Egg Nog

My mom used to make cold eggnog for us in summer when eggs were plenty and before smoothies had  been discovered.  She made it nutritionally simple without spices, chilled it well and it was enjoyed by us all.  Following these instructions gives you a good base for eggnog and following the link will give you suggestions on how to spice it up.

• 1 dozen eggs
• 2/3 cup liquid honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups 1% milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Break eggs into a large saucepan.
2. Add honey and salt and beat with a handmixer until the egg white and yolks are well blended.
3. Add half the milk and stir constantly with a heat proof spatula over medium low heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon or 160 F.  Do not allow it to come to a boil.  
4. Place a large heat proof bowl into ice water and pour the mixture through a fine sieve into the bowl.  Add remaining cold milk. Add flavouring and stir to cool. Pour into jars with lids and refrigerate for up to a couple of days.
5. For additional flavouring tips visit Egg Farmers of Canada's website for their suggestions.

Bread for the Journey

Dear Readers,

There are no words that can express our heart felt sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones in this senseless tragedy which occurred in Connecticut this past week.  We too, like the rest of the world want to send our love and prayers for all of you, for the parents, the grandparents, the siblings, the teachers, the friends, and the community of Newtown.   

Let the words of Max Lucado's Christmas Prayer live deep in your hearts.

A Christmas Prayer.

Dear Jesus,

It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord.  These children, Lord.  Innocence violated.  Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas.  But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were night shift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty.  Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children

May God continue to hold you in the palm of His Hand.

Apple Butternut Squash soup

This is a tasty soup that would work nicely as a starter to a Christmas Dinner.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

•  2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 2 large butternut squash 
• 4 sweet apples
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large cast iron dutch oven or large stockpot over low heat. 
2. Add the onions and curry powder and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the onions are tender. 
3. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot every couple minutes.
4. Peel squash, cut in half and remove seeds. Cut the squash into chunks.
5. Peel and core the apples and cut into chunks.
6. Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups broth to pot.
7. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until the squash and apples are soft, approx.40-50 minutes.
8. Use a food processor or hand blender to puree the squash and apples.
9. Return to pot if you used the food processor and taste, adding salt and pepper if needed.
10. If the consistency is too thick add a little more broth or water and heat through.
11. Serve with toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds, optional.

Serves: 16-24 (approx. 1/2 cup servings)

Poached Pears in Puff Pastry

The first time I remember having poached pears was on a cruise. They were served in a fruity sauce and I always wanted to try and re-create them. When I found an old recipe in my stash of "recipes to try one day" I liked the idea of the added pastry around the pear. I used plums because it was fruit I had in my freezer. This makes a beautiful dessert after a big dinner and works well into a day of prep by being able to make it ahead and refrigerating until dinner is out of the oven.

Poached / Wrapped Pears and Filling:

• 6 pears, peeled and cored
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 pkg frozen puff pastry
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Plum Sauce

• 1 - 1 1/2 cups syrup, left after poaching pears
• 3 cups / 750 ml chopped plums, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2 ml cinnamon

1. Peel and core pears, slicing just a tad off the bottom to make them stand easily.
2. In the meantime, bring sugar, water and lemon juice to boil in a pot large enough to hold the pears standing up.
3. Place prepared pears in syrup, bring to boiling point, then reduce and simmer until pears are tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.
4. With slotted spoon, lift the pears out of the syrup, place on a plate and cool in refrigerator.
5. To syrup in pot add chopped plums, bring to boil and simmer for about an hour, until thick and syrupy. Stir in cinnamon or any flavor you prefer.
6. Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and pipe into cooled pears after coring from the bottom.
7. Roll out each half of thawed pastry to about 12 x 12 inches. Cut square into quarters.
8. Place a prepared pear in the center of a quartered square. Taking one corner, pull up and wrap over the top, around the stem. Brush edges with water as you repeat with the next three corners. Repeat with the rest of the pears and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut leaves out of the leftover pastry and decorate as you like. Chill 20 minutes or until ready to bake.
9. Bake at 425° F 25 - 30 minutes until golden.
10. Serve warm with plum sauce.

 

Greek Lemon and Rice Soup (Avgolemeno)

This is one of my families favorite soups and a quick and easy dinner solution, especially this time of year when there seems to be a lot more busyness going on with shopping, concerts, baking, wrapping, Can you relate?
If we go out for dinner, we prefer going out for Greek food. Usually we order this soup as a first course. I can't recall there being carrots in the soup, but I like to sneak in veggies where ever I can. This is my version of the soup better known as Avgolemeno. If you don't have a homemade broth ready, use a good quality low / no sodium broth, that is a good option. The creaminess comes from the eggs simmered in the broth, adding some protein.

• 8-10 cups chicken broth
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 6 eggs
• 1 or 2 lemons, juiced depending on personal taste*
• parsley and lemon slices for garnish

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, with the added vegetables.
2. Boil for about 15 minutes until carrots and celery are tender.
3. Add the rice cook for 15 minutes longer.
4. Turn the soup to barely a simmer, before adding the eggs.
5. While the soup is cooking, crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the lemon juice, beat together. Let it sit on the counter to reach room temperature.
6. Take about 2 cups of the broth and while whisking the eggs vigorously ever so slowly add the broth to the eggs so the eggs won't scramble but have this creamy texture. (if the eggs scramble, no big deal, it all tastes good and then it becomes egg drop soup. Don't sweat it, I don't always accomplish this creaminess texture every time either if I am in a bit of a hurry, really it's OK.)
7. The eggs cook quickly and as soon as the soup becomes thick take it off the heat and let it rest with the lid on. 
8. Add the chopped parsley for garnish and color.

*We like things lemony so try using the juice of one lemon first and adjust the seasoning after the eggs have been added and cooked through. Always use fresh lemon juice for the best lemon flavor, you just can't compare the taste to the bottled juice. I also throw in the lemon shells for the last 5 minutes of cooking time and take it out before I add the eggs for more lemon flavor. If you leave the shells in for too long the soup becomes a bit bitter. Or add a bit of the lemon zest to the broth in the end too, that is optional.

Bread for the Journey

Years ago I had a friend who had an only child who was born with very severe asthma. 

Countless nights the frantic parents rushed her to emergency to save her life. 

This child, when I knew her was only two years old and there was a sensitivity about her that gave  you the sense she was not an ordinary child - something about her was 'other-worldly'. 

Her mother told me the following story.

It was Lisa's (not her real name) second Christmas and in her paternal extended family there was a family tradition where the youngest child got to put the baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve.  

That year it was Lisa's turn.  

She did not attend church  or Sunday School (her father was not a believer) and as far as the mother knew no one had told her enough for her to understand to do what she did. 

Lisa took the offered 'baby' from her grandmother and obeyed the instructions to go put it in the manger.  She walked over, laid the baby in the manger and then kneeling down in front of it folded her hands and bowed her head. 

Her grandmother asked in surprise, "What are you doing, Lisa?" 

The child replied, "I'm worshipping Him."   

We read ... "A little child shall lead them" (Is. 11:6)  and Jesus says.. "Except you become as a little child.." (Matt. 18:1-5)

For the world the baby in the manger is quite comfortable to accept, after all every one loves a baby! 

But this baby came to rule as  King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

He came worthy of our worship. 

Does the babe of Christmas rule in your heart ? 

Is your response to Him to fall down and worship Him? 

The chorus of the old Christmas Carol , "O Come all ye Faithful" is an invitation.

"O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,  

O come let us adore Him, 

Christ, the Lord!"

Chocolate Eggnog Cake

A chocolate cake mix, eggnog, a Jersey Milk chocolate bar and a splash of strong coffee.

Moist and delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1/4 cup grape seed or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup strong hot coffee
• 1 100 gram milk chocolate chocolate bar ( I use Jersey Milk)
• 1 box Swiss Chocolate cake mix

Method:

1. Beat together first 3 ingredients.
2. Break chocolate bar into small pieces, place into hot coffee and stir until completely melted.
3. Add to eggnog mixture and beat until combined.
4. Sift powdered cake mix into eggnog mixture and beat for another 2 minutes until ingredients are well combined.
5. Grease two 9" cake pans or one 9x13" pan and then dust lightly with cocoa powder.
6. Pour cake batter into prepared pans.
7. Bake in oven pre heated to 350º for 30-35 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back when lightly pressed on, or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
8. If using a 9x13" pan you may want to just leave the cake in the pan to cool.  Once cooled frost or serve with ice cream.
9. If baked in rounds for a layered cake allow to cool for 5 minutes in pans and then invert onto cooling racks.
10. Cool and frost with your favourite chocolate buttercream  or pudding and whipped cream frosting.

Pizza Rolls

These pizza rolls are great for packing in lunches and to have in the freezer for a quick supper. I like to have them handy around Christmas time when you want something different from the usual buffet of leftovers. You may add chopped mushrooms, green peppers, and bacon if you like. Another idea, that my daughter suggested is to use tomato, olives, mushroom, and feta.

Pizza Rolls

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 6 1/4 cups flour, I used 2 cups multigrain and 4 1/4 cups white flour
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 2 cups pepperoni, finely chopped
• 5 cups cheese, shredded, I used half cheddar and half mozzarella
• 1 egg, slightly beaten for egg wash
• Italian seasoning
• Cornmeal for sprinkling on cookie sheet (optional)

1. To make the dough: stir together sugar, salt, oil, and warm water.
2. Add flour and yeast. Mix well. Start with 4 cups of flour and keep adding as needed.
3. Knead 5 minutes.
4. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.
5. Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll each out into a rectangle 1/4" thick.
6. Spoon half of the sauce on each rectangle of dough, then sprinkle pepperoni and cheese on top.
7. Roll up as you would for cinnamon rolls and pinch edges to seal.
8. Place rolls in a parchment lined pan sprinkled with cornmeal. If you don't have a pan large enough you can make these rolls in smaller sizes. 
9. Brush slightly beaten egg over the rolls and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
10. Bake in a 400º oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

* These rolls never seal completely for me and they kind of fall in after baking but nobody here seems to mind if some of the filling oozes out and the rolls flatten a bit:) 

Hazelnut Holiday Trifle

This recipe came about as a result of an 'oops' in my kitchen.  The plan was to make the hazelnut roll (also found on page 154 of the MGCC cookbook) for a holiday gathering.  After removing the cake from the pan, I rolled it up to cool.  I realized too late that it should have been rolled starting at the short end...and I rolled it the long way.  I un-rolled...and re-rolled...and cracked the cake in the process.  At that point I decided it would become a hazelnut trifle...and so the hazelnut holiday trifle was born!  Like the log roll...it is gluten free for those who are on a GF diet. Equally good, is a trifle made up the same way but using banana cake instead of the hazelnut cake. 

Ingredients:

• 1 hazelnut sheet cake, cubed (recipe below)...or your favorite banana cake
• 1 package vanilla instant pudding, 6 serving size
• 3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups Nutella hazelnut spread (soften slightly in microwave oven)
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped and sweetened

Method:

1. Place 1/3 of cake cubes in the bottom of clear glass trifle bowl.
2. Spread with a layer of Nutella, 1/3 of the pudding and 1/3 of the whipped cream.
3. Repeat layers, spreading whipped cream over the entire top of bowl.
4. Garnish with coarsely chopped hazelnuts and raspberries, if desired.

Hazelnut Sheet Cake:

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups finely ground hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teasoon salt

1. Line 10 x 15 inch bar pan with parchment paper and spray with Pam.
2. In mixer, combine sugar and egg yolks; beat on high speed for 5 minutes.
3. Add extracts and beat well.
4. Combine ground hazelnuts, baking powder and salt. 
5. Add to sugar mixture and beat 2 minutes longer.
6. Beat egg whites until stiff.
7. Fold into cake batter by hand.
8. Spread batter in prepared pan.
9. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. 
10. Run knife around outer edge once slightly cooled; flip from pan to cool completely.
11. Cut into cubes when ready to assemble trifle.

Bread for the Journey

Recently I've been learning about the gift of listening.

I received a call from my sister this week and she just needed to talk. Shortly into the call she said, "thanks for listening to me". How many times has she been the one on the other end of the phone listening to me.

Yesterday a very dear friend called and we had a long conversation. We both talked about what was on on hearts and at the end of our conversation she said, "thank you for listening". Again I thought how many times she has been the one who gave me the gift of listening to me.

This past month my husband and I have been taking a course at our church called Hearing God.
As I've worked through the homework for this course I've realized how important it is for me to be still and listen to the voice of God.

Advent is a time of preparation.
In Psalm 46:10 God says, "Be still and know that I am God".

God has a personal message for each of us. He loves each of us and I know He desires for us to take time to be still. I am so grateful for the many times I have come to Him knowing He always listens. "Thank you God, for listening to me".

The desire of my heart during this advent season is to glorify God by listening to Him.....
and I know that when I do, my life will be transformed into His likeness and His response will be, "thank you for listening for Me".