Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Holiday Food

I don't want to be working right now.
It's chilly in here, and I'm feeling unmotivated.

I really want to be home in my warm cozy house. And I want it to be raining outside. I want to bake some Pumpkin Muffins and Banana Bread. I just got a recipe for Peach Cobbler you make in a crock pot, and I have a recipe for some Cranberry Orange Stuffing I want to try out. I want to be home cooking today. But I need people to help me eat it so I'll have to wait for the end of the week.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love Christmas too, but to me Thanksgiving is like Christmas without the headache of required shopping. When I think of Thanksgiving I think about being with family and eating wonderful foods that we don't take the time to make the rest of the year. Turkeys that cook for a day, stuffing, mashed potatoes, soup. All those body warming foods. Sitting around eating and chatting, fires in the fireplace, movies playing on the TV.

My Gma always made Pecan Rolls for the holidays. They seem pretty simple - just a soft sweet bread with cinnamony, brown-sugary pecans baked onto the top. They were always the best right out of the oven when they are warm and soft and sticky. Earlier this year, a few months before she died, she made copies of her recipe for everyone and gave me the original. I decided I would try to make them for when my family gets together this Friday. I read through the recipe the other day and it looks a little incomplete. Now I wish I'd taken the time to have her show me before it was too late. I'll give it a shot though.

She used to make fantastic Apple Crisp too. I'm going to see if anyone has her recipe. It was so good over vanilla ice cream... Mmmm.

The holidays and this cool weather make me want a warm, spicy beverege to warm me up. It's too bad coffee gives me such a headache. That leaves me tea, hot cocoa, and cider. But that's ok - I'll try one of these:

Hot Angel: Steamed milk (foam or not) with Frangelica (a hazelnut liquor).
Hot Apple Pie: Sparkling Cider, 1 1/4 oz heated Tuaca, topped with whip cream.
Glühwein - German Mulled Wine: Pour 4 quarts dry red wine into a large pot and begin heating over low heat. As it begins to warm, add 1 cup sugar and 6 cinnamon sticks, 12 whole cloves, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp mace. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 pint brandy. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow to boil! Add 2 sliced oranges and 1 sliced lemon. Steep for about 1 hour over low heat. You may add more sugar during this time if desired, stirring well so it disolves. Serve hot and garnish with orange slices. A stick cinnamon could also be used.

Other Hot Alcoholic Bevereges if you are interested:

Hot Toddy: 1 1/4 oz Bourbon, 1 oz. honey, fill with hot water and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Hot Buttered Rum: Add 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. butter and cloves to a coffee mug. Pour 1 oz. dark rum and stir well. Fill with boiling water. Stir again.

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