Its All About Christmas

Bruce Chambers asked:

CONTENTS

CHRISTMAS INFORMATION

GRANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

WEIGHTS, ROASTING TIMES

TURKEY

GRANDMA’S BAKED HAM AND APPLES

AUNT PAT’S BUTTER TARTS

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

GRANDMA’S SHORTBREAD

LIGHTSIDE

WARNING

FOOD INFORMATION

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING, BAR MIXES

CHRISTMAS INFORMATION

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or “Christ’s Mass.” Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion.

Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the Yule log, the giving of gifts, carollers’ who sing while going from house to house, the feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back 4000 years.

In 350 AD Julius1, a Bishop in Rome chooses December 25th, as the

observation of Christmas.

Both Australia’s and New Zealand, Christmas occurs during summer and is celebrated at the beach.

Christmas celebration was outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681, however residents of Virginia and New York celebrated the Christmas holiday freely.

Christmas was declared a U.S. federal holiday in 1870.

Many public buildings once commonly included Nativity scenes.  By doing so the practice led to lawsuits, claiming the government was endorsing a religion.

In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a city-owned Christmas display, including a Nativity scene did not violate the First Amendment.

For a complete history on Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Ramadan,

Christmas Customs, Carols, crafts, click on the link below:

http://www.ask.com/web?q=christmas+history&qsrc=8

Christmas Around The World. History from most countries.

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

GRANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

Place dressed turnkey, breast up in centre of greased, wide,

heavy foil.  Bring ends of foil up over breast.  Overlap fold

and press up against ends of turkey.  Place bird in shallow pan.

Open foil last 20 minutes to brown.  Bake at 450 F, (230 C)

according to timetable.

Weights Roasting Times

Ready To Cook Weight.               Roasting Time.

8 – 10 lbs.                         2 ¼ – 2 ½ hours.

10 – 12 lbs.                        2 ½ – 3 hours.

14 – 16 lbs.                        3 – 3 ¼ hours.

18 – 20 lbs.                        3 ¼  – 3 ½ hours.

22 – 24 lbs.                        3 ½  – 3 ¾ hours.

TURKEY

1 whole turkey fresh or thawed (12 -13 lbs.) 

1/2 cup of butter 

1 cup of mixture of fresh chopped herbs (thyme, tarragon, sage, summer savoury etc.) 

Salt and pepper 

1 whole peeled onion

Mix the butter and herbs and set aside.

Clean the turkey inside and outside and drain dry.

Using your hands, slide through the skin and the meat of the breast and thighs as much as you can.  Now take knobs of the herbed butter and spread it all over underneath the skin and onto the breasts and thighs.  Also rub some of the butter all over the outside skin as well.

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the bird and inside cavity.  Put the whole onion into the cavity of the bird. 

Put the bird onto a disposable aluminum-roasting pan and put it into a hot BBQ, cooking it using indirect heat.  Ensure the BBQ is about 325 -350 degrees throughout the cooking process. Adjust temperature if needed. 

Baste every ½ -hour for about 2 hours until temperature reads 180° at the thigh level. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil loosely around the pan if the skin is browning too fast.

Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

Cooking time two hours

 

GRANDMA’S BAKED HAM AND APPLES

2 large slices of ham steak.

2 teaspoons……………..(10 ml)………………….prepared mustard.

4 tablespoons………….(60 ml)……………………brown sugar.

2 tart apples.

1 ½ cups…………………………(375 ml)…………………apple juice.

Place the ham in baking dish and rub with mustard.  Sprinkle

with 2 tablespoons (30 ml), of brown sugar.  Core the apple

and cut into thin slices.  Cover the ham with the apple slices and sprinkle with rest of brown sugar.  Add apple juice. Bake at 300 F, (150 C), for 30 minutes or until tender.

YIELD:  4-5 servings.

TIME:   40 minutes.

AUNT PAT’S FAVOURITE BUTTER TARTS

1/3-cup ………………………(80 ml) …………………butter.

1-cup………………………………(250 ml)…………………brown sugar.

2 tablespoons…………(30 ml)……………………milk or cream..

1/3 cup……………………….(80 ml)……………………currants

1 egg beaten well.

1 teaspoon……………….(5 ml)………………………vanilla.

Mix all ingredients together.  Put in unbaked tart shells. 

Bake at 450 F, (230 C), for 8 minutes.  Turn down to 350 F,

(175 C), and cook until brown.

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

¾ cup…………(185 ml)……..shortening

1 ½ cups………(375 ml)…..sugar

3 eggs beaten

3 cups………(750 ml)…….flour

¾ teaspoon…..(3.75 ml)……salt

1 teaspoon…..(4 ml)………soda

1 cup……….(250 ml……..canned mincemeat

3 tablespoons..(45 ml)…….water

1 cup………(250 ml)……..walnuts

GRANDMA”S SHORTBREAD

1-cup butter 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

½ cup fruit sugar

In a large bowl, cream the butter.

Add sugar to creamed butter and cream the mixture together.

Slowly mix in 1 ½ cups of the flour.

Place mixture on clean surface and knead in the remaining flour.

Spread mixture in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Alternatively, you can form them into 2 big cookies, each ½ inch thick, and place on a non-stick baking tray. Using a fork, punch holes all over mixture. Bake at 300°F for 40-45 minutes.

 

LIGHTSIDE

A priest dies and is in line at the Pearly Gates. Saint Peter asked the guy ahead of him his name.  The guy replies, “I am Sam Horton, taxi driver from New York.” Saint Pater gives him a silken robe and golden staff and said, “Enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Now it’s the priest‘s turn. He booms out “ I am the Right Reverend Anderson.” Saint Peter gives him a cotton robe and a wooden staff, and says to the Priest, “Enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Taken back the priest asks, “ That man was a taxi driver why does he get a silken robe and golden staff”.

“Results,” Said Saint Peter. “While you preached, people slept.

When the taxi driver drove, people prayed.

WARNING

DEEP-FRYING CRAZE

With the coming of Christmas people can do themselves serious

injury attempting to deep-fry their turkey. In the past deep-frying has burned down houses and put cooks in hospital.

Deep-fried turkey is juicy, and better tasting. However with

this high-risk method of cooking, besides the above, your turkey can end up charred by the resulting inferno.

There is an advantage of deep-frying due to its speed. Cooking

time is 3 1/2 minutes per pound. A big turkey is done in less then an hour. If you are going to deep-fry your turkey use a commercial pressurized fryer, rather than vats on a stand.

FOOD INFORMATION

Improper food storage (inadequate refrigeration temperature or hot holding temperature). Safe refrigeration temperature is less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and safe hot holding temperature is greater than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Improper washing of hands and fingernails.

* Improper cooling of foods. Safe cooling of foods is getting the foods to less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a four-hour time period.

* Cross-contamination (such as from uncooked meat to salad ingredients).

* Improper cleaning and sanitizing of eating and cooking utensils, work areas and equipment.

* Contamination of food, utensils and equipment from flies, roaches and other pests.

Tips to prepare turkeys safely:

* A whole turkey should be cooked at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

* An 8-12 pound unstuffed turkey should be cooked for 2-3 hours.

* Preparers should use a meat thermometer. Every part of the turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Frozen turkeys should be kept frozen until ready to thaw.

Price Check out the latest prices, compare, by clicking on:

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www.dealtime.com

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them

the risks of driving while intoxicated.  Statistics demonstrate

many fatal road accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

If you’re having a Christmas party, provide food with drinks.

Offer non-alcoholic substitutes such as fruit, soft drinks.

2 drinks taken within an hour by a person 100 pounds produces a 075 reading.  One drink is equal to about 1.5 oz. of whisky or 2 bottles of beer. The rate of elimination for each hour after drinking has stopped is 015.  A 200-pound person, after 1 drink produces a reading of .019, so you can see there is a bigdifference due to weight.

As a host it is your duty to make sure no one leaves your party impaired.  Have some one drive them home.

BAR MIXES, Drinks

EGGNOG

4 eggs, 4 cups milk, 4 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup cream. 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup sugar.

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colour

Add sugar, nutmeg, and lemon juice

Add ice-cold milk and cream

Beat with rotary beater until frothy

Makes: 6 large glasses

Christmas Juice Punch.

2 quarts apple juice.

2 quarts cranberry juice.

8 oz. lemon juice.

8 oz. Sugar.

2 bottles ginger ale.

Combine everything except the ginger ale.

Stir well.  Add ginger ale plus chunks of ice before serving.

BLIZZARD.

3 ounces bourbon.

1 ounce cranberry juice.

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

2 teaspoons sugar syrup.

4 ounces crushed ice.

Combine in blender until the drink is thick. 

Serve straight up.

neelkamal asked:

If you’re planning any kind of family Christmas or Yuletide celebration this year, especially if you’re hosting the event. Or even if you’re thinking of what you need to do in terms of preparing food for a family gathering then now, the beginning of November, is where you need to begin your cooking. Many Christmas cakes and confectionaries need to be prepared well in advance so that they can be allowed time to mature. This is particularly the case with rich fruit based cakes and puddings such as Christmas cake, for more details visit to www.300-dip-recipes.com Twelfth Night Cake and Christmas Puddings. Even Stollens are better if stored for a week or two before consumption.

With that in mind, and to help you with your festive planning here are some classic Christmas recipes for you. This first is for the traditional Twelfth Nigh cake, which is typically served at Epiphany, or the Twelfth Nigh but which can also double as a rich Christmas cake:

Twelfth Night Cake

Ingredients:

350g butter

350g caster sugar

6 eggs, beaten

75ml brandy

350g plain flour

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

700g mixed dried fruit

50g blanched almonds, chopped

45g apricot conserve or apricot jam

900g almond paste (or marzipan)

4 egg whites

900g icing sugar

3 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp glycerine

glacé fruit, candied angelica and silver balls, to decorate

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition then add the brandy. Fold-in the flour, spices, fruit and nuts. Grease a deep 25cm cake tin and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper. Tip the cake mixture into this and tap to remove any trapped air. Place the cake in an oven pre-heated to 150°C and bake for about 2.5 hours, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com or until the cake is firm to the touch. If the top of the cake darkens too quickly cover with a sheet of folded greaseproof paper about half-way through the cooking. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool in its tin for 30 minutes then tip onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once cold cover the surface of the cake with the apricot preserve or apricot jam. Roll out the almond paste and cut just enough of the paste to go around the side of the cake. Then roll the remainder of the paste out and use to cover the top of the cake. Allow the cake to set for at least two days then prepare the icing by lightly beating the egg whites and incorporating the icing sugar into this to form a stiff paste. Add the lemon juice and glycerine and incorporate well. Then, using a palette knife spread the icing all the way around the sides and top of the cake. Place in a tin and allow to set for at least two days. When ready form a crescent of the candied fruit and anjelica on top of the cake and decorate with the silver balls.

The next recipe is a ‘twist’ on the classic Christmas pudding that I call the ‘Roman Christmas Pudding’. It’s a traditional rich Christmas pudding but made with ingredients that the Romans would have had to hand. It also uses the classic Roman combination of fish sauce and pepper in desserts. This has been so successful a recipe that I have to make it for the family every year now!

Bruce Chambers asked:

CONTENTS

CHRISTMAS INFORMATION

GRANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

WEIGHTS, ROASTING TIMES

TURKEY

GRANDMA’S BAKED HAM AND APPLES

AUNT PAT’S BUTTER TARTS

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

GRANDMA’S SHORTBREAD

LIGHTSIDE

WARNING

FOOD INFORMATION

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING, BAR MIXES

CHRISTMAS INFORMATION

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or “Christ’s Mass.” Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion.

Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the Yule log, the giving of gifts, carollers’ who sing while going from house to house, the feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back 4000 years.

In 350 AD Julius1, a Bishop in Rome chooses December 25th, as the

observation of Christmas.

Both Australia’s and New Zealand, Christmas occurs during summer and is celebrated at the beach.

Christmas celebration was outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681, however residents of Virginia and New York celebrated the Christmas holiday freely.

Christmas was declared a U.S. federal holiday in 1870.

Many public buildings once commonly included Nativity scenes.  By doing so the practice led to lawsuits, claiming the government was endorsing a religion.

In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a city-owned Christmas display, including a Nativity scene did not violate the First Amendment.

For a complete history on Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Ramadan,

Christmas Customs, Carols, crafts, click on the link below:

http://www.ask.com/web?q=christmas+history&qsrc=8

Christmas Around The World. History from most countries.

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

GRANDMA’S WRAPPED TURKEY

Place dressed turnkey, breast up in centre of greased, wide,

heavy foil.  Bring ends of foil up over breast.  Overlap fold

and press up against ends of turkey.  Place bird in shallow pan.

Open foil last 20 minutes to brown.  Bake at 450 F, (230 C)

according to timetable.

Weights Roasting Times

Ready To Cook Weight.               Roasting Time.

8 – 10 lbs.                         2 ¼ – 2 ½ hours.

10 – 12 lbs.                        2 ½ – 3 hours.

14 – 16 lbs.                        3 – 3 ¼ hours.

18 – 20 lbs.                        3 ¼  – 3 ½ hours.

22 – 24 lbs.                        3 ½  – 3 ¾ hours.

TURKEY

1 whole turkey fresh or thawed (12 -13 lbs.) 

1/2 cup of butter 

1 cup of mixture of fresh chopped herbs (thyme, tarragon, sage, summer savoury etc.) 

Salt and pepper 

1 whole peeled onion

Mix the butter and herbs and set aside.

Clean the turkey inside and outside and drain dry.

Using your hands, slide through the skin and the meat of the breast and thighs as much as you can.  Now take knobs of the herbed butter and spread it all over underneath the skin and onto the breasts and thighs.  Also rub some of the butter all over the outside skin as well.

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the bird and inside cavity.  Put the whole onion into the cavity of the bird. 

Put the bird onto a disposable aluminum-roasting pan and put it into a hot BBQ, cooking it using indirect heat.  Ensure the BBQ is about 325 -350 degrees throughout the cooking process. Adjust temperature if needed.

Baste every ½ -hour for about 2 hours until temperature reads 180° at the thigh level. Tent the turkey with aluminum foil loosely around the pan if the skin is browning too fast.

Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

Cooking time two hours

GRANDMA’S BAKED HAM AND APPLES

2 large slices of ham steak.

2 teaspoons……………..(10 ml)………………….prepared mustard.

4 tablespoons………….(60 ml)……………………brown sugar.

2 tart apples.

1 ½ cups…………………………(375 ml)…………………apple juice.

Place the ham in baking dish and rub with mustard.  Sprinkle

with 2 tablespoons (30 ml), of brown sugar.  Core the apple

and cut into thin slices.  Cover the ham with the apple slices

and sprinkle with rest of brown sugar.  Add apple juice. Bake

at 300 F, (150 C), for 30 minutes or until tender.

YIELD:  4-5 servings.

TIME:   40 minutes.

AUNT PAT’S FAVOURITE BUTTER TARTS

1/3-cup ………………………(80 ml) …………………butter.

1-cup………………………………(250 ml)…………………brown sugar.

2 tablespoons…………(30 ml)……………………milk or cream..

1/3 cup……………………….(80 ml)……………………currants

1 egg beaten well.

1 teaspoon……………….(5 ml)………………………vanilla.

Mix all ingredients together.  Put in unbaked tart shells. 

Bake at 450 F, (230 C), for 8 minutes.  Turn down to 350 F,

(175 C), and cook until brown.

MOM’S MINCEMEAT COOKIES

¾ cup…………(185 ml)……..shortening

1 ½ cups………(375 ml)…..sugar

3 eggs beaten

3 cups………(750 ml)…….flour

¾ teaspoon…..(3.75 ml)……salt

1 teaspoon…..(4 ml)………soda

1 cup……….(250 ml……..canned mincemeat

3 tablespoons..(45 ml)…….water

1 cup………(250 ml)……..walnuts

GRANDMA”S SHORTBREAD

1-cup butter 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

½ cup fruit sugar

In a large bowl, cream the butter.

Add sugar to creamed butter and cream the mixture together.

Slowly mix in 1 ½ cups of the flour.

Place mixture on clean surface and knead in the remaining flour.

Spread mixture in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Alternatively, you can form them into 2 big cookies, each ½ inch thick, and place on a non-stick baking tray. Using a fork, punch holes all over mixture. Bake at 300°F for 40-45 minutes.

LIGHTSIDE

A priest dies and is in line at the Pearly Gates. Saint Peter asked the guy ahead of him his name.  The guy replies, “I am Sam Horton, taxi driver from New York.” Saint Pater gives him a silken robe and golden staff and said, “Enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Now it’s the priest‘s turn. He booms out “ I am the Right Reverend Anderson.” Saint Peter gives him a cotton robe and a wooden staff, and says to the Priest, “Enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Taken back the priest asks, “ That man was a taxi driver why does he get a silken robe and golden staff”.

“Results,” Said Saint Peter. “While you preached, people slept.

When the taxi driver drove, people prayed.

WARNING

DEEP-FRYING CRAZE

With the coming of Christmas people can do themselves serious

injury attempting to deep-fry their turkey. In the past deep-frying has burned down houses and put cooks in hospital.

Deep-fried turkey is juicy, and better tasting. However with

this high-risk method of cooking, besides the above, your turkey can end up charred by the resulting inferno.

There is an advantage of deep-frying due to its speed. Cooking

time is 3 1/2 minutes per pound. A big turkey is done in less then an hour. If you are going to deep-fry your turkey use a commercial pressurized fryer, rather than vats on a stand.

FOOD INFORMATION

Improper food storage (inadequate refrigeration temperature or hot holding temperature). Safe refrigeration temperature is less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and safe hot holding temperature is greater than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Improper washing of hands and fingernails.

* Improper cooling of foods. Safe cooling of foods is getting the foods to less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a four-hour time period.

* Cross-contamination (such as from uncooked meat to salad ingredients).

* Improper cleaning and sanitizing of eating and cooking utensils, work areas and equipment.

* Contamination of food, utensils and equipment from flies, roaches and other pests.

Tips to prepare turkeys safely:

* A whole turkey should be cooked at an oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

* An 8-12 pound unstuffed turkey should be cooked for 2-3 hours.

* Preparers should use a meat thermometer. Every part of the turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Frozen turkeys should be kept frozen until ready to thaw.

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them

the risks of driving while intoxicated.  Statistics demonstrate

many fatal road accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

If you’re having a Christmas party, provide food with drinks. Offer non-alcoholic substitutes such as fruit, soft drinks.

2 drinks taken within an hour by a person 100 pounds produces a 075 reading.  One drink is equal to about 1.5 oz. of whisky or 2 bottles of beer. The rate of elimination for each hour after drinking has stopped is 015.  A 200-pound person, after 1 drink produces a reading of .019, so you can see there is a big difference due to weight.

As a host it is your duty to make sure no one leaves your party impaired.  Have some one drive them home.

BAR MIXES, Drinks

EGGNOG

4 eggs, 4 cups milk, 4 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup cream. 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup sugar.

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colour

Add sugar, nutmeg, and lemon juice

Add ice-cold milk and cream

Beat with rotary beater until frothy

Makes: 6 large glasses

Christmas Juice Punch.

2 quarts apple juice.

2 quarts cranberry juice.

8 oz. lemon juice.

8 oz. Sugar.

2 bottles ginger ale.

Combine everything except the ginger ale.

Stir well.  Add ginger ale plus chunks of ice before serving.

BLIZZARD.

3 ounces bourbon.

1 ounce cranberry juice.

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

2 teaspoons sugar syrup.

4 ounces crushed ice.

Combine in blender until the drink is thick. 

Serve straight up.