Holiday Food

[Gunslingergirl]

O.k., so maybe this isn't outdoor cooking exactly, but I think it could be kind of fun.

The question is this: What is the food that reminds you of Christmas the most?

For me, there are two.

One is Chex Mix. The original Chex Mix made with tons of butter in the oven, not the stuff you buy in the bag. My Grandma always made a big bowl every Christmas, which was the only time we had it.

The other is something my Grandma called Pluckets. They are balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar and nuts and baked in a bundt pan. They are called pluckets because you can pluck one off the stack. They probably go by other names, but that's what we always called them. I also don't think anyone has made them properly since my Grandma.

Anyway, those two foods always make me think of Christmas celebrations when I was growing up.

What about the rest of you? If you have the recipe for your particular favorite, please include that as well.

I'm looking foward to seeing what everyone lists.

GSG

[BILLY D.]

Cinnamon logs which are a variation of your Pluckets. These were simply pie dough rolled thin, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, rolled up tightly and sprinkled further with red and green sugar, and baked.

The other, please sit down, Kopf Case, in German, Head cheese. Nothing better than Head cheese and pumpernickle bread with horseradish. Another favorite, Limburger Cheese and onions. Couldn't have been toooo offensive, lots of German kids born in September. :)

From Christmas Eve till New Years Eve was one long celebration.

Well now that I have spoiled every ones evening meal, I'll leave. :rolleyes:

[rickjordan]

The two that make me think of Christmas are fresh Maine lobster- no, I am not incredibly wealthy- I actually live in Maine where you can buy them for under $10 a pound and I have to agree with Gunslinger- Chex mix like my Mom makes- not the stuff in the bag- oh, and a close third- peanut butter fudge.

[M.T. Pockets]

This may sound crazy, but 7-up out of a bottle. Christmas eve was the only time of year there was any soda pop at our house. We'd set it on the back steps after chores and within a half hour or so it was ice cold. Any longer and it might freeze.

[Gunslingergirl]

Another one for me, and from more recently, chili cheese dip. My mom would make it in the crock pot and we'd dip into it, and eat a whole bunch of cookies and other snacks before the main meal. It's a wonder we all didn't weigh a thousand pounds.

Also, and this is one I haven't thought of in a while, fondue on New Years Day. When I was a kid my Mom started this tradition and it went on for a few years. Such a fun way to eat food, and Mom made a great chocolate fondue. Messy but delicious.

GSG

[Duffy]

It might sound commonplace to some, but meat and cheese trays. When I was growing up, my mom would always put out a meat and cheese tray with cold cuts and kielbasa, and all kinds of different crackers, rye breads, condiments, and the like. She did it again for New Year's Day. My wife and I do much of the same today, but for many special events, not just the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year's trifecta.

I agree with the Chex Mix stuff, but homemade. My mother-in-law makes the best kind, though it is known in our family as "Favorites".

[Gunslingergirl]

I'm finding it quite interesting that so many of us are mentioning home made Chex Mix. Guess those holiday commericals the Chex Mix people air this time of year may have something to them.

I wonder how Chex Mix got to be the "Offical Snackfood" of Christmas.

GSG

[moneychanger]

the nut tray with different varieties of nuts along with the nutcracker znd pic. also homemade ravoli.

[270man]

My favorite is my wife's homemade apple pie. Christmas is about the only time I get this. A couple of days before Christmas, I sit in front of the TV and peel Granny Smith apples until my hands cramp. My wife slices them up and stacks them incredibly high in a pie pan with her "made from scratch" pie dough underneath. She adds pats of butter and lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. We eat slices with vanilla ice cream. Makes a good breakfast meal with coffee.

270man

[rubicon]

peanut butter cookies with hershey kiss melted into the top-chex mix-egg nog-raisin cake- and not that i wouold ever eat one because I think there were only a few made years ago that just keep being passed on from year to year...but fruit cake. GSG, we need a recipe for the chili cheese dip!

[GoodOlBoy]

My granmothers cheese balls and M&M cookies. . . .

GoodOLBoy

[Gunslingergirl]

Oh man, M&M cookies. My grandma used to make those every year. Also what she called octopus cookies. Chowmein noodles and nuts dipped in chocolate. It sounds weird, but tastes wonderful.

Rubicon, I don't have a recipe for the chili cheese dip. I'll have to see if my sister does. If I get hold of it, I'll post it.

GSG

[GoodOlBoy]

The three rotating cheese dip recipes my family uses.

#1 Grandma's plain old cheese dip.

1 big block o velvetta
1 - 1 1/2 can o rotel tomatoes with peppers

Melt it. . .
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#2 Rick's Meaty cheese dip (ello dats me)

1 big block o velvetta
1 pound ground hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 jar old elpaso picante sauce (Or pace will work)

brown the hamburger. put it all in a crock pot. Melt it.
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#3 Uncle Larry's Chili cheese dip.

2 cans wolf brand chili no beans
2 LARGE jars of japaleno cheeze wiz (gettin hard to come by)
1 large can of frenches fried onions (Shake em until its just bits an pieces in the can.)

dump it all in a crock pot. Melt it.


All three should be eaten like a starving man at a buffet with crackers, tortilla chips, fritos, flour tortillas, whatever melts your butter. . . .

GoodOlBoy

[Gunslingergirl]

GOB,

Those all sound good. I'm guessing maybe the dip I remember was velveeta a nd chili or something like that. It could even be your second recipe in your post. That certainly sounds possible.

There, one less thing on my list. I don't have to find the cheese dip recipe. GOB has saved the day!

GSG

[Mil Dot]

Old time : Lefse (homemade, I can't tolerate the store bought cardboard version)

Newer Times: Cream Cheese, diced Dried Beef, diced onion, worchester sauce and your favorite hot sauce (to taste) mix 'em together and spread over your favorite cracker. best if done the night before.

[Gunslingergirl]

Well, we had Christmas at my sister's yesterday.

We did not have Chex Mix. One of the first things my sister said to me was "Where's the Chex Mix?" Guess I was in charge of making it, although no one told me.

We did not have Chili Cheese Dip.

We did have pheasant.

So one Christmas tradition survived.

GSG