Holiday Cheer - Eat DRINK and Be Merry

What's a party without punch? Here's two recipes to fulfill the DRINK part of Eat, Drink and Be Merry.  I made the cranberry punch last year, and it is really good!  Who would think you can make punch out of canned cranberry sauce?

Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients:

6 cups apple cider
¼ cup real maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1 orange peel, cut into strips
1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Directions:

Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in a washed square of cheesecloth and fold up the sides to enclose the spices. Tie with a length of string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture. Heat over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until hot, but not boiling. Remove the cider from the heat and discard the spice bundle. Ladle cider into mugs and add a cinnamon stick to each if desired.


Sparkling Cranberry Punch

Ingredients:
 1 1-lb can jellied cranberry sauce
2 ¼ cup hot water
½ cup sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon extract
1 ½ cup ginger ale
Fresh mint
Clove studded lemon circles
Fresh cranberries

Directions:

Heat cranberry sauce and water until sauce is melted. Add sugar and allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice, extract and one cup ginger ale. When ready to serve, add remaining ginger ale. Garnish with mint, clove studded lemon circles and fresh cranberries.

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. - Agnes M. Pharo

Wednesday's Chow - Halloween Treats

Wormy Apples


Ingredients:

6 medium apples, Jonathan or Pink Lady
½ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 (1-inch) strips lemon peel
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash salt
2 tbsp butter
6 t0 12 soft candy worms

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°. Core apples and peel top one third of appl. Place in baking pan.

Combine maple syrup, water, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon and salt in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over apples. Cover loosely with foil.

Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Place 1 teaspoon butter into each apple core. Baste apples with pan juices; cover and cook additional 15 minutes or until tender. Cool.

Cut 1 or 2 small holes from outside of apple through to core. Thread worms halfway through holes. Serve hot or cold.

Putrid Potion


Ingredients:

3 cups lime sherbet
1 cup pineapple juice
1 package (0.13 oz) grape-flavored drink mix
2 cups ginger ale
Frozen seedless grapes (optional)

Directions:

Combine sherbet, juice and drink mix in blender container and blend until smooth. Add ginger ale. Cover and blend just until blended. Add frozen grapes, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes 5 cups.

Holiday Cheer - Sparkling Cranberry Punch and Texas Ranger Baked Eggs

Today, you get two recipes, one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Morning. Merry Christmas!



Here's something for your Christmas Eve get-together. Okay, I haven't made this before, but it looked good and different. Anyone who makes it, needs to let me know how it turned out!





Sparkling Cranberry Punch

Ingredients

1 1-lb can jellied cranberry sauce
2 ¼ cup hot water
½ cup sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon extract
1 ½ cup ginger ale
Fresh mint
Clove studded lemon circles

Fresh cranberries

Directions

Heat cranberry sauce and water until sauce is melted. Add sugar and allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice, extract and one cup ginger ale. When ready to serve, add remaining ginger ale. Garnish with mint, clove studded lemon circles and fresh cranberries.


And for your Christmas morning brunch: Texas Ranger Baked Eggs

Texas Ranger Baked Eggs
From Mariposa Ranch Bed and Breakfast
Brenham, TX

Ingredients

7 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp sugar
4 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup green bell pepper
2/3 cup butter, melted
½ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Dash paprika
Dash ground mustard

Directions
The night before: In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spray a three-quart baking dish with vegetable oil and pour mixture in. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven 350°. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serves 12.

Tomorrow's recipe: Cracker Jack Cookies

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. ~W.T. Ellis