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the best part of any holiday is the food. growing up, & even now as an adult, ham is always the star of our easter meal. i thought i'd pass along one of our family's favorite ham recipes, borrowed from our good friends art & peggy.
ham a la art & peggy
1 whole ham: wash, cut off fat & cut slices in the top.
cover the entire ham with mustard & bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
after baking, dump the grease.
then, mix the following ingredients together & pour over the ham:
2 cans of whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup to 1 cup of water
2-3 Tbsp. mustard
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar
after you've poured the mixture on the ham, return it to the oven & bake at 350 degrees, until the ham is done (approximately 1-2 hours), basting every 15 minutes.
& although, ham may be the star, we all know no easter meal would be complete without loads of sides & desserts. our menu hasn't been finalized, but here are some of the recipes i'm drooling over...
ham & asparagus quiche
honey yeast rolls
layered tortellini spinach salad
maple whipped sweet potatoes
raspberry asparagus
carrot souffle
sweet spinach salad
home cooked pole beans
deviled eggs
& if you're not in the mood for ham, this spring stuffed chicken sounds yummy!
1-2-3-4 lemon cake
grandma's carrot cake
lemon freeze with raspberry sauce
so what are you hungry for this easter?
image via wikimedia
maybe you're like me & you just realized today was april fool's day. i guess i should publicly apologize to my boy's here, for not being very "on the ball" these days. it's okay though, that's the great thing about april fool's, most of the best tricks & pranks require very little to no planning. so if you are looking for a few quick & easy gags check out some of these:
martha stewart's list of 13 pranks
family fun's mega list of pranks
& my personal favorite prank ever
hope you get 'em good!
image via martha stewart.
last year i posted instructions for one of my personal favorite valentine's treats to make & give... this year we snapped a few photos while making them for gavin's pre-school class, so i thought a little tutorial was in order.
step one: gather your supplies. you will need all the ingredients for your favorite rice krispie treat recipe (i always stick with the "basic" recipe which calls for 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups of marshmallows, & 5 cups of either regular or chocolate rice krispie cereal), aluminum foil, pam or other cooking spray, funnel, wax paper, a plastic baggie & your "strips of love"
step two: make the rice krispies. i always use the microwave... way faster & a bit easier, but that's just me. microwave butter & marshmallows on high for 1 minutes in microwave-safe, very large mixing bowl. stir to combine. (it helps to spray the bowl with cooking spray or grease with oil beforehand so the marshmallows won't stick.) microwave at high 1 minute longer. stir until smooth. add cereal. stir until well coated.
step three: spray your funnel with cooking spray & spray the outside of the plastic baggie (it'll keep your hand from getting all sticky). using the plastic baggie as a glove press rice krispie mixture into the funnel & then place molded rise krispie kiss on waxed paper. you may need to shape them a little more to make them look like kisses. repeat until you have used all of your rice krispie mixture. (any sized funnel works... just depends on how big or small you want your kisses.)
step four: tear off a square of aluminum foil & spray a little cooking spray on it (to keep the rice krispie from sticking to the foil, or you can first wrap the "kiss" in saran wrap, your choice). place a "kiss" in the center of the foil & then wrap it up to look like a kiss.
step five: be sure to add your "strip of love", & viola! you've got yourself some rice krispie kisses.
& if you want to get really fancy, you might want to think about dipping the "kiss" in some chocolate prior to the foil wrapping... just a thought.
you might also want to check out last year's felt fortune cookies... they were yummy too.
still needing something special for your friends & neighbors? but, you don't exactly want to break the bank & you need it asap? check out THIS post HERE. maybe you'll find some inspiration.
image via elle's studio.
a couple of weeks ago i got the boys all gussied up for a date with the big man himself... santa claus. & as the story goes, "he was dressed all in fun, from his head to his foot, & his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; a bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. his eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! his droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; the stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; he had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. he was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf". unfortunately, that's where our story takes a turn - instead of laughing when owen saw him, he cried, & cried hard.
later that afternoon i found owen asleep on the floor. i guess you could say he was tuckered out... being terrified of santa must have exhausted him. the funny thing is, now, every time & everywhere he sees santa, he gets all excited. even if the pictures this year didn't exactly work out, we do have proof that owen hasn't always been so scared...
2007
2006
more holiday baking going on in these parts. last time we kept it simple, this time around we are getting fancy. just kidding, these are super easy too. however there is some chocolate dipping involved. but seriously, it's not complicated... my 3-year became our designated chocolate dipper - it's that simple!
first of all, gather your supplies: nutter butter cookies, white chocolate baking chips or mini marshmallows, white chocolate for melting (you can use candy melts or white chocolate baking chips), mini m&m's, granulated sugar (optional), red sprinkles (the granulated sugar kind), red hots & some wax paper.
next, melt your chocolate using a double broiler, or using the microwave (my personal pick). then grab the center of your cookie & dip, baby, dip. the top portion is going to be santa's hat - so dip that a 1/4 or so of the way in, & the bottom is going to be santa's beard - so dip that a little less than 1/2 way. but don't worry about specifics... just do what you think looks good.
lay your cookies down on wax paper & sprinkle the top half (santa's hat) with the red sprinkles (if you leave just a touch of white chocolate peeking through it looks like his hat has a bit of a furry trim), & if you'd like, sprinkle his beard with the granulated sugar to give it a little extra "sparkle".
now, add a white chocolate chip, or mini marshmallow (i usually cut the marshmallow in half), in an off-center position on santa's hat for his pom pom. & using a little white chocolate, glue on some mini m&m's for eyes, & a red hot for his nose. & finally, after all that hard work, you've got your finished product.
trust me, these will be a BIG hit at your house. EVERYONE will be volunteering to help. just make sure to have some extra supplies on hand, because i'm sure there will be some nibbling involved.
ho! ho! ho!
so i've heard of pixie dust, but until yesterday afternoon, i had no idea what magical reindeer dust was. but now, i know we'll be making lots & lots of reindeer dust in the near future...
magical reindeer dusts consists of:
1 cup sugar
1 cup instant oatmeal
1 cup glitter (or, if you live in an area with lots of "non-magical" creatures, you might want to substitute sprinkles for the glitter)
mix everything together & package with the following poem/ instructions:
the legend of magical reindeer dust
it has once been said,
that right before you go to bed.
you should sprinkle magic reindeer food,
to quickly bring Santa and his brood.
for many years the legend has been told,
to boys and girls, both young and old,
sprinkle the food throughout your yard,
then finding your house won’t be so hard!
the reindeer can smell the food for 100 miles,
just do not leave it in big piles!
after you do this you must go to sleep very fast,
so Santa and his reindeer will not pass!
we started off the holiday baking with a little something that required absolutely no baking. actually, to be absolutely honest, very little was involved other than eating lots of mini m&ms, and a few oreo cookies, because they are super easy! but, in the end, our tummies were very full & we had a plate full of cute little snowmen. so now, to get you in the holiday mood, i present oreo cookie snowmen...
to start, gather your supplies... white fudged covered oreo cookies (yep! you read that right. you don't even have to dip the oreos in chocolate. i told you it was easy!), black & orange decorating gel, and if you want to get really fancy - mini m&ms, but those are totally optional.
step one: with your orange decorating gel draw a little sideways, triangular squiggle for the carrot nose.
next, using the black decorating gel, add two eyes & a mouth. then, ta da! your done. see... i told you it was easy. but if you want to get fancy... you could always add some accessories. perhaps some mini m&ms ear muffs (check out the very first picture. see that little guy sporting the yellow ear muffs?), or use the decorating gel to add a little scarf, the possibilities are endless.
bet you can't make these, without getting frosty the snowman stuck in your head. have fun & be sure to eat an oreo or two for me.
so, i was pulling together a list of my all-time favorite christmas reads & i thought i'd share. maybe you'll find a story or two that will become a new family favorite, or perhaps you'll re-discover one you had forgotten about. here's a few books & stories i'm looking forward to sharing with my family this year. if i've missed any of your favorites, please share! i'm always on the lookout for something new.
the tale of the three trees
the polar express
teach the children the true meaning of christmas
how the grinch stole christmas
why christmas trees aren't perfect
the night before christmas
olive, the other reindeer
the christmas orange
the max lucado christmas collection
christmas nails
a special place for santa
m&m christmas poem
the christmas miracle of jonathan toomey
the white envelope
the giving tree
santa's prayer
it's december 1st... time for the christmas countdown to begin. i love me a cute advent calendar, & there are so many to choose from. i still love THIS one, luckily i picked it up last year. but THIS cookie sheet advent calendar has defiitely caught my eye, as well as THIS "advent in a box".
so how do you countdown? add a new ornament to the tree each day? celebrate with a small gift or special treat? read a different christmas book each night? last year we started the tradition of doing an "activity based" advent calendar. sometimes our "activities" are big outings & sometimes they are just little things, but we try to do something a little special, every single day... spreading christmas cheer throughout the entire month. so here's this year's list:
1. write letters to santa
2. watch: how the grinch stole christmas
3. go to disneyland
4. go christmas tree shopping
5. attend a christmas tree lighting
6. ride the irvine rail roade christmas train
7. read: the tale of the three trees
8. make hot chocolate floats
9. watch: the nightmare before christmas
10. start our own "white envelope"tradition
11. have a picnic dinner by the christmas tree
12. dana point harbor boat parade of lights
13. ding dong ditch christmas treats
14. read: the christmas orange
15. gingerbread house
16. watch: white christmas
17. make home-made bread for hot chocolate & toast
18. newport beach boat parade
19. have breakfast for dinner
20. have a fondue/ candy cane dipping party
21. read: why christmas trees aren't perfect
22. drive around to see the neighborhood christmas lights.
23. watch: elf
24. sing christmas songs, tell the story of the true meaning of christmas, & read the christmas story
here's to a happy holiday season! it's definitely one of the happiest times of the year!
image via flickr.
we had our early, mini thanksgiving last night. & although i was only cooking for the four of us (2 of whom, or should it be 2 of which? either way... two of them are 3 & under). anyway, there were so many delicious sounding recipes, we ended up with a quite a feast. on the menu?
1981 holiday bacon appetizers
brown sugar smokies
craisin apple salad
easy, breezy, no fuss turkey
creamed corn
brown sugar-glazed carrots
cream cheese mashed potatoes
although everything was oh so tasty, i think my favorite was the salad. it kinda tasted like candy. the funny thing? the salad was a total accident. i started out with every intention make THIS salad. but i forgot some of the ingredients for the salad dressing. luckily i had the ingredients for THIS one on hand & amazingly, it tasted sooo delicious (& the colors were so pretty). so here's the recipe:
craisin apple salad
1 bag of baby spinach, wash & dried
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked until crispy & crumbled
1 green apple, cored & thinly sliced
1 small bag of craisins
small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
candied pecans (or almonds), for candy-ing how-to go HERE.
mix the salad ingredients & add the following dressing just before serving:
poppy seed dressing
2 T poppy seeds
3/4 apple cider vinegar
2 cups light salad oil
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
combine in a jar, shake well & let sit
image via here.
THESE bad boys are always a hit. anything that involves munching on oreo's is definitely a winner. i think the boys & i ate just as many as we made. want to make your own oreo cookie turkeys? then grab your supplies & let's get crafting. all you'll need is: double stuff oreo's, whoppers malted milk balls, some candy corn, & a toothpick or two.
step 1: twist one oreo cookie apart, trying to keep all the "cream" on one side of the cookie. lay the cookie half with the cream, chocolate side down... this will be the base of your turkey.
step 2: take a second oreo & place the entire oreo on it's side (so it sticks straight up in the air), wedged into the "cream" base.
step 3: in front of the oreo that is laying on it's side, place a malted milk ball for the turkey's head.
step 4: insert several candy corn, points down, into the cream filling of the oreo cookie that is standing on it's side, making feathers.
step 5: use the white tip of one of the candy corns for the beak & "glue" it on to the malted milk ball using a little oreo cooking cream.
step 6: finally, using a toothpick, dab some oreo cookie "cream" dots onto the malted milk ball for the eyes.
i've been busy planning my early thanksgiving. last year i posted about some of my favorite recipes, you can read all about it HERE. this year i'm getting inspiration from some new faces & places. check out what some of my new "friends" (& few of my old friends too) are recommending...
ina garten's dinner for 20
martha's classic thanksgiving menu
paula's southern thanksgiving menu
food network's thanksgiving menu(s)
chow's thanksgiving menu for 6
the pioneer woman's thanksgiving recipes
cafe johnsonia's thanksgiving recipes
hope you find something tasty to inspire your own thanksgiving menu!
image via here.
i know, i know... my blog's becoming more of a recipe blog than anything else. (sorry to the few friends & family who read in hopes of catching a glimpse of the boys & what they are up to.) but, we don't really "do" thanksgiving. don't get me wrong, we definitely celebrate thanksgiving, there just isn't any cooking involved on my part. for as long as i can remember, actually only since i was in college, but it really is all i can remember, we've been out of town during the thanksgiving holiday. sure the hotels tend to put on a nice party, but sometimes i miss whipping up a big feast. so, i compensate by celebrating the "festivities" all month long.
anyway, so i went off on a tangent there, sorry. but i've got a tasty recipe for you here. don't be fooled by the name, my entire family LOVED it.
pumpkin dump cake
1 can (30-ounces) pure pumpkin
3 cups evaporated milk (about 2 cans)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 yellow cake mix (rumor has it that it's tasty with a white cake mix too)
1 cup chopped pecans
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 sticks of butter, melted
mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger, eggs, sugar, salt & cloves together well. pour into a well-greased 9x13 pan. sprinkle with cake mix & drizzle with melted butter (try to cover all of the cake mix with butter), then sprinkle with the pecans. bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
in my personal opinion (which i know doesn't really count for much), i think it tastes best when it's well-cooled, & topped with cool whip or vanilla bean ice cream (those little black specks are the best!).
after THIS veggie tray was such a hit with the kiddos, i decided to try it again... thanksgiving style. i wish i had realized earlier that the key to getting my boys to eat their vegetables willingly, was yummy dip & some "fancy" display-work on my part. tom the turkey was such a winner, i'm sure he'll be back to visit us on several occasions this month. he'll probably even make an appearance at a party or two!
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