A Couple of Stories and My Christmas Eve Brunch Menu (Just a Little Late!!)

"Son!!" as Son-in-Law has taught me to say!!  December got the better of me this year, and I am way behind on my blog.  I did not get out of school until December 22nd, and that was because I snagged a sub in September!!  Otherwise, it would have been December 23rd!!  What happened to getting out for Christmas Break a week before Christmas?  We go back January 3rd to add insult to injury.  Do you know how hard it is to get distracted teenagers to pay attention in class on December 21st?  It was the horror of horrors!!!  So that is why I am behind SON!!!

I finished my Christmas shopping on December 22nd in a monsoon!!  That is what I get for waiting to the last minute.  Of course, Food Police and I had a major incident in the Target parking lot.  I pulled the car up to the loading dock so we would not get all our treasures so wet, and Food Police let go of the cart, and it rammed a lady's car.  Food Police said she thought I had it, and I said I thought she had it.  It was raining sideways at this point!!  The lady was very nice and waved us on.  She was probably afraid to lower her window to talk to us because we looked half-way crazy!!  AGH!!!

Later that night, I decided to go grocery shopping so I would have all day Friday to get ready for my Brunch.  So after making my grocery list and checking it 3 times, Husband Fred and I head out to Publix at 8:00 pm on a Wednesday night.  Now if you will recall, I have written about Wednesday being Senior Day at Publix.  I forgot this until we go to the Check-out line and saw a sign that stated "Don't forget to ask about your 5% Senior Discount!"  I gleefully showed the sign to Husband Fred and told him that he needed to inquire about the age!!  Hee Hee!!  So the next thing I know, he has leaned over to the cashier and in a hushed voice asked "What is the age you have to be to get the Senior Discount?"  She said "60!"  And I said Woo-hoo!!!  He said "I am sure you want to see my ID?", and she said "No that is OK!  I believe you!"  I couldn't help but to go into a major laughing spasm.  Poor Husband Fred, but hey, it saved me almost $20.00.  No more will I make fun of Senior Day.

I am deviating from my Eeny Meeny Game to bring you my Brunch Menu. I have been doing Christmas Eve Brunch now for about 10 or 11 years.  It is a come and go event and is always the highlight of my holidays.  I always have so many requests for the recipes that I thought I would put them in the blog.  This menu is tried and true, and you can use it for New Year's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc... You get the picture.  I always try to add one new recipe, and this year it was Christy Jordan's Harvest Cinnamon Rolls, and SON they were a hit.  So here we go. 

Breakfast Casserole

Southern Cheese Grits Casserole

Homemade Harvest Cinnamon Rolls

Brown Sugar Bacon

Praline French Toast Casserole

Holiday Fruit Salad

Sister Schubert's Sausage Rolls

Mama's Fruitcake Cookies

Orange Blush

Spiced Cranberry Cider

Coffee

Hot Chocolate

Let's start with Mama's Fruitcake Cookies.  I did a little picture tutorial on those.  I remember these being in the refrigerator every Christmas when I was little.  I would sneak into the kitchen, open the fridge, unwrap these, and get me a little bite any time I could.  They are the best, and I make them in honor of her every Christmas!!  One thing that I didn't do was have Mama write the recipe down.  I thought I could remember it!!  Don't ever make that mistake!!  So Food Police found a cookbook by Gooseberry Patch called Christmas in the Country that had the recipe.  Thank goodness.  That is a lesson learned.

You will need a box of Vanilla Wafers, a can of sweetened condensed milk, walnuts, candied fruit, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar.

Put the Vanilla wafers in a ziploc bag and crush the life out of them.  I used my big canister!!

Add the remaining goodness, and mix well.  That is the wonderful cookbook that had the recipe in it. 

Roll the goodness into a log and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Roll the log tightly in waxed paper, and place in the refrigerator.  These make great gifts as well.  Food Police's Father-in-Law gets several of these as Christmas presents.  He loves them with his morning coffee!!

Here is the recipe.....

Mama's Fruitcake Cookies



Gooseberry Patch's Christmas in the Country

16 oz pkg vanilla wafers, finely crushed

1 c red candied cherries, chopped

1 c green candied cherries, chopped

1 c candied pineapple, chopped

2 c walnuts, chopped

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 T vanilla

Powdered Sugar

Mix all ingredients except powdered sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  Divide into  4 portions; form each into an 8x2 inch roll.  Coat each roll in powdered sugar; wrap with was paper and twist ends.  Chill and cut into 1 inch slices.  Keep refrigerated.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Now on to the rest of the recipes:

Breakfast Casserole - Southern Living Magazine

6 slices bread

Butter

1 pound pork sausage

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups half and half

1 tsp salt

1.   Remove crusts from bread.  Spread bread with butter.  Place in a greased  13x9x2 dish.

2.   Brown sausage, drain, and spoon over bread.  Sprinkle with cheese. 

3.   Combine eggs, half and half and salt and pour over cheese.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

4.  Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.  Bake UNCOVERED at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Yields 8 servings.

Southern Cheese Grits Casserole - Southern Living Magazine

5 c water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c quick grits

12 oz Velveeta Cheese (You will need the big one.  It is marked in either 3 or 4 oz measures.  I can't remember right now!!)

1/2 T garlic powder

3/4 c butter

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 c milk

1/4 tsp pepper

1.  Bring water to a boil, and add grits.  Make sure you stir well as you add the grits, or you will get lumps.  Cook grits uncovered for 3 minutes.  (When they start popping, I put the cover on loosely.  Those little things will burn and stick on your skin!!) 

2.  Add cheese and butter and stir until melted.  Add eggs, milk, garlic powder and pepper.  Stir well.

3.  Pour into a 3-qt greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Yields 12 servings.

Christy Jordan's - www.southernplate.com - Harvest Cinnamon Rolls

• 1 loaf frozen white bread dough (such as Rhode's)
• 1/4 Cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 Cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (can use raisins or dried cherries)
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest (or more to taste)
Icing
• 3 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 Cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1-1/2 Cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Place loaf of dough on plate and let sit at room temperature until thawed. Once thawed, roll out onto floured surface to a size of about nine inches by sixteen inches.
2. Spread 1/4 C margarine or butter over dough.
3. Place cranberries in a bowl and cover with hot water, let sit for five minutes to plump, then drain well.
4. In small bowl mix together brown sugar and 3 T cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of cinnamon roll, stopping about 1/2 an inch away from the sides so it will seal (see photos). Sprinkle pecans, cranberries, and orange zest over brown sugar mixture.
5. Carefully roll up cinnamon roll into a log, squeezing lightly as you do to seal it. Slice into one inch slices with serrated knife.
6. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan and cover with cling wrap. Place in warm spot and allow to rise until doubled in size. Remove cling wrap and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until done.
7. Icing: Mix all ingredients together and beat with electric mixer until creamy. Spread over cinnamon rolls.
8. *To Freeze:* Prepare Cinnamon rolls up through step six (through the baking process). Once baked, allow to cool and then wrap well with foil. Freeze. Best if used within a month or two. To reheat frozen rolls, allow to thaw and then cover loosely with foil and place in 200 degree oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and top with cream cheese icing.

Brown Sugar Bacon - Katie Joel

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T Dijon mustard

1/4 pound thickly sliced bacon

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.  In a large ziploc bag, combine brown sugar and mustard.  Add bacon and coat.

3.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place a cooling rack on the baking sheet.  Put bacon on rack and roast in oven for 20 minutes.

4.  Let drain for a few minutes on the rack and serve.  DO NOT put it on a paper towel to drain or the brown sugar will stick to the towel and you will have a mess.  Who would even think about doing that?  Hee Hee!!

Praline French Toast Casserole

Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

French Toast:

1 loaf French Bread, 13 - 16 ounces

8 large eggs

2 c half and half

1 c whole milk

2 T granulated sugar

1 T vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Praline Topping:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 c packed light brown sugar

1 c chopped pecans

2 T light corn syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Raspberry Syrup:

1 c raspberry preserves

2 T orange juice

3 T water

1.  Grease a 13x9x2 pan.  Cut the bread crosswise into 20 1-inch slices.  Arrange the slices in two overlapping rows.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Beat with a whisk until the mixture is blended but not too foamy.  Pour the mixture over the bread slices, making sure they are all covered evenly.  Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

3.  The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the praline topping.  In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, pecans, corn syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg and blend with a fork.  Spread the topping over the bread slices.  Bake until puffed and lightly golden, about 45 minutes.

4.  To make the raspberry syrup, heat the preserves, OJ, and water over medium heat in a small sauce pan.  Stir until wamr and thinned out to a syruplike consistency.

5.  Serve the French toast with a drizzle of the syrup.  Yields 6-8 servings.

Holiday Fruit Salad - www.southernplate.com - Christy Jordan 

• 6-8 Apples
• 6 Oranges
• 1 lb Grapes
• 3-4 Cans Fruit Cocktail (You can use generic, it is every bit as good!)
• 1 Cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks 

1. Peel fruit and chop into small pieces. Cut oranges over apples so that the juice from the oranges will stop the apples from turning dark. Pour fruit cocktail over fruit. Drain juice from fruit into saucepan.
2. Add 1 cup sugar and 6 egg yolks. Blend well.
3. Cook approximately 15 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Cool. Pour over fruit.
4. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep in frig for a week. Make at least 24 hours ahead so that flavors can marry. Optional: Coconut and pecans. Bananas can be added but they turn dark quick and the fruit salad will not last as long in refrigerator.

 Orange Blush - This recipe was given to me from somebody.  I had it at a wedding shower, loved it, and asked for the recipe.

2 6-oz cans frozen OJ concentrate, thawed and undiluted

2 c cranberry juice cocktail

1/2 c sugar

1 28-oz club soda, chilled

Crushed ice

1.  Combine OJ, cranberry juice and sugar in a serving pitcher;  stir well to dissolve sugar.  Chill thoroughly.

2.  Stir in chilled club soda just before serving.  Pour over crushed ice in glasses.  Serves 12 depending on the size of your glasses.

Spiced Cranberry Cider - Southern Living Magazine

1 quart apple cider

3 c cranberry juice

2-3 tbs brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

3/4 tsp whole cloves

1/2 lemon, sliced

1.  Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring often.  (I do mine in a percolator)

2.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

3.  Remove spices and lemon.

Yields 7 cups

There you go.  The Sister Schubert Sausage Rolls are found in the frozen bread section of your grocery store.  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family has.  Unfortunately, Food Police will have a stroke when she sees the ingredients and all the butter and eggs I used.  Oh well!!  I will be back on the Eeny Game after New Year's!!  Happy New Year!!!

The Christmas Lights and Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas Baked Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Goodness!!! It has been awhile since I posted.  Between school and the Christmas lights, I am barely keeping my head above water.  But that is OK because the Christmas lights are - more or less - up and running. 

When we moved to our present house about 25 years ago, Little Food Police was 4 years old.  We had one little pine tree in our front yard which we decided to decorate with lights that first Christmas.  That is when the addiction began.  We began adding one thing a year to the display until now it has taken over our lives beginning around the end of October.  Husband Fred, who should have been an engineer, has had to divide the yard into electrical sectors so that we don't blow a fuse when the lights are on.  One year before he calculated the voltage load, whatever that is, I could not wash or dry clothes at night because the fuse would blow.  It was nuts!! 

Husband Fred and I have gotten into many an argument over these lights. We have specific roles for the putting up of the lights.  My assignment is to string all the trees with white lights and do the bushes in green.  It is very tedious because I try to follow each individual limb of the tree with lights.  AGH!!  He gets on the roof and does the icicle lights and the Santa going down the chimney.  He also sets up all the structures in the yard plus builds a very tall tree around the giant sycamore tree.  He then is responsible for laying out the thousands of extension cords.  All of this stuff is stored in the attic so he has to climb up in the attic and laboriously lower each piece to me - "The Impatient One" - at the bottom of the steps.  I say that he moves at the speed of Turtle.  Just to tell you, one year we did an Open House, the guests were arriving, and he was still out in the yard putting up lights.  He didn't even have time to take a shower.  I know the neighbors sit out on their front porches and listen to the steady stream of dialogue that happens when we are out putting up the lights.  It is great entertainment I am sure!!

The best thing about the lights, though, is to sit in the living room with all the lights off in the house and watch the steady stream of cars go by.  We have a system where we grade the activity.  There are the drive-bys which have already seen the lights and probably live on the street.  We have the slow-downs who are going about 2-5 mph, and then the much appreciated stoppers who take pictures and sometimes even back up to get another look.  We have even had people stop, get out of their cars, and take pictures by some of the structures.  Oh the joy of it all!!

This year has been no different.  He still has to finish some of the lights tonight,  and it is December 10th!!!  We were late getting our 5-Foot Santa positioned and dancing at the front door because Husband Fred needed to do shoulder surgery on him.  He has danced so much over the years that he threw his arm out of joint.  After the surgery, he also shrank about a foot so now he is Dancing 4-Foot Santa.  Grrrr.......But what is so cool is that we are dedicating the lights to Valor Flight which is a community service project that flies Korean War veterans to Washington, DC to visit the Korean War Memorial.  We invite you to drive by, enjoy the lights, and then make a donation at www.valorflight.com.  It is a wonderful project.  Husband Fred was lucky enough to be chosen to fly with the first Valor Flight, and it is something he will never forget.

This is a picture of the house at 1108 Woodmont Avenue in Huntsville, AL taken in 2009.  It looks alot different this year.  We have added a digital clock that counts down to Christmas in days, hours, minutes, and seconds.  The kids love it!!

I love the lights.....I love the lights....I love the lights.....Now on to something else I love, and that is cooking.  I chose as my next cookbook - Homemade Christmas - by Gooseberry Patch.  If you have never tried a Gooseberry Patch cookbook, they are awesome.  I think I have 10 or so of them so I will be sharing more recipes from the various ones.   The Eeny Game chose Baked Brown Sugar Oatmeal.  I was excited because I love breakfast and brunch foods. 

Here you go!!  A much better picture I must say!!

You will need quick-cooking oatmeal, white and brown sugar, milk ( I used Almond Milk), eggs, salt, oil, and baking powder.

Whisk together oil, eggs, and sugars.

Mix the oats, baking powder and salt and add to the oil mixture.  Add the milk and stir it all together.

Put the mixture into a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

It comes out looking like this.  So beautiful!!!!

I spooned it up and added raisins to it.  You could add whatever topping you like.  It is awesome!

I must say this was easy and delicious.  It tastes just like a warm oatmeal cookie.  So so good!!  I plan to serve it at my Christmas Eve Brunch which I will write about later in the month.  I will give you my menu which has stood the test of time.  Now here is your recipe---

Baked Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas

1/2 c oil - Food Police says use applesauce instead!

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c sugar

3 c quick cooking oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 c milk

Optional:  Toppings like nuts, raisins, etc..

Whisk together oil, eggs and sugars; set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine oats, baking powder and salt.  Add to oil mixture.  Add milk and stir well.  Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is golden.  Serve warm, either plain or with toppings.  Serves 6.

Now go have a great day, and come see the Christmas Lights!!