What do you give into around the Hollidays?

Question

What do you splurge your money on (and cheat upon your diet for that matter) around the Christmas time of the year?
For example, at some point during this time of year I have to succumb to pumpkin pie, apple cake, and butterscotch kisses from Sees Candies.
What do you have to have at this time of year that you do not crave at any other time of year?

Answer 1

Although in my youth I treated my body as a temple, now that I'm in the "over 50's crowd", I said "screw things" and now treat my body as an amusement park........You go from there.....Cheers and enjoy the holidays.......Oh, and this year (hard as it has been) I haven't had even ONE eggnog.........but those Gin Martinis sure do taste good after a hard day!!!

Christopher

Answer 2

Food, food and more food - especially if I don't have to cook it!
Over Christmas I'll stay on the seafood diet, that is, see food and eat it!
Then as a New Year's resolution, I'll take up jogging!
Cravings?? It would have to be beer, outside by the BBQ in the Aussie sunshine, with family and friends!
Merry Christmas to all!

Answer 3

Summer sausages, butter cookies, chocolate candies, nuts in the shell, divinity, slush, Ooooooo Sees candy ummmmmmm.

Answer 4

Banana bread warm out of the oven mmmmmmmmmmmm

Answer 5

Eggnog (just during the holiday; Thanksgiving thur new years)
Pigsfeet (just for new years)
Chiterlings (just for new years)

Answer 6

CINNAMON CANDY POPCORN


6 quarts freshly-popped popcorn (1 cup kernels)
12 ounces cinnamon red hots
Granulated sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon oil


Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Butter large roasting pan. Place popcorn in prepared pan. Place in oven while preparing glaze. Place red hots in 2-cup measure & fill to top w/sugar. Boil red hots, sugar, butter, syrup & salt for 5 minutes. Remove from heat & add soda and oil. Stir well & pour over popped corn, tossing quickly to distribute evenly. Bake for 1 hr., stirring every 15 min. Remove from oven. Using metal spatula, scrape popcorn from bottom of pan. Let cool completely in pan. Break into clumps. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.


Yield: 6 Quarts

SUGAR-DUSTED MOCHA BROWNIES

vegetable oil spray
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup prune baby food
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with vegetable oil spray and set pan aside. In small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder; set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the coffee crystals until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar, eggs, prunes and vanilla into the coffee mixture. Fold the cocoa mixture into the sugar mixture until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan on a ire rack. Sift the powdered sugar over the brownies.

TIP: For a decorative topping, place a paper doily on top of the brownies before sifting the powdered sugar. Remove the doily before cutting the brownies.

Yield: 12

RUM BUTTER CASHEWS


1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup rum
2 cups whole, unsalted cashews
2 oz. butter


Bring sugar & rum to boil in medium saucepan. Cook for 3 minute, or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F. Remove from heat & add cashews, stirring constantly to coat w/syrup. The sugar will become white & grainy after about 30 seconds. Return saucepan to heat & re-melt sugar, adding a few drops of water if needed. Watch carefully; do not burn. When syrup has turned a rich caramel color (about 2 minutes) & the nuts sound hollow at the tap of a spoon, remove from heat & stir in butter. Turn onto oiled baking sheet, spreading out in one layer, separating any pieces that are stuck together. Cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


Yield: 2 Cups

STRAWBERRY NUT BREAD

1 16-oz. bag frozen strawberries, thawed & drained
2 cups granulated sugar
1-¼ cups oil
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of two 9” loaf pans & set pans aside. Slightly mash berries; set aside. In large bowl, mix sugar & oil. Stir in berries until well mixed. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients, except walnuts., just until moistened. Gently stir in walnuts. Turn into prepared pans & bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done. Cool for 10 minutes in pans. Transfer to wire racks & cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for up to four days or refrigerate for up to 10 days

Yield: 2 Loaves

COCOA-ALMOND MERINGUE KISSES

vegetable oil spray
Whites of 3 large eggs
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray two large baking sheets with vegetable oil spray. In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cocoa and vanilla; beat well to blend. Fold in the almonds. Drop the mixture by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp on the outside. Remove from the baking sheets immediately and lt cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

TIPS: Cocoas are different colors and have different acidities nd different tstes. Dutch-process cocoa has less acid than other cocoas, so its taste is mellower. Combine various cocoas to experience different flavors.

Yield: 14

ANISE DROP COOKIES

6 large eggs, separated
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
3 tsp. anise seed

Lightly grease cookie sheets & set aside. Beat yolks until thick & lemon-colored. Beat whites until stiff & combine the two mixtures. Gradually beat in sugar; mix lightly. Sift flour & add to mixture. Stir in anise seed. Drop from the tip of a spoon, about 1” apart, on prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 or 4 Dozen

EASY CARAMEL STICKY ROLLS

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped pecans
2 tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 11-oz. can refrigerated soft bread sticks

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix brown sugar & heavy cream in ungreased 8” round cake pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Mix sugar & cinnamon. Unroll bread stick dough, but do not separate into bread sticks. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over dough. Roll up from short end; separate at perforations. Place coiled dough in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Turn pan upside down on serving plate. Let sit upside down for 1 minute, so caramel will drizzle down. Remove pan & serve.

Serves 6

BOURBON BALLS


1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
20 chocolate wafer cookies
½ cup finely chopped raisins
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup granulated sugar (for garnish)


Put chips into microwave-safe bowl & heat on medium power for 1 minute. Stir & repeat until chocolate melts. Put melted chocolate into heat-proof bowl. Bring saucepan w/about 1” of water to a very low simmer; remove from heat Set bowl in pan & stir until melted Stir crumbs, raisins, powdered sugar & milk into melted chocolate until evenly combined. Cover & refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls (about 45 minutes). With hands, roll into 1” balls & set on baking sheet. Store in airtight container at room temperature for one day to allow flavors to meld. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, put granulated sugar on plate & roll balls to coat. Serve at room temperature.


Yield: About 54 Bourbon Balls