Wassail

One of my favorite tastes and smells of Christmas is the wassail.  

I've had this recipe scribbled on a piece of paper and just don't want to lose it. 

I'm sure we all remember the wonderful smell warming our home with the Christmas spirit.

Wassail

4 tsp. cloves

4 sticks cinnamon

5 quarts water

1 1/2 cups sugar

12 oz. frozen orange juice

6 oz. frozen lemonade

Combine cloves, cinnamon, and sugar in 5 quarts of water and boil for 15 minutes.

Strain and add 12 ounces of orange juice and 6 ounces of lemonade. 

Warm through and enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes

Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender. Once cool, peel skin.

Separately combine (approximately):
1/2 cube butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

Bring to a boil. Pour over cut up sweet potatoes in a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 350 until warmed through.

Updated recipe notes from Mom on 11/18/20.

That recipe would make a 9 x 13 pan, which I'm sure none of you would want that much. I think it also has too much butter and brown sugar. 

For a smaller pan, I would probably do 4 large-sized yams (if they are too small they won't cut into nice pieces). Try to get them the same size, so they all cook about the same time. Don't overcook so they are mushy. 

After they have cooled, peel and cut them into fairly large circles or chunks.  This is where the guessing game comes in. I would probably do around 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter and fresh-squeezed orange juice until it makes the thickness you want.  Cook the butter and sugar until they are combined and then add the orange juice. Sprinkle with nutmeg. (You can add more brown sugar and butter if you want it sweeter). 

You just have to look at it and see if it looks like enough to cover your yams. I butter the dish, so that is also adding extra butter when it cooks. 

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. 

You can make these the day ahead and just reheat. If you're going to make ahead and reheat I would only cook them for about 20 minutes. 

Cheesy Potato Soup

Cheesy Potato Soup

4 slices bacon

4-6 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

2 Tbsp dried parsley

In large pot, cook bacon till crisp. Removed bacon and set aside. Add vegetables to pan with bacon drippings. Barely cover vegetables with water and cook over low heat until they are tender. While vegetables are cooking make cheese sauce.

Cheese sauce: 

½ to ¾ cup butter

¾ cup flour

4 cups milk

1 cup sour cream (optional)

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

4 cups grated mild cheddar cheese (I use Colby/Jack)

Melt butter and add flour. Whisk in milk and cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add salt, pepper and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Sour cream can be stirred in after you take this off the heat. Stir cheese sauce into the cooked vegetables. Add cooked bacon.

Granola Bars

granola bars

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 cup flour (white whole wheat)

3/4 cup chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit

3/4 t. salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil (or applesauce)

2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Either line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or grease thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, chocolate chips and salt. Add remaining ingredients, gently mixing it all together.  Press the mixture into prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes.  Cut the bars when they are still warm.

Dad's Delicious Gravy

Strain the drippings from the turkey into a metal bowl

Chill the bowl of drippings in the freezer and skim off the fat (If you have a separator, it will be much easier)

Strain the drippings into a pan, and bring to a boil. If you don’t have enough drippings, add a can of chicken broth.

While the drippings heat up, mix flour and very cold water and stir with a fork until smooth.

When the drippings and broth come to a boil, strain the flour mixture into the drippings, stirring constantly with a wire whip. Mix a little at a time so the gravy doesn’t get too thick.

Bring the gravy back to a boil, and add a little kitchen bouquet until the color is right.

Any questions? Call Dad. :)

Sweet Shredded Pork

Sweet Shredded Pork

3-5 lbs pork roast
2 cups salsa
2 cups brown sugar

Mix salsa and brown sugar.
Place roast in crock pot.
Pour salsa and brown sugar mixture over.
Cook 8-10 hours. Remove meat and shred. Return to crock pot, mix in the juices. Let cook awhile longer.

*original recipe from Living on Less segment on KSL Studio 5. It only called for 1 cup salsa and 1 cup brown sugar. I found that to be too dry and increased the amount of sauce.*

I serve this on taco salad, in burritos, etc. So yummy!
Love,
Cort

Pomegranate Salad

Pomegranate Salad

1 bunch butter lettuce
seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 can mandarin oranges
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
1 red onion
candied almonds

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
3 dashes Tabasco Sauce
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tsp. sugar
In a skillet, candy the nuts with sugar over low heat.