RECIPES FROM MARGE

Recipes, Recollections & Reminiscings from Marge

By Marge Petts

I am anticipating a great holiday season this year. Beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with the new year, our entire family will be together.

When our eldest son made a major uprooting of his family in June, we didnt know what to expect, or if they would stay. The hope was that they would feel like this was “home”. It is now six months later, and we couldn’t have wished for a better outcome to their relocation. They sold or donated most of their possessions so they could more easily make the long-distance move from Colorado to Wisconsin with three adults and two children. A U-Haul trailer carried just their basic belongings.

We as a family made it a priority to make them feel the closeness and the importance there was in having them here and near to us.

The holidays will be different this year but still a celebration of the Birth of Christ, as we are reminded of the miracle of birth with the arrival of a new granddaughter. This year we will also be reminded that the Lord gives and takes away, after the tragic loss of our daughter’s fiancé.

In preparation of the upcoming holiday season, and Winter, we have stacked logs in our garage so we can enjoy a crackling fire on cold days and at family gatherings.

Our son from Colorado was not able to pack any holiday decorations. We will choose a large ceramic tree from our collection for his family. We have given each of our other three children a tree also. I will sort through the many decorations and ornaments we have, to give them treasures to adorn their home with the sights and sounds of Christmas.

Hot Cocoa Mix

This would be a great mix to give in decorative glass jars for gifts. Include instructions with the jar, tied on with a ribbon or string. A cup or two cups of this mix would make 3 or 6 cups of cocoa.

7 cups powdered milk 1-1/2 cups sugar 1-1/2 cups cocoa ¼ teaspoon salt 6 ounce container of non-dairy coffee creamer

Mix all ingredients well, with a spoon. Store in covered container. To make hot cocoa by the cup, use 1/3 cup of mix for each cup of boiling water.

A menu will be created for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Each family will volunteer to contribute one or more items for our meals. We will pick names to exchange gifts at Christmas. As always, Stan and I will make our annual walk around the block on Christmas Eve, to gaze at the stars, and just to feel closer to that first Christmas Eve a long time ago. This will bring us peace in these uncertain times.

We would all like to be able to stay away from the extreme commercialism as each holiday approaches.

The following words of a seven- year old, might be a good reminder of just how important it is to remove ourselves from the holiday hustle and bustle. Our son, Mark, took Asher with him to a home improvement store recently to purchase materials to complete his work bench in the basement of their home. They walked in the door and the first thing Asher said was, “This is nonsense”. “All the Christmas trees, and Halloween isn’t here yet, and Christmas is three months away!”. I then asked him, “How does Asher know these things”? He replied, “that’s the way of Asher”.

We will celebrate this season, not based on circumstances, but on hope.

I chose the following four recipes because I thought they would make great gifts in decorative tins or glass jars.

The wreath would be a good project to make for your own home or as a gift.

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Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices

Makes about 55 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2-1/4 cups allpurpose flour ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped ½ cup finely chopped pecans 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel

In large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt, beating until combined. Scrape sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can, then stir in any remaining flour. Stir in cranberries, pecans, orange peel.

Divide dough in half. Shape each into a 9-inch long roll. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 3 hours or until firm enough to slice.

With serrated knife, cut rolls into ¼ inch slices. Place slices 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 -degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are firm and lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Store in layers between waxed paper in airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze 1 month.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

An Amish cookie recipe. Makes approximately 10 Dozen

3 cups vegetable oil 4 cups brown sugar 1 cup molasses 4 eggs, beaten Mix all together well. Add to above mixture: 8 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Stir well. Mix in the following with your hands. 2 cups whole wheat flour 6 cups all-purpose flour

Form into 1-inch balls and roll in white sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Submit your recipes to Marge BY EMAIL AT: owl.mcp@gmail.com OR MAIL TO: Marge c/o Wisconsin Media Group, P.O. Box 237, Kiel, WI 53042

Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels

Makes 12 (1) cup servings

2/3 cup vegetable oil ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 16- ounce package small pretzel twists

In a large roasting pan, stir together vegetable oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add the pretzels; toss well to coat with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake, uncovered, in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Microwave Directions:

In a very large bowl, stir together vegetable oil, sugar and cinnamon. Add pretzels, toss well to coat with cinnamon-sugar. Place half of the pretzel mixture in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for three minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Repeat with the remaining pretzel mixture.

Holiday Gumdrop Wreath

Makes one 8-inch Wreath

Royal Frosting recipe – below Green food coloring 8- inch straw, plastic or foam wreath form 6 bags (13 ounces each) red and green gumdrops, separated

Tint Royal Frosting bright green with food coloring. Spoon frosting into 2 or 3 resealable bags. Seal bags and set aside.

Wrap wreath form with several sheets of aluminum foil. Tape the ends to secure.

Place a sheet of wax paper on a work surface. Place wreath form on wax paper.

Snip a corner from one of the frosting bags. Pipe some frosting over wreath. Spread to make a thick coating on about one-third

of the wreath. Starting at the base, arrange green gumdrops close together in rows. Repeat rows to cover wreath. Make sure to work in small areas so frosting doesn’t dry out. Add a few clusters of 3 red gumdrops, to look like berries, in different areas of wreath (see picture). Allow to dry at least 48 hours before hanging. Royal Frosting: Combine 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) with 3 tablespoons powdered egg whites and 6 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Beat until thick.