Preferred Style:

Quality:
Mobile: No images
Low Quality (Default): Small Images
High Quality: Large images, shadows, colors. Do not attempt on dial-up.

If you have a recommendation for a new color scheme, please tell us about it via the Contact Us page.

HomeschoolChristian's
Christmas Section

Christmas Recipes

Special food is definitely a staple during the Christmas season! Here are some delicious, festive recipes!

Spiced Tea
This mix makes a great gift for neighbors, the elderly, school teachers, etc.
2 26oz. Tang
1 3oz. bottle Instant Tea Unsweet
2 8 1/2 oz Red hots
1 6oz. Pkg. Lemonade (Wylers)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. alspice
Mix all ingredients together well. Put in a sealed container until ready to assemble the gift.
To make individual gift packets: you can put into a small plastic bag, then insert into a small muslin bag, tie with a pretty piece of Christmas fabric. With each gift make sure you add a note that states: One tablespoon + one teaspoon per cup of hot water. I also look for pretty cups and saucers, at garage sales, flea markets, etc and then you can package with the ingredients.

Dipped Pretzels
Here we have three different "Dipped Pretzel" recipes. Basically, dipped pretzels have one key recipe, but the variations are endless.

First recipe: Buy Oreos - the ones with the mint filling are great for this! Melt either white chocolate or chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip the Oreos in the chocolate and place on waxed paper to harder. You can add red and green sprinkles on top of the white chocolate ones if you want more color, or you can only half-dip them since then the colored filling will show on the other half.
Use mini-pretzels and dip them in melted white or dark chocolate. Just dump them into the melted chocolate and remove them with a chopstick or a fork and let harden on waxed paper. Another easy, yet yummy treat!
Melt white chocolate and add finely crushed candy canes to it, pour in a thin layer onto waxed paper inside a pan and let cool. Pretty and yummy, too. It looks great in a cellophane gift bag.

Second Recipe: Pick out whole, unbroken pretzels. Melt chocolate chips in microwave & stir.
Dip pretzels into chocolate, 'drain' & place on sheet of waxed paper. Decorate with sprinkles.
This is REALLY easy but can take a bit of time. I usually do best with a couple of forks for the dipping part, and I've dipped only 1/2 of the pretzels & left the other 1/2 undipped - a little faster & still tastes/looks good. Also have used white chocolate & dipped 1/2 of the pretzel in white, other 1/2 in chocolate.

Third recipe:
8 squares (1 oz each) white baking chocolate
1 pkg (10 oz) pretzel rods
colored sprinkles (or red/green decorating sugar)
Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I use my 3 cup measuring cup - it makes it easier to dip the pretzel); heat until melted. Dip each pretzel rod about halfway into chocolate; sprinkle with sugar/colored sprinkles. Place onto wax paper to dry. Yield: about 2 dozen.
You can use this recipe all year round for different occasions - just change the sprinkle colors.

Sweet and Salty Christmas Mix
1 cup cheerios (I usually leave out and use 2 c of chex)
1 cup rice chex (or your favorite chex)
1 12oz bag of M&M's
1 cup peanuts
1 cup pretzel sticks (can also use other small shapes)
1 Tbsp veg or peanut oil
1 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips

Mix cheerios, chex, peanuts, and pretzels. Melt choc. chips in double boiler or microwave and stir in oil for smoothness. Pour melted chips over chex mixture and stir until coated. Stir in M&M's. Spread mixture out on wax paper to cool. When coating is cool and hardened, break into pieces. Perfect blend of salty and sweet.

Muddy Buddies
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and margarine in 1-quart microwavable bowl, uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into large plastic food-storage bag; add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. 9 cups snack. NOTE: *Do not use spread or tub products.
Important: Because microwaves cook differently, time is approximate.
Range Top Directions: Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside. Heat chocolate chips, peanut butter and margarine in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Continue as directed above.

Hot Chocolate Mix
8 qt powdered milk
14 oz Cremora
1 pound Nestles Quick
1/2 cup cocoa
1 box powdered sugar
Dash of salt
Mix all together well (you need a BIG bowl). Use about 2 T with hot water - adjust according to how chocolaty you want it. You can use the fat free cremora but it's not as good. I usually put the mix in pint or quart jars and tie on a label with the instructions.

Stained Glass Candy
confectioners sugar
3-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups light Karo syrup
1 cup water
Food coloring
1 teaspoon oil flavoring (available at pharmacy in flavors such as cinnamon, anise, wintergreen, spearmint) *
Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on two 15 x 11 inch cookie sheets.
Combine sugar, Karo, and water in heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook without stirring until syrup reaches 290 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and add food coloring to desired intensity and the desired oil flavoring. Pour onto cookie sheets, cool and break into small pieces. Makes 2-1/4 pounds.

Honey-Nut Topping
Take equal parts of whole almonds, whole pecans, and walnuts. Drizzle honey over them to coat them. Stir it all up and you're done. I put a label on the top that says "Honey-Nut Topping: Store at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Use as a topping for pound cake, ice cream, or oatmeal. Stir before serving." I found this in the December 2005 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

Banana Nut Bread
Take banana bread except use the little loaf pans. You can sometimes get 5 little ones out of one recipe.

Ritz Cookies
Melt almond bark and make chocolate covered pretzels and cookies and put sprinkles on them. The cookies are actually two round Ritz-type crackers with peanut butter spread in the middle, put them together, and dip them in the chocolate or white almond bark and sprinkle them.

Cranberry Crisps
(This recipe makes approx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies.)
1 (15oz) pkg. Pillsbury Cranberry Quick Bread & Muffin Mix
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3 c. butter or margarine melted
1 egg
1 T. sugar
1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. In large bowl, combine quick bread mix, walnuts, butter and egg, mix well.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With glass dipped in sugar, press each to 1/8 inch thickness.
4. Bake at 350F for 7 - 10 minutes(*) or until light golden brown around edges. 5. Remove from cookie sheets.
(*) I baked some Tuesday & in my oven it's more like 12-13 minutes using those "air-bake" cookie sheets.

Chocolate Cookie Bark
20 creme-filled sandwich cookies (about half of an 18-ounce package)
2 2/3 cups white chocolate chips or the same amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract (for use with the dark chocolate only)
Line a 9-inch square baking pan with waxed paper. Coat the paper with non-stick spray; set it aside. Pour the cookies into a large bowl and break them into small pieces by hand or with the back of a wooden spoon (Note: I put mine in a zip-lock bag and roll them with a rolling pin).
Melt the chips in a large bowl in the microwave. Remove and quickly fold the melted chocolate onto the cookie pieces. Stir around and quickly scrape into the prepared pan -- spread to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Refrigerate until solid, about an hour.
Remove from pan and carefully peel off the waxed paper. Using a sharp knife, cut the bark into 12 bars for wrapping, or 24 triangles for boxing. Store in an airtight container.