Funviralpark Almost every family has a food tradition. They are as much a part of us as the education we receive. They are part of our culture, they really show where we come from and they shape who we become. It gives us the opportunity to pass down food traditions from generation to generation.
A life without food traditions is a lack of important ingredients. While planning your menu, take time to plan your holiday dinners by keeping your food traditions in mind. I will develop some new ones of my own.
Often these foods only appear once or twice a year, not because they don’t taste good, but because they represent the occasion. In many cases, we even have to dig deep into our files for recipes each year. Here are some of my family and friends’ favorite foods. I’m always looking for new treats if you have something to share!!
Icebox fruit cake recipe how to make…a very simple recipe…I think this is Aunt Francis’ recipe
1-pound box of graham crackers crushed with a rolling pin
1 cup dark raisins
2 cups chopped pecans
25 large marshmallows melted in a double boiler
Chopped red and green candied cherries (about 4 ounces). each )
6 oz.milk
Place crushed graham crackers, raisins, nuts and chopped cherries in a large bowl and toss together. Spoon out the melted marshmallows and pour the milk over the graham crackers. The best way to mix this is with your hands. When well mixed, place in a buttered container and crush. Decorate the top with nuts and cherries. Cool and slice as desired.
Once you’ve buttered the sides of the double boiler and melted the marshmallows, they’ll come out easily with an oiled spatula.
christmas wreath cookies
1 stick butter
30 large marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons green food coloring
4 cups corn flakes
red hot candies
Melt the butter and marshmallows in a pan and stir well.
Add vanilla and food coloring. Pour the mixture over the cornflakes and stir well.
Spoon onto waxed paper. While the cookie wreath is still hot, decorate with red hot.
beef chips cheese ball
2 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 pack.shredded or dried beef, diced
1 sm.onion, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes of hot sauce
parsley
Mix all ingredients except parsley. Roll and sprinkle with parsley. Tip: Serve with crackers.
christmas salad
18 or more marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 small can of mashed pineapple
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cool whip
1 package lime jello
Melt the marshmallows.
Mix nuts and cherries.
Drain the juice from the pineapple. Add to cottage cheese, whipped cream and marshmallows.
Mix with set jerochill until set.
bill smith con ham
(I grew up in a family that regularly “pig slaughtered,” so the corn on the ham was done by my grandfather Jim in the smokehouse, but as the tradition continued, I learned the smokehouse way. This is Bill Smith’s recipe, and he’s from Eastern North Carolina, so the taste is pretty close to what I grew up with).
1 ham 16-20 lbs
2 pounds of salt
direction: Ask the butcher for prosciutto. This is easier said than done as supermarkets primarily sell prosciutto. Raw ham is definitely better than raw ham.
Rinse and dry the ham. He has three places where his bones stick out. Both ends and one side near the hip end.
Using a sharp knife, make cuts about 3 inches deep along all three.
Fill the cut with salt. Rub the salt all over the outside of the ham. I want to lightly cover the ham, but I don’t want to make a salty paste.
Place the ham in a non-reactive pan, cover with plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate.
During the ripening period, the ham is occasionally turned over, re-scrubbed with salt, and poured with the juices produced as the ham hardens.
The day before cooking the ham, wash it under cold running water. Be sure to wash out the salt pockets. Then soak overnight in clean cold water.
Set the oven to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a covered roasting pan rack and grill for 20 minutes per pound. I like to cook these hams until they fall off the bone, although for safety reasons the internal temperature should reach 150 degrees. Raise the temperature to 375 degrees to brown the ham.
For the last 10 minutes or so, peel the skin and place it next to the ham in the roasting pan. It will be the best crackling and crunchy ever.
Ma Pat’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dressing.
(This is my mother’s recipe. It’s easy and delicious.)
3 sachets of herbal dressing from Pepperidge Farm
cooked turkey dark meat (I usually use grilled chicken and mince it)
1 bunch chopped celery
1 chopped onion
6 boiled eggs chopped
Enough butter to sauté the onions and celery
2 boxes of chicken soup
Sage to taste
Add the butter and chopped onion and celery to a frying pan and sauté until crisp, then divide into 2 equal portions.Put half in one bowl and the other half in another
Divide the meat equally and put it in each bowl.Crack 6 eggs evenly and put them in each bowl
With a spoonful of sage in each bowl, my mother adds a good amount of sage.
Start mixing with your hands as you add the broth. You’ll probably need some of his third bag of herbal dressings. Continue adding liquid until the consistency is dry. This part is important. If you don’t dry them enough, they won’t bake and cut into squares.
