Holiday Traditions

No post last Sunday for the Holidays -sorry about that!  The flu hit my school & I came down with something :(  But with an extra hour of sleep under my belt, I'm ready to tackle more Holiday writing.

My younger sister loves chocolate covered cherries, and it was her tradition to get a box to herself each Christmas (I get Holiday Cap'n Crunch).  One glorious year I realized that I had a recipe for chocolate covered cherries in my trusty Better Homes & Garden red & white book.  My older sister & I adventurously decided to give it a whirl.  We've made them every year since then & they are our most requested item on our Holiday goody trays.  The recipe is simple, but they are a bit fiddly and time consuming to make.  We usually make a triple batch the weekend after Thanksgiving because they need 2 weeks to mature before eating.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients:

• 30 oz maraschino cherries with stems
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 lb Ghiradelli Candy Making & Dipping Bar (or regular confectioners coating if you can't find Ghiradelli)

Method:

1. Drain cherries on layers of paper towels for several hours.
2. Mix together butter & corn syrup.
3. Stir in powdered sugar, then knead mixture until it is smooth.  (Chill 15 mins in fridge if too soft to handle).
4. Shape approximately 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar mixture around each cherry.  
5. Place coated cherries (stem up) on lined baking sheet.
6. Chill 1 hour (no longer or they will start to dissolve!)
7. Melt chocolate coating while cherries are chilling in fridge (we use a mini-crockpot so chocolate stays melted)
8. Hold cherry by the stem, dip into melted chocolate.  Once powdered sugar mixture is completely covered with chocolate, place on lined cookie sheet.
9. Chill cherries until firm, then store in fridge in a tightly covered container for 1 to 2 weeks before serving.

Makes approximately 60 cherries.

Miracle Soup

I'm still not feeling well, it is cold & rainy outside - the time is right for a batch of Miracle Soup.  Much like my Hot Cold Soother, Miracle Soup is called so because I always feel better once I have some.  Trouble is, when I need it most I usually don't have the energy to fix it!

Miracle Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup couscous

Method:

Saute onions, garlic & ginger in olive oil until onions are soft.  Add chicken broth (I usually have bouillion on hand and use it) and couscous.  Heat to desired temperature and enjoy!


This soup came about by reading up on natural remedies for colds.  The ingredients are supposed to help sooth cold symptoms.  The couscous I added so there was a bit of substance to the soup.  If you are interested in natural remedies, I highly recommend Prescription for Natural Cures.  Offers a variety of remedies for many common ailments!

Cold Soother

I would never claim that this is a cold remedy, but I do feel better when I drink this as I feel a cold coming on.

C-Joy's Hot Cold Soother

• 1 tsp minced ginger (look for it by the jars of minced garlic in your grocery store)

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• Honey to taste

Put all the ingredients in a mug and fill with boiling water.  Stir until honey disolves and enjoy!

You can certainly leave the ginger out, but I find it helps keep my sinuses from clogging up.  I have also been known to throw in a dash of cinnamon and a shot of whisky for a "nyquil" replacement before bed!  The ginger is good for an upset tummy as well.  Obviously, lemon juice gives a bit of Vitamin C, and honey is good for reducing coughs and general immune system booster.  Whatever the reason, I feel better after one of these.  In fact, I'm making myself a cup right now!

Pina Colada Slush

Buy at AllPosters.com



I'm in the mood for

Pina Colada Slush!

Ingredients:

1 -48 oz can pineapple juice
1 large can frozen lemonade concentrate (don't mix with water!)
2 cups pina colada mix
2 cups rum

Method:

Mix well and freeze. Add slush to glass with equal amount of cream soda or ginger ale.

Red, White & Blue Cake

This is just a variation of a cake that my mother makes at Christmas. I thought it would be perfect for Memorial Weekend!

Send me a picture so I can add it to the recipe. Eventually, this recipe will become a part of a Squidoo lens. Since I mixed up the order of martini flavors, this blog will suffice as the recipe host.

Bon Apetit!

RED, WHITE & BLUE CAKE

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1 box red jello
1 box blue jello
1 container whipped topping

Preparations:

1. Bake cake according to directions. Cool completely before proceeding to next step.

2. Once cake has cooled, use a cake tester or toothpick to poke holes throughout the cake.

3. Dissolve jellos (individually of course) according to package directions. If using two round cake pans, drizzle the red jello over one pan and the blue jello over the other. If using one cake pan then you get to pick & choose which part gets red & which part gets blue. Be sure to cover all the holes you made!

4. Chill cake for at least 3 to 4 hours.

5. Use whipped topping for your icing.

6. Cut & serve with your Grape Tini!

Pasta Margherita Recipe

1 lb pasta (fettucine, linguine, or even wide egg noodles)
4 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz sliced mushrooms (fresh is great, canned works too)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup wine or broth
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add mushrooms and saute (1 - 2 minutes for canned, 7 minutes for fresh)
3. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and wine/broth and boil 2 more minutes, stirring often. Add the milk and salt, cook 1 minute more.
4. Thoroughly drain pasta. Return pasta to cooking pot or large serving bowl. Pour on sauce and sprinkle on cheese. Toss and serve immediately.