Christmas Recipes

Christmas Recipes

The recipes I have selected to share with you are recipes from my own collection that I have accumulated over the years. Some recipes have been shared among friends and other from family members. Some of my favorites came from my Grandmother E's personal handwritten cookbook from the early 1900's.

Strawberry Christmas Cake

A strawberry cake sounds like something you might want to serve in the spring or summer or perhaps at Easter, but this is actually a knockout choice to serve at a Christmas party.
It’s unexpected because we always associate the spicy aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg at Christmas-time. But this cake can be a wonderful addition to the dessert table, right alongside the apple pie, fudge, spice cake and gingerbread boys. It will be a delightful surprise and it’s simple to make. This is definitely a FED cake: Fast, Easy and Delicious.


1 box white cake mix
1 box strawberry gelatin
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
4 eggs
½ cup slices strawberries, fresh or frozen

Mix cake mix, gelatin and flour. Add oil, water and eggs; beat well. Beat in strawberries and pour into greased and floured 8 inch round pans. Bake at 350° 30 to 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing

1 pound box powdered sugar½ cup butter or margarine3 tablespoons strawberries and juice1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slowly mix powdered sugar into softened butter and add strawberries to soften. Mix in vanilla. Spread on completely cooled cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries when available.


Christmas Rum Cake Recipe

For some people, a good rum cake at Christmas is a must. This is also a good choice for gift giving and sharing. Use good quality rum. If you don’t know how to select, you can find help at your neighborhood liquor store.

I prefer using walnuts in this recipe, but that is strictly a matter of taste. To me they just seem to go well with the rum. This cake will keep many weeks in a tight container and stay moist if rum is poured over occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350° and assemble all ingredients before proceeding.


Thoroughly cream ½ cup softened butter (or margarine) and 1 cup sugar.

Add 3 eggs, stirring well.

Sift 1 cup flour with:½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon nutmegDash of saltAdd a little at a time to egg mixture, stirring after each addition.

Add 2 ounces rum.

Flour 2 cups raisins and stir in with 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts.

Pour into a well greased 9 inch tube pan. Bake at 350° about 70 minutes.

Christmas Holiday Cake Squares

This Christmas dessert is like little samplings of fruitcake sprinkled with powdered sugar, only better because it contains eggnog. I think you might be delightfully surprised.

This cake is baked in a sheet pan, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cut into squares. For an added festive touch, after you have arranged the squares on your serving plate, sprinkle a little red sugar around the edges.

It’s also perfect to pack and carry to your holiday parties. This is a beautiful dessert for Christmas and Thanksgiving and any holiday party.

½ pound candied fruit and peels

¼ pound candied red and green pineapples,diced

¼ pound pecan pieces

1 cup sifted flour

1 cup butter

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup dairy eggnog

Powdered sugar

Combine fruits and nuts. Add the 1 cup flour; mix lightly.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well.

Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with eggnog; mix until well blended. Stir in fruit and nut mixture.

Turn into well greased and lightly floured 13×9x2 inch pan. Bake at 300° for one hour and 45 minutes, or until done. Cool. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into squares.

Christmas Gifts and Decoration Ideas You Can Use

Christmas Gifts and Decoration Ideas You Can Us

For most people Christmas is the busiest time of year. I know it is for me. And finding unique, high quality, and original ideas for Christmas gifts and Christmas decorations can be very difficult as well as very time consuming.

This site is designed to make your life a little easier by providing you with a resource to help you with all your Christmas planning, shopping and decorating.

Some of us like to decorate our homes the same way every year. That’s our traditional way of decorating and we are comfortable with that.

I love Christmas and I use many of the same decorations every year, but I like to change things up and use them in different ways. Every year each room is decorated, but not quite the same as last year. If you’re looking for some fresh ideas, I hope you’ll find these articles helpful.

Christmas Trees: How It All Got Started

Christmas Trees: How It All Got Started

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well.

Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Photo Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.

It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims's second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out "pagan mockery" of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against "the heathen traditions" of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated "that sacred event." In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.

Photo © stock.xchng In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. Unlike the previous royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable—not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The Christmas tree had arrived.

By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling.

The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition.

The History Of Christmas

CHRISTMAS

The History Of Christmas

Christmas - An Ancient Holiday

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

Saturnalia

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25.

It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

All Things Christmas

Welcome to All Things Christmas – one of the biggest websites about Christmas on the Internet.

Send an electronic christmas card: Making & sending an advanced virtual

Blog: Pimp up your blog. You can use our christmas theme for free. Just download it.

On this page you will find holiday treasures such as printable cards, lyrics to your favorite Christmas carols, songs in MIDI format, unique craft ideas, decorating and tips for christmas shopping. We have a lot of holiday stories, delicious recipes, links to other holiday web sites, and more, including our Christmas for kids-section, which offers fun, games, riddles, printables, and other goodies just for kids.

Don’t forget to visit our pages with Xmas fun – we have Christmas videos, top 10 lists, and lots of surprising facts about Christmas.

Christmas marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but since then, numerous other traditions have been mixed with the originals. This website takes you to the history of the original traditions and gives you the background of the news ones as well.

Christmas Facts

Every year more than 400 million people celebrate Xmas around the world -- that makes Xmas one of the world’s biggest religious and commercial festivities. In approximately year 300 A.D., the birthday of Jesus was determined to be on December 25, the day that has been celebrated from then till this very day. The celebration on the 25th of December starts with Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24.

The religious festival is originally a blend of pagan customs. The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, i.e. "the birthday of the unconquered sun.". Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in late December to early January. However, it is uncertain exactly why December 25 became associated with the birth of Jesus since the Old Testament doesn’t mention a specific date of the event.

Christmas Concerts are More Than Beautiful Music

Christmas Concerts are More Than Beautiful Music

Published in the News & Views: December 10, 2006

By now, many of you are aware that Central's Christmas Concert, "Christmas Brass Tie up with Strings and Bows," is coming soon and that this year it will be done twice given the very large numbers of people who have traditionally attended this concert. This year, the Chancel Choir of Timonium Presbyterian Church will join our own Chancel Choir along with orchestra, a brass ensemble, Jay at the mighty Casavant pipe organ, our Children's Choir and, of course, you, our congregation, to celebrate the birth of Christ in a grand and splendid way.

Performances will take place on Friday, December 15th, at 7:00 pm and then again on Sunday, December 17th, at 4:00 pm.

If you have attended in the past, you know how wonderful and moving the concert is and you are probably smiling just thinking about it! If you have never attended, you need to. You hear beautiful music and get to sing all your favorite Christmas carols along with the orchestra, organ, and singers, all in a grand tradition that you will seldom find anywhere. But... think about the real opportunity that this occasion gives us. The concert is more than just familiar Christmas music. It is even more than just a worship service, though it certainly is that.

Central's Christmas Concert is an opportunity for each of you in our congregation to be an evangelist and to carry Christ's message well beyond our physical walls. This is the golden opportunity for you to invite your friends to share in the experience, hear the Story, and think about the meaning of God coming to us in the birth of a baby.

Here are a few suggestions:

First and foremost, this is a family affair and not something just for adults. Bring your kids, your parents, your grandparents - bring everyone you know! Enjoy a Norman Rockwell moment!
Invite your friends over for dinner and a concert or concert and a dinner and assure them that this will be a concert from which you guarantee they will leave smiling! Particularly, if you know people who do not attend church regularly, these are the people who need to touch their roots through the familiar music of Christmas. Be the one to bring someone back into the church.

You may know people who really need this, even if they don't realize it. The Christmas season is a time for great happiness, but also a time for severe loneliness for some. Share your joy and bring them to a warm, inviting, and soothing atmosphere.

If you are in college or high school, this is a great opportunity for a date! Introduce your friends to Central through some very exciting music. Then go out for coffee and dessert and talk about how active Central really is in the world. Invite them to be part of it.

This is the golden opportunity to share the message of Christ!

Now, given the crowds from previous years, we encourage you all to come early; but this year, we also encourage many of you to come on Friday night when we expect to have the most available space.

Yes, the Chancel Choir's annual Christmas concert is far more than beautiful music. The choir has done its part to learn the music; now do your part and complete the package!

Christmas Tree Decorations

Christmas Tree Decorations

Almost from the very beginning of Christmas trees in Germany, colorful decorations were a part of the Christmas tree tradition. Long before candy canes and electric lights, Christmas trees were adorned with candles, silver tinsel, apples, cakes, sweets and other delights. Martin Luther purportedly decorated a Christmas tree with candles to illustrate for his children the beautiful stars of the night sky. As the Christmas tree tradition became more popular, glass ornaments appeared, angels and stars found their way to the top of the Christmas tree and colorful electric lights emerged in the 20th Century.

Today’s decorations vary widely from the simple, homemade decorations of green and red paper chains, strings of popcorn and berries and handcrafted ornaments to expensive silver and glass ornaments or family heirlooms. However decorated, the Christmas tree is a reflection of family traditions and personal style.

Christmas Tree Lights

Lit candles, inherently unsafe, have been replaced by strings of white or colored safety lights. Stringing strands of light is the first step in decorating a Christmas tree. Before proceeding, each strand of lights should be tested to make certain that they are all working. Next the lights are carefully strung, usually starting from the bottom branches and working upwardly. To avoid too many of consecutively connected strands of light, power strips can be taped to the trunk of the Christmas tree and then several strands of lights can be plugged into the power strip. This technique has both an obvious safety benefit and a practical benefit – making it easier to find and replace problem strands of light.

For further information on safety techniques for Christmas tree lights, there are a number of online resources including a publication by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission , online Christmas safety tips from the US Fire Administration and the website of the National Fire Protection Association.


Christmas Tree Garlands and Tinsel
Garlands and tinsel come next. Colorful, old fashion paper chains, ribbon, and strings strung with popcorn and cranberries grace many family Christmas trees, particularly when the children are younger. Colored tinsel, twine, strands of beads, and strands of mini-pine cones – the styles are limitless to a creative mind.
Real tinsel made from strands of silver was introduced hundreds of years ago in Germany. In the 20th Century, hanging “icicles” made of tinfoil or other synthetic material made Christmas tree tinsels affordable to most families and achieved wide usage.

Christmas Tree Ornaments

The individuality and style of families and couples is broadly expressed in the type of ornaments used to decorate Christmas trees. Even more so than with garlands, creativity and individual style of Christmas trees have no limit. Solid colored balls, silver ornaments, handcrafted ornaments, candy canes, ribbons, keepsake ornaments marking the birth of each family member, miniature wreaths and baskets, small toys, Christmas-themed figurines, handmade ornaments brought home from school – the possibilities are endless.

Of more recent origin are “theme” Christmas trees. This trend started in 1961 when First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began the tradition of Christmas tree themes when she decorated the 1961 Christmas tree in toy trimmings from the Nutcracker. Themes can be traditional or avante guarde, gaudy or trendy. Themes can range from a patriotic theme with small flags and red, white and blue ornaments, to a Harry Potter theme, from a western theme with miniature horses, ropes, and boots, to a Star Wars theme, and to countless other ideas. Christmas tree decoration themes can be found online at websites such a the Better Homes and Garden website or in seasonal home decoration magazines such as Home and Garden and the Christmas Magazine.

For those looking for a more traditional family Christmas tree with handmade ornaments, several websites provide free ideas, instructions and patterns.

More than anything, Christmas is for memories, past, present and future. Decorating your Christmas tree is a delightful way to start your Christmas celebration.

Christmas Puzzle Card

Christmas Puzzle Card

Santa’s elves are taking their lunch break, and the North Pole cafeteria has served up alphabet soup. How many Christmas words can you make using exactly one letter (or star) from each bowl?

1. The goal is to form Christmas words using one noodle (a letter or star) from each bowl.

2. For example, starting with the top bowl and moving clockwise, you can spell

L I G H T S *

3. You do not have to choose bowls in any particular order, but a word cannot

use more than one letter from the same bowl.

4. Words can be as short as four letters (but you’ll need to use three stars). Or they can be as

long as seven letters (with no stars).

5. Every noodle should be used at least once.

6. More than 30 Christmas words can be formed.


For an additional challenge, try to figure out which two elves look the same.

Keep Christmas Trees Fresh and Safe

Keep Christmas Trees Fresh and Safe

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — During this holiday season many Nebraska families will choose and decorate the traditional symbol of Christmas - the evergreen tree.

"Whether you cut your own Christmas tree or purchase it from a retail lot, there are several things that can be done to keep the tree as fresh as possible," said Jon Wilson, district forester at the University of Nebraska West Central Research & Extension Center (WCREC).When inspecting Christmas trees, Wilson recommended doing a freshness test."Grasp a branch gently between thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. If many needles come off, the tree isn't fresh. Check the bottom of the stump as well. It should be moist," he said.Wilson also recommended looking at the ground. If an excessive amount of green needles are on the ground, the tree isn't fresh. The shedding of brown needles from the interior of the tree is normal and occurs throughout the life of the tree.If the tree is purchased several days before it will be put up, it should be stored in a cool, protected place outdoors. Once at home, cut a thin slice from the butt end of the tree to open up pores, then stand the tree upright in a bucket of water.When the tree is brought indoors for decorating, a straight cut should be made across the butt of the tree about one inch from the original cut and place it in a tree stand with water."Trees are thirsty," emphasized Wilson. "They can take in between two pints and a gallon of water per day. Use a tree stand that holds at least one gallon and check the water level daily to make sure it does not drop below the trunk."If the water level falls below the base of the tree, a sap seal will form over the cut base. This will prevent the tree from absorbing water when the stand is refilled, and may result in needle loss and drooping branches. To remedy this problem, another fresh cut can be made across the base of the tree.The tree should be kept away from fireplaces, radiators, television and other heat sources, which can dry the tree. Turn off the tree lights when leaving home and before going to sleep. Make sure light cords do not have cracked insulation or any broken sockets.Avoid using combustible decorations. Check all electric lights and connections, making sure there are no lights with worn or frayed cords. Never use lighted candles. Christmas trees can be sprayed with a flame retardant, such as Fire-Kote, to reduce the fire hazard potential of the tree."When it is time to dispose of the tree, check with your area Game & Parks Office. Some offices collect Christmas trees to use as fish hotels in area lakes," Wilson said.Although natural Christmas trees usually are not reusable for their original purpose, there are many other purposes for which the trees can be used. The trunks and the branches of Christmas trees make excellent mulch.

Many communities have adopted programs for chipping Christmas trees to mulch. For information on any local program, contact the local department of public works.Large quantities of Christmas trees can be piled up to create soil erosion barriers. Christmas trees sunk into private ponds can be excellent refuge and feeding areas for fish. Christmas trees can also be used as backyard bird feeders. Birds will come for the food (suet, orange slices and birdseed) left by the tree and stay for the shelter from predators and weather the tree provides.


For more information on Christmas tree care, NebGuide G88-866-A , "Christmas Tree Selection and Care," is available at local Cooperative Extension offices. It includes tree care tips, the merits of various tree species and provides plans and directions for building an inexpensive tree stand.Another excellent source for information on Christmas trees is the Christmas tree homepage on the Internet.

The web site is sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and has facts and figures about Christmas tree selection, care, types and environmental benefits.