December Recipes

Christmas Snowballs

I got this recipe from my Mom,

Mary Edtl, pictured here with me!

BLEND:

1 c. margarine

1 c. shortening / 4 t. vanilla

2/3 c. sugar / 4 t. water

MIX IN:

4 c. flour and then...
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

(Nuts are supposedly optional, but not for me! These cookies

are just not the same without nuts! However, my husband does not like nuts,

so we do half with, and half without.)

Chill at least 2 to 3 hours. (If I'm in a hurry, I press the dough all around the bowl so that it's thin ~ and it chills even faster, like within an hour.) Shape into walnut-size balls. Bake at 325° for 15 min. Allow to cool thoroughly and then roll in powdered sugar to thoroughly coat.

Here my grandson,

Chase, and I are making

Christmas Snowballs!

Basic Rolled Sugar Cookies

For a large batch:

1½ cups (3 cubes) margarine or butter
2 cups sugar   /   4 eggs   /   7 cups flour
2 tbsp. baking powder   /   1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk   /   1 tsp. vanilla

For a smaller batch:

3/4 cup (1½ cubes) margarine or butter
1 cup sugar   /   2 eggs   /   3½ cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder   /   ½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk   /   ½ tsp. vanilla

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla. Mix in the last half of the flour by hand. Roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut in desired cookie-cutter shapes. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

(I got this recipe from my Mom.)

Chocolate-Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies

1 cup margarine   /   1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks   /   1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (add more if dough is sticky)
½ tsp. salt   /   1 tsp. baking powder

1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted

6 tbsp. milk

Cream margarine and sugar; add egg yolk and vanilla. Add sifted (or just mixed) dry ingredients alternately with milk. Divide dough in half; to one half add chocolate and mix well. Roll each half about 1/8 inch thick on waxed paper. Turn white part onto chocolate part with the chocolate extending ½ inch beyond white part on edge toward which you roll. (You have to think, but it's really not hard.) Remove paper and roll as for jelly roll or cinnamon rolls. Wrap in waxed paper. Chill thoroughly or overnight. Slice thin. Bake at 350° about 10 minutes.

(I got this recipe from my Mom.)

Chicken Rice Divan

2 10 oz. pkgs. broccoli spears

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, in small pieces

1 cup cooked rice

White sauce:

2 T. margarine

2 T. flour / 1 c. milk

Also needed:

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 T. lemon juice

8 oz. sour cream or mayonnaise

Cook broccoli, drain, arrange in a 12 x 7½ inch (approx.) baking dish; sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese. Top with meat, salt and pepper. Spoon rice over this. Make white sauce, add lemon juice and fold in sour cream or mayo and grated cheese. Pour evenly over rice, sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 400° for 15-18 min.

(I got this recipe from Mom Shelton)

15-Bean Soup

1 pkg. 15-Bean Soup Mix

1 cup white beans / ½ cup split peas

Soak all the above overnight. Drain.

Put in crock pot and add:

Ham (big chunk)

Carrots; whole, frozen or fresh

Onion, chopped, or 1 or 2 onion cubes

(see October's recipes)

8 oz. can tomato paste / 1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Cover with water. Cook on medium heat all day, adding water as needed. Dice ham, smash about half of the carrots and chop or slice the other half. Add flavor packet OR beef bouillon to taste. (I like about 1 heaping tsp. per cup of water. This is not a precise thing.) Add more salt and pepper to taste AFTER adding the flavoring.

Creamed Tuna or Chicken

on Toast or Biscuits

(a fast 'n' easy recipe

for busy December days!)

White sauce:

4 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 to 4 tbsp. flour / 3 cups milk

On medium-high heat, melt butter. Add flour and mix into butter with "bouncer." (gets the lumps out best) Add milk and continue to heat until thickened. Add:

1 or 2 cans of tuna

(We like two, but you can get by with one.)

~OR~

1 large can of canned white chicken meat

Serve sauce over the toast or biscuits! (Mmmm-mmm GOOD!!!) So...

EITHER:

~ Toast bread and serve on plate. (No need to butter; the sauce is plenty.)

...Or...

~ Make biscuits. (I use Bisquick, or sometimes I make them from scratch.)

I got the Nativity Scene at:

...my blinking Christmas tree at:

...and my "twinkling stars" background at: