you can toss all your fruits with the dressing. Otherwise, use something of similar size that you can cover and refrigerate. Don’t add the toasted pecans at this point. Stir well to distribute the lemon juice. The lemon juice prevents your other fruits from turning brown. Cover and refrigerate. This can be done up to 6 hours ahead of time. Prepare the dressing, cover and refrigerate. You might have to double the amount of dressing depending on how much fruit you have.

Around one hour before you serve the salad, you can assemble the salad. If there is excess liquid in the salad ingredients, drain it off. Now add the toasted pecans and the salad dressing. Stir well, cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld.

If you have fruit salad remaining, it will keep around 2 days, covered and refrigerated.

Note: I like to use either green apples and red grapes or vica versa. That ensures a nice colorful fruit salad.

[Dion]

Grasshopper Pie Recipe

Ingredients

20 oreo cookies (40 halves), fillings discarded, cookies crushed
5 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup hot milk
24 large marshmallows
1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur - i use a lot more
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Method



1 Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, mix crushed oreo cookie halves and butter. Pat into bottom and sides of 10 inch pie dish. Bake in oven for 5 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, place in freezer to chill.



2 In saucepan, melt marshmallows in milk over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool. Add creme de menthe and mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into chilled pie shell. Freeze for 3 or 4 hours.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Top Shelf

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

This is the basic recipe, I usually throw in some Soy Sauce, and fresh garlic and let marinate over night if I have the time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 16 ounces sliced bacon
• 2 (8 ounce) cans water chestnuts, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; heat just to boiling. Pour sauce over bacon and water chestnuts.
3. Cut bacon slices into thirds. Cut some of the bigger water chestnuts in half. Wrap chestnuts in bacon and secure with toothpicks; place in a 9x13 pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until bacon is completely cooked, about 45 to 50 minutes.

We make those every year as well. The first time my wife told me about them I thought they sounded a bit strange........but my oh my.....they are addictive.

[BuzzardsWife]

Originally Posted by Dion

Grasshopper Pie Recipe

Ingredients

20 oreo cookies (40 halves), fillings discarded, cookies crushed
5 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup hot milk
24 large marshmallows
1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur - i use a lot more
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Method



1 Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, mix crushed oreo cookie halves and butter. Pat into bottom and sides of 10 inch pie dish. Bake in oven for 5 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, place in freezer to chill.



2 In saucepan, melt marshmallows in milk over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool. Add creme de menthe and mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into chilled pie shell. Freeze for 3 or 4 hours.

I just might have to make this soon. To make it simpler..u can buy the oreo cookie crumbs in the baking section.

[notoepik]

My chocolate mint recipe is similar to that pie.

1 small pkg Oreos made into crumbs in food processor. Press into 9x13 cake pan.

2 cup milk
1 16 oz package mini marshmallows
1 pint whippng cream, whipped
1/4 tsp mint extract.
few drops red OR green food coloring

Melt marshmallows in milk over hot water (in a double boiler) Cool. Add flavoring and color. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over crumbs in cake pan. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top. Refrigerate or freeze.

I prefer this frozen rather than refrigerated.

[notoepik]

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates (the boys called these Cholesterol Wraps)

1 pkg regular bacon cut into 1/3 's
1 pkg pitted dates
1 can smoked almonds

Stuff each date with an almond, then wrap with 1/3 slice of bacon. Place seam side down in baking dish. When all the dates are stuffed and wrapped, sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar and a little soy sauce (soy sauce optional) Bake about 30 min in 375 degree over, or until the sugar is melted and the bacon is done.

[notoepik]

Cheese needs to post his Grand Marnier French Toast recipe!

[TSXCman]

Originally Posted by annasuave

Spinach Salad. The secret ingredient is... BACON!

1 bag (or 1 bunch) baby spinach
1/2 pound of bacon
3 green onions - finely chopped
4 eggs (boiled)
6-8 large strawberries - sliced
6-8 large mushrooms - sliced
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
tablespoon of poppy seeds
Sugar to taste
Pepper to taste


Putting some egg-yolk in the dressing acts as an emulsifier and stops the dressing from separating. Bacon makes it goooood.

This is a great thread. This is a great salad as well, my mom whips it up a couple times a year. and we also do the Morning Wifesaver without any peppers though.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Dion

Grasshopper Pie Recipe

Ingredients

20 oreo cookies (40 halves), fillings discarded, cookies crushed
5 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup hot milk
24 large marshmallows
1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur - i use a lot more
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

This sounds good but I think there are a lot of options that you could use to replace the creme de menthe that would be really good also. Almond or coffee flavoured liqueurs would be really good. But I think some Blue Curucao would make a really unique version of this recipe.

[Flash]

Here's one my Grandma taught me to make...they're always really popular at Christmas time.

Ham Pockets

1 pkg. puff pastry
4 slices cooked ham (or about 8 slices of ham from the deli counter)
1 medium onion
3/4 cup medium grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 tbsp. dried
1 tsp. chives
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
salt & pepper to taste

Put ham and onions through a chopper.
In a large frying pan, heat the ham, onion, cheese, parsely, chives, egg yolk, salt & pepper until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.
Let cool.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut into squares or circles.
Put the ham filling into the center, and fold over the edges.
Brush with egg white.
Bake in 350F oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

[Flash]

One more...

Ham & Cheese Ball

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup mayo
2 8 oz. tins flaked ham
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4. tsp. tabasco
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

With an electric mixer, beat cheese and mayo until smooth.
Stir in next 5 ingredients.
Cover and chill several hours.
Separate into 2 medium sized balls, roll in nuts to coat if desired.
Serve with crackers.
Freezes well.

[RogerWilco]

I make reservations.

[Flash Walken]

I make excuses about not having eaten all day.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Nothing.

I usually sleep in.

Scrooge!

[First Lady]

Even when you try to make a gingerbread woman;
fate steps in and makes it a gingerbread man.

[Saint Troy]

We usually do wifesaver that was posted earlier, we also now put our turkey in a brine the day before it goes in the oven. Saw that tall chef from the east coast (Michael Smith?) do it on his show, so we tried and WOW!

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Scrooge!

Why?

Some of us celebrate Christmas Eve. It's tradition in some European countries.