Christmas Goodies

Puppy Chow

I've heard this called "People Chow" too, but I prefer "Puppy Chow" since it really does look like it. Use extreme caution – it’s addictive!

2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 17.5 oz box of Crispix (or Rice Chex)
I small box powdered sugar

Put Crispix in the biggest bowl you have. Melt chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter in microwave. Pour over Crispix and stir gently with wooden spoon until evenly coated. Put powdered sugar in a paper grocery sack. Pour Crispix mix in bag and shake. Pour into large bowl or divide into Ziploc baggies and enjoy!

Hint: Spray the spoon, measuring cups and bowl with Pam before you begin. This stuff is gooey.

Cheese Tempters

My friend Cheryl made these for a party and brought the leftovers to work. I could NOT stop popping them into my mouth. Needless to say, I was shopping for roomier clothes the next week...

1 cup plain flour plus 2 TBSP
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 stick soft margarine
1 cup grated sharp cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sift flour, salt and pepper together. Cream margarine and grated cheese and add to the flour mixture, small amounts at a time. It will be rather stiff, but all the flour will be moistened after thorough mixing. Stir in nuts. Roll in small balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle while still warm with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Ambrosia

My holiday table is not complete without Ambrosia. In fact, my sister in law Suzanne has been known to slap people's hands if they reach for seconds of her favorite dish! (She even slapped my mom!)

2 small red apples
2 navel oranges
1 banana
1 can pineapple chunks
1 small jar Maraschino cherries
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 small tub Cool Whip
Coconut (optional)

Cut apples and bananas into bite size pieces. (I leave the skin on the apples for color.) Cut skin off orange and then cut into bite size pieces. (This works better than peeling and then cutting because you cut away all the ucky white stuff.) Drain pineapple and cherries (reserve juice for other use) and place all fruits in large bowl. Let sit for a few minutes and then drain excess juice. Add pecans, Cool Whip and coconut and fold gently. Transfer to serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Little Smokies

My family scarfed these up until they found out they were made with grape jelly. It's been a few years - I think I'll try to sneak them in again. They sure are good!

2 packages Little Smokies
1 large jar grape jelly
1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

Combine in crock pot, crank that puppy up to high and let 'em cook for 6-8 hours. Serve with those fancy little frilly toothpicks. Kinda tacky, but really yummy.

Swedish Spritz Cookies

These are made using a cookie press - I still have the same press my mother used when I was little. It's just not Christmas without these not-too-sweet cookies. I have to make a double batch because Mike will knock out most of them in one sitting with a big glass of milk.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 pinch salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Combine butter or margarine, sugar, egg, almond extract, and salt. Cream together well. Add 1 1/4 cup sifted flour. Mix thoroughly. Force through cookie press onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until very light brown.

Betsy's Chili

I love to have chili on Christmas Eve, especially if it's cold and wet outside. I serve it with sour cream, grated cheddar and corn bread.

1 pound ground sirloin
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans crushed tomatoes
4 TBSP of chili powder (This is a guess - I use a lot!)
1 TBSP cumin
1 cup water

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain and place in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir and crank the crock pot up to high. Cover and simmer for 4-6 hours.

Here's a tip for you: To avoid tears when slicing onions, don't cut too close to the root end. Hack it off and discard it. I just discovered this trick this past year and it works like a charm!

Hot Dr. Pepper

This doesn't sound good, but give it a try! It's a tradition in our family that goes way back. Great while decorating the tree.

Dr. Pepper
Lemon

Heat Dr. pepper in saucepan or microwave. (Don't boil - just get it hot enough to sizzle on the side of the saucepan.) Slice lemon into wedges. Put lemon in mug and pour hot DP over it. Awesome!

Sweet Potato Balls

My mother made these one Thanksgiving before I hit double digits and since then, they have been a fixture on the holiday table. When I say "fixture", I mean it literally. No one, except Mom and my Aunt Ann, would eat the horrid little things but they HAD to be on the table or things didn't seem right and everyone would gripe. Last year my sister saved the day when she created papier mache Sweet Potato Balls. Now I just pull 'em out of storage at Thanksgiving, put them on the table and no one is any the wiser. (We never actually ATE them anyway!) If this concoction sounds good to you, then knock yourself out:

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup crushed corn flakes

Mix together the mashed sweet potato, beaten egg, and brown sugar. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the palm of your hand, and wrap it around a piece of the banana, forming a ball. Roll the sweet potato balls in the corn flakes to coat evenly. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serves 8.

Pizzelle

This is an Italian treat made using a special Pizzelle iron - much like a waffle iron. Mike's Grandma used to make these and send them to us at Christmas. We'd look forward to that all year. They're thin crispy cookie-like wafers, topped sometimes with powdered sugar. These have a slight licorice flavor (from the anise), but Grandma also made orange flavored pizzelle. I'm not sure if the recipe that follows is the same one she used, but we're gonna give it a try:

6 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 pound margarine
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons anise extract

Beat eggs, adding sugar gradually, beating until smooth. Add cooled melted margarine and anise. Add flour and baking powder gradually to mixture. Dough will be sticky enough to drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto hot pizzelle iron. Top with powdered sugar or eat plain.

Victoria's Guacamole

This is the BEST guacamole I have ever had. It's so simple and SO good.

7 or 8 large ripe avocados
half of a small purple onion, diced
half of a small lemon
garlic salt

Mash the avocados in a medium size bowl. Add the onion and squeeze the lemon over the avocados, being careful to remove any seeds. Stir. Add a little garlic salt, stir and taste. Add more salt and lemon to suit your palate.

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