Ingredients:

1 large pre-cooked holiday ham
5 cups apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 light brown sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean ham and remove skin. Place in a roasting pan. Pour apple juice, cloves and brown sugar over the top; cover. Bake per package directions for 20 minutes per pound. Baste periodically during cooking. Remove from oven, cool slightly. Slice ham and baste with drippings from the pan. Serve with scalloped potatoes, apple sauce, vegetables, rolls and other holiday favorites.

Peppermint Brittle

2 lbs. white chocolate
30 small peppermint candy canes

Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper or heavy tin foil. In a microwave safe container add the white chocolate and heat on medium in the microwave for about 4-6 minutes. Stop during heating and stir occasionally until the chocolate is smooth and melted.

In a large plastic bag add the candy canes. Using a rolling pin or another similar tool, begin breaking the candy into small pieces. Stir the candy into the melted chocolate and spread in the pan, evenly.

Place in refrigerator for about 60 minutes and then break the candy into pieces.

Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Holiday Feast

Ingredients:

1 4 to 5 pound boneless pork loin
2 tablespoons real butter
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped white onion
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
Lemon and orange zest
1 cup apple juice
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook onions in butter over low heat until soft. Remove from heat. Add in bread crumbs, apples, raisins, citrus fruit zest and salt and pepper. Cool. Meanwhile, slice a pocket in the pork between the fat layer and the meat. Place stuffing in the pocket and then roll up pork line lengthwise. Tie with a cooking string or close with skewers. Mix sour cream and apple juice together and pour into a roasting pan. Place pork loin on top; cover. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn and bake for another half hour. Reduce heat to about 350 degrees and continue cooking for another hour. Baste pork frequently. Pork is done with a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees. Serve with potatoes, vegetables and rolls. Pan drippings can be blended with white wine for a gravy if desired.

Christmas Cookie Cutouts

Ingredients:
1 cup real butter, softened
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional (reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon if used)
Assorted holiday cookie cutters

Directions:
Mix butter and sugar together until very light and creamy. Add egg and extract(s); mix well. Slowly add flour and baking soda. Divide dough into equal parts; wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on waxed paper to about a 1/4 to 1/3 inch in thickness; cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets for 7 minutes, or until edges turn slightly golden. Cool and decorate.

Christmas Duck With Orange Sauce

Ingredients:
1 5-pound duck, cleaned and rinsed
1 large orange, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper

Orange sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Freshly squeezed orange juice from 3 oranges
1 whole bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
3/4 cup Grand Marnier
Grated orange rind
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean duck and remove all excess fat. Rub duck, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Insert orange quarters into duck cavity and place in roasting pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove duck. Pierce the breast with a knife or fork; drain excess grease. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees and return duck to oven for 70 minutes, or until duck is quite tender. Meanwhile, blend sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar starts to caramelize. Add bay leaf, thyme, orange juice, rind and liquor. Cook for five minutes or until well blended; remove and discard bay leaf. Remove duck from oven. Discard oranges; drain any remaining excess grease. Pour sauce over duck. Serve with vegetables, rolls and other holiday favorites.

Christmas Gingerbread Men Cookies

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon warm water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Desired decorations

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients together until dough is well mixed. Roll out onto waxed paper, or a floured surface. Dough should be about a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased and floured baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, or until browned. Cool. Decorate with desired frosting, candy pieces and other embellishments.

Christmas Spiced Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup real, unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
6 to 7 ripe bananas, mashed
1 16 ounce container sour cream
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease two large, or four small loaf pans. Mix 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust greased pans with the mixture. Combine butter and 3 cups sugar. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream and remaining spices. Mix well; add baking soda and flour. Add nuts, if desired. Divide batter equally into pans. Bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve with fresh whipping cream.

Christmas Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup real butter, unsalted and softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie crust, prepared, but unbaked
1/4 cup crumbled pecan pieces, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil sweet potatoes until soft and tender. Cool and drain. Mash potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add butter and mix until well blended. Slowly stir in sugar, eggs, milk, spices and vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy and potato chunks have disappeared. Pour potato mixture into the unbaked piecrust. Sprinkle pecan pieces on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. For an extra festive touch, sprinkle ice cream with peppermint candy pieces.

Holiday Mint Fudge

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
7 ounces marshmallow cream
2 sticks real butter, softened
10 ounces mint chocolate chips or mint chocolate candy chopped
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Serving tray decoration:
Powdered sugar
Mint leaf sprigs

Directions:
Line a 9×9x2-inch pan with foil, grease; set aside.  Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and marshmallow in large saucepan on medium heat until it boils. Stir constantly. Boil for five minutes. Add mint chocolate and vanilla. Stir until contents are well blended and melted together. Spread into pan. Refrigerate for minimum of 8 hours. Cut into desired size squares. Serve on a plate dusted with powdered sugar and decorated with mint leaves.

Holiday Roast And Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 4 to 5 pound beef rib eye roast
5 medium baking potatoes, cleaned and quartered
1 small bag of cleaned baby carrots
1 large onion diced
1 bottle of light beer
5 cloves of fresh garlic, cleaned and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all spices and rub onto roast. Pour beer into a roasting pan and place roast inside. Surround roast with vegetables. Cover roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes and then baste roast with beer and au jus from the pan. Return roast to oven for about 45 minutes to an hour longer, or until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium rare or 150 degrees for medium. Cooking times can vary depending on desired doneness and roast size. Once done, remove from oven and cool for about 20 minutes. Carve and serve with vegetables, rolls and other holiday dishes.

Christmas Thumbprint Cookies

Instructions:
2/3 cup real butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks from large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Strawberry, cherry or raspberry preserves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend butter and sugar together. Slowly add egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well blended; add flour. Once well mixed, shaped dough into small balls. Dip balls into beaten egg whites and roll in nuts. Place on greased cookie sheet. Gently press down on each ball with thumb. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven; cool. Fill indents with preserves prior to serving.

Creamy Christmas Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 5-pound bag red potatoes, washed and cubed
1 16-ounce container sour cream
1 stick salted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly ground parsley
3-4 green onion stalks, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Clean potatoes; cut out any brown spots. Cube or slice into quarters. Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Mash potatoes with hand masher or electric mixer. Add all other ingredients and mix until very creamy. If lumps are still present, or consistency is too thick, add more milk. Serve hot with butter and salt.

Festive Cheese Dip Color Explosion

Ingredients:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 to 4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 1/2 tablespoon grated white onion
3 drops medium to hot red pepper sauce
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

Directions:
Mix cream cheese and cheddar together. Blend in pesto, onion and pepper sauce. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Remove and work into desired shape (balls, stars, Christmas trees). Roll cheese mixture in parsley, almonds and red peppers. Serve with an assortment of holiday crackers. Makes enough for two large cheese balls, trees or a variety of stars.

Festive Spritz Cookies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Food coloring
Cookie press with desired cutouts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, egg, butter, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat until mixture is fluffy; add flour. Beat until well mixed. Add a few drops of food coloring, 1 to 2 drops at a time until desired color is attained. Put dough into cookie press. Place desired shapes 1-inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, or until edges brown slightly.

Holiday Surprise Fruitcake

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, well sifted
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup raisins
1/2 pound candied citron, chopped
1/4 pound almonds, blanched and sliced thin
3/4 cup maraschino cherries green and red blend, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
lemon zest
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Rinse and dry raisins; cut into small pieces. Slice cherries into small pieces; combine all fruit and nuts in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour and coat all fruit. Set aside. Grease two cake pans; line with brown paper and grease again. Mix butter, vanilla and almond extract with lemon zest. Slowing add sugar; blend until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, blending well. Sift remaining dry ingredients together and add to the butter blend. Add fruit mixture. Blend until well combined; add lemon juice. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake for 90 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

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Recently my husband and I went on a seven day cruise through the Western Caribbean.  We left from Port Canaveral and traveled to Cozumel, Belize City, Costa Maya, and Nassau.  We had a fantastic time and came home very relaxed.

We sailed on Carnival and they offer two wine packages.  Yes, the wines are marked up compared to your local stores, but there is a significant savings compared to buying bottles of wine throughout the week.  The markup is less than you will pay at most restaurants and we found it to be reasonable.  Carnival does allow one bottle of wine or champagne to be brought on per adult.  But with all the opportunities to eat and enjoy yourself on a cruise, two bottles can go quickly.  We found the wine package to be an excellent accompaniment to our vacation.

Once you determine which wine package is right for you, they will hand you a receipt.  At the first dinner, your waiter will hand you five wine coupons.  The coupons can be used through out the ship, not just during dinner service.  The wines are listed on the back of each coupon and you just let the waiter know which wine you would like.  Don’t feel rushed to enjoy your bottle; the waiters will save any remaining wine for the next evening’s dinner.

Now our favorite part of the cruise ship experience, at least on the ship, was dinner.  We had wonderful wine, fantastic food, and were lucky enough to share the table with an awesome couple from up state New York.  My husband and I enjoyed their company and had a great time watching a comedic waiter at the table next to us all week.  We all swapped excursion details, show highlights, and any ‘secrets’ we all learned along the way.  Some people are nervous about assigned dining.  We have found that it’s an excellent way to enhance the experience; you should try it at least once, even as ‘anytime’ dining gains in popularity.

Another dinner option was dining in the Emerald Steakhouse.  It is an additional $30 per person, but you get a full steakhouse experience.  It was very quiet and the food was excellent and plentiful.  The Emerald dining room also hosted a cooking demonstration of their lobster bisque, surf and turf of filet and shrimp, and chocolate melting cake.  The demonstration was geared for the viewers to be able to do the recipes at home.

The cruise also offered a wine and cheese pairing class on two of the at sea days.  That is a great opportunity for cruisers that are unsure of how to pair wine and food.

Like most others vacations, room service is always a fantastic option too!  We tried that a few mornings when we felt like relaxing in the room.

Over the course of the next week, I will be writing about other aspects of our cruise experience.  We had a great time and I am looking forward to sharing the experience with you!

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Sardines With Garlic Oil

Ingredients

• 12 fresh sardines
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 3-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• fresh herbs of your choice – dill, parsley, cilantro, etc.
• lemon slice, to serve

Directions

• Sprinkle the sardines with salt about 20 minutes before cooking
• Brush lightly with oil and cook on a grill rack or under the broiler, turning once, until just done, 8-10 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the remaining oil and add the garlic. Pour the hot garlic oil over the fish and serve at once, garnish with the herbs and lemon.
• Serve over salad or alone.

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To my surprise the dish came out great! The Hubs loved the tilapia, though it was a bit too spicy for my 3-year old daughter. I loved the tilapia and felt so comfortable cooking it; I could actually cook it for friends or family. Again that’s something that I hardly ever do.

We had fried rice with the tilapia, only I wimped out on this one. I used the Sun-Bird Fried Rice Seasoning Mix. It’s not homemade but it’s fast and it works.

I would love to find a great fried rice recipe one day. If you know of one, drop me a line!

I almost forgot, here’s the recipe if you want to try it for yourself. I found it online courtesy of Delish Food.

Chinese Style Tilapia

1 pound tilapia fillets
3 Tbsp rice cooking wine
2-3 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/4 tsp dried ginger powder
1 tsp olive oil

In a medium sized skillet, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. In a small bowl combine rice cooking wine, soy sauce, Sriracha chili sauce, garlic & ginger powder. Add fish to skillet, cooking for a minute. FLIP the fish (I almost forgot this step) and add soy sauce mixture to skillet. Add green onion. Allow fist to simmer over low heat until cooked thoroughly. Serve immediately.

It’s that easy and so delicious. The only problem I had with cooking was that my fish started to fall apart making for a not so pretty picture.

This is a guest post written by Stephanie Elie of BizzieMommy.com

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Ingredients

16-18 raw jumbo shrimp, deveined but with tails left in the shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium green bell pepper,finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 sweet chili peppers, chopped

1 16 oz. can chopped mushrooms, drained

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Make a slit on the inside of the shrimp with a sharp knife, open to create a small space for the stuffing.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add green bell peppers, garlic, onion and the chile peppers, saute until tender. Stir in mushrooms and cook about 3 minutes.

4. Stuff shrimp with the veggie mixture.

5. Arrange shrimp in a greased baking dish and bake at 400 until they become pink, no more than 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

4 servings

Posted by Nicole Ibarrondo, former editor here at Mom Fuse

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