VPWL

Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

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A good frosting, especially at Christmas when you can buy eggnog.

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz salted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or rum extract or spiced rum)
  • 1/4 c eggnog
  • 2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Frosting Directions:

  1. Mix softened cream cheese and butter together.
  2. Whip in vanilla extract.
  3. Add half of the eggnog and powdered sugar and mix until blended. Slowly add the remaining eggnog and powdered sugar and mix until combined.
  4. Spread on cooled cookies.

Serves: Makes enough for approximately 5 dozen small cookies

Source: northpole.com – Karen Hamlin, strongertogether.coop.com

Peppermint Frosting

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Pretty for Christmas.  And it uses up some of those candy canes.

Ingredients:

  • ½ c butter
  • 3 c powdered sugar
  • 1/3c milk
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • 2 drops red food coloring
  • 5 candy canes, crushed

Directions:

  1. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer until smooth.
  2. Mix milk, food coloring and peppermint.
  3. Add to butter/sugar in mixer and mix until fluffy
  4. Transfer all of the frosting to the cooled cookie dough and spread evenly.
  5. Immediately sprinkle with the crushed candy canes and chill.
  6. Cut 6 x 10 to make 60 pieces.

Serves: makes enough for a 9 x 13 pan

Source: heathercristo.com

 

Orange Herb Butter

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This is a great way to broil salmon, or any other fish.  Try it on chicken or pork too.

Ingredients:

½ c unsalted butter (1 stick)
½ tsp grated orange zest
2 tsp fresh orange juice
1/4 tap cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp coarse salt.

Directions:

Mash together butter, grated orange zest, fresh orange juice, cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food – June 2012

Gourmet December 2013

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VPWL

GOURMET 2013-2014

Happy New Year!!!

Hors d’oeuvres

 National Bacon Day, December 30th
Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
Bacon Candied Apple Spiced Nuts

National Lager Day December 10th
Kielbasa Appetizers

Winter Solstice – for the longest winter night, December 21st
Warm Blue Cheese Dip

National French Fried Shrimp Day, December 21th
Shake’N’Bake Coconut Shrimp

Six Months ’til National Ham Day
Ham Nirvana

Mary Had A Little Lamb Day
Lamb Lollipops with Balsamic Reduction

National Hamburger Day, December 21st
Cocktail Meatballs

National Pastry Day, December 9th
Mary Kay’s Good Stuff

National Root Vegetable Month
Ham and Turkey Roll-Ups

Cobalt Ocean Celebrates Lime Day, 16th of every month
Southwestern Margarita Quesadillas

Issquah Salmon Days – a little late (October 5th)
Citrus Salmon

For National Sangria Day, December 20th
Chili Relleño Appetizers

Dessert

 National Fruit Cake Month
Nutty Fruitcake Bars

Cookie Day, December 4th
National Eggnog Month
Eggnog Cookies

National Gingerbread House Day, December 12th
Gingerbread Bars

Cup Cake Day, December 16th
Champagne Day, December 31th
Champagne Cup Cakes

National Chocolate Day, December 28th and 29th
Busterback Cross Country Ski Ranch Soda Cracker Candy

National Candy Cane Day December 26th
Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Bars

Coffee

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​National Coffee Percolator Day, December 26
National Eggnog Month
Homemade Eggnog Coffee Creamer

Wine

National Repeal the 21st Amendment Day, December 5th
Hostess Choice

National Stress Free Family Holiday Month

December 2013

  • National Egg Nog Month
  • World Wide Food Service Safety Month
  • Winter Squash Month
  • Quince Month
  • Watermelon Month
  • Root Vegetable Month
  • Exotic Fruit Month
  • Cookie Cutter Week – First Week
  • December 5 Comfort Food Day
  • December National Repeal the 21st Amendment Day
  • December 7: National Cotton Candy Day
  • December 12: National Cocoa Day
  • December 12:Gingerbread House Day
  • December 16: National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day
  • December 21: National Hamburger Day
  • Kiwi Fruit Day (California)
  • National French Fried Shrimp Day
  • Look At The Bright Side Day
  • December 26: National Candy Cane Day
  • December 28: National Chocolate Day
  • December 29: National Chocolate Day (2 is good!)
  • National Get on the Scales Day
  • December 30: Bacon Day
  • National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
  • December 31: Champagne Day

OJ Honey Mustard Sauce

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This is really good with pork or ham. Also works with chicken and fish – all round useful sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 c orange juice
  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tab honey
  • 1 Tab white vinegar
  • 1/8 tsp paprika

Directions:

  1. Mix well.
  2. Refrigerate.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food – June 2012

Florida Citrus

Piña Colada Sauce

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For something different with your Easter ham.  Or try it as a dip for little ham cubes.  It also would be good on shrimp or chicken.

Ingredients:

  • 1 2/3 cups cream of coconut
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 1/8 cups sour cream
  • 1/3 cup coconut flakes

Instructions:

Place the cream of coconut and sour cream in a bowl. Stir until smooth and add the remaining ingredients. Store in the fridge .

Notes: Cream of coconut is actually quite easy to find. Just head to the alcohol section of your local grocery store and it will be by the margarita mixes etc.

Serves:  About 3 cups

Source: ohsweetbasil.com

Cocktail Meatballs – An Oldie but Goodie

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Not a new recipe but it still sells.

Ingredients:

  • 5 lbs ½ oz meatballs (available at Smart and Final, frozen)
  • 4 cans jellied cranberry sauce (8 oz each)
  • 3 c chili sauce
  • ¼ c brown sugar
  • 1 Tab lemon juice
  • 1 c bourbon
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Heat meatballs according to package directions.
  2. In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and bourbon.
  3. Add the meatballs and simmer for 1 hour before serving.
  4. Serve in a chaffing dish.

Don’t forget to bring toothpicks in a bowl and a bowl for used one.

Serves: 160 meatballs

Source: allrecipes.com submitted by Lara

How to Carve a Spiral Ham

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 No more mystery – too simple!

  1. Turn the ham on its bottom.
  2. Find the bone, and using a large knife, cut around the entire bone.
  3. There are natural breaks in the ham, generally where a line of fat is, cut through those breaks. Leave some ham on the bone and cut some slices to fit rolls or for serv.
  4. Place uncut ham and bone on platter and arrange the cut pieces around it.
 Source: Bon Appetit December 2013

Homemade Eggnog Coffee Creamer

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Use the other ¾ cup in the eggnog cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 qt – minus 3/4 c eggnog
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 Tab rum or whiskey or 1 tsp rum flavor extract

Directions:

  1. Open up eggnog container and remove 3/4 cup of eggnog.
  2. Add vanilla to remaining eggnog in the carton.
  3. Added nutmeg.
  4. Added rum or whiskey.
  5. Shake it up.
  6. Refrigerate

Serves: Makes slightly less than 1 quart

Source: Fluffydragon at instructables.com

Comments: Just make sure you shake it up every time before using.