Recipes for Christmas

Well, they could be for other times of the year...

PUMPKIN CUSTARD:
I got this recipe from the same place I got the pulled pork recipe: 3 Books In One - Rival Crock Pot - The Original and #1 Brand Slow Cooker book.... Just want to give credit where credit is due.

The original recipe:

1 can (30 ounces) pumpkin pie filling (I ended up using a can and a 1/2)
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk)
1 cup dried cranberries (or equal amounts of currants or raisins)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed or whole ginger snap cookies (optional)
Whipped Cream (also optional)

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, cranberries (or other fruit) and eggs into the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until done.

Serve with whole or crushed ginger snap cookies and whipped cream if desired.

PLEASE NOTE:
Apparently some canned pumpkin pie mixes come with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg mixed in... I bought the plain stuff and found that it was rather bland, but improves with a whole load of crunched up gingersnap cookies and whipped cream with cinnamon in it...

However in the second recipe I added about 1/2 tsp of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and instead of currants substituted currants. It still tastes really good with extra ginger snaps and whip cream, but you probably don't need quite as much!

---------------------------------------------------
OLD-FASHIONED GINGERBREAD WITH LEMON SAUCE:

I got this recipe from Page 180 in 'The Family Slow Cooker" by Donna-Marie Pye...

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot strong coffee

Lemon Sauce:
1/2 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
juice of two lemons (or can use lemon juice to taste)
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter

1) In a large bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat for about 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses.

2) In a separate bowl sift flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3) Stir flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with coffee, adding three additions of flour and two fo coffee, mixing well after each addition.

4) Lightly grease slow cooker stoneware and line bottom with parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit. Preheat slow cooker on High for 10 min to warm the stoneware.

5) Pour batter into the slow cooker. To prevent moisture from dripping onto cake batter, place two clean tea towels (folded in half to make 4 layers) across top of stoneware before covering with the lid. Towels will absorb any moisture that accumulates during cooking.

6) Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hrs or HIGH for 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Turn out onto a baking rack and remove the parchment/wax paper. Let cool slightly.

7) To prepare lemon sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, salt and cornstarch.

8) Add lemon juice a little at a time, stirring to form a smooth paste. Add water. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, or until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

9) Cut cake into wedges and top with sauce...

*** I made extra amounts of Lemon Sauce because my cake had really really strong coffee in it... It tastes good if you absorb as much lemon sauce into the cake as possible. Otherwise the cake tastes a little bitter from the coffee (which some people like, but I am not wild about the taste of coffee).

---------------------------------------------------
EASY BREAD PUDDING AND VANILLA SAUCE:
I couldn't believe how simple and fast this recipe was... And DELICIOUS! 8D Page 176 in 'The Family Slow Cooker" by Donna-Marie Pye...

6 thick slices of white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes (about 6 cups total)...
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups of hot milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
3 2-oz chocolate caramel bars or rolls, broken in sections

The sauce they use in this recipe is easy enough: *(see note)
1 cup of vanilla ice cream, melted
2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (or other such as Baileys)

1) Place bread cubes in a lightly greased slow cooker stoneware.
2) Place white chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour hot milk over the chocolate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
3) In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Beat in milk/chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate mixture over the bread cubes.
4) Press pieces of chocolate caramel bar evenly into bread. Let stand for about 20 minutes.
5) Cover and cook on high for 3 or 4 hours...
6) Prepare vanilla sauce if using. Stir ice cream and liqueur until smooth.
7) To serve, spoon warm bread pudding into serving dishes and spoon sauce over pudding.


* NOTE
Instead of the one vanilla sauce above... I used the following recipe that I found online...
- 1/2 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Preparation: In a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Boil the water separately and stir it in. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in 2 tbsp butter, vanilla extract and salt; blending/stirring in well... Serve vanilla sauce warm with your favourite pudding or other dessert.

The Night Before Christmas (an ode to a Christmas Dog)

Here's my Creation this year... I've done one on different topics for the last two... Maybe I will make it a tradition...

The Night Before Christmas (an ode to a Christmas Dog)

T'was the night before Christmas, 2001
Everyone's shopping was already done
All the presents were wrapped without fail
except for one wiggly puppy with a waggily tail.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds
and the parents, who had gotten it into their heads
the perfect gift fo their offspring would be a pup,
imagined joy on their faces when the kids would wake up...

True enough, the next morning, when the children had woken
and flew down the stairs like horses unbroken
and ripped through the gifts with cheerful cries...
They saw mom and dad brought in another surprise.

He had pointy black ears on his pear-shaped noggin
and white 'socks' on his feet, which never stopped joggin'.
His shape Boston Terrier, his coat Aussie merle,
and one of his brown eyes had a fleck of blue pearl...

The kids were ecstatic, at least at that time
But, soon after, enthusiasm turned on a dime
When mom and dad explained that each child had a duty,
To take turns to feed him, to train him, to clean doody.

Of course, Mom and Dad ended up looking after him,
As their children's interest eventually grew dim,
especially when the canine grew up to adult size
and lost his playful infant cuteness and puppy eyes.

Mom and Dad just didn't have time to do all that stuff.
They had full time jobs and their kids: it was tough,
what with soccer and hockey and ballet and swimming...
It seemed everyone's schedules were filled to brimming.

So they settled on building a fence for a dog run.
He was out of the way and sometimes completely forgotten.
They didn't neuter him or pet him or walk him or play,
And he grew more miserable with each passing day.

The dog was bored and frustrated and sad
But for some reason the family thought he must be bad.
He was jumping and barking in his cage and looked meaner,
so they blamed him for his 'aggressive' demeanor.

Mom and Dad shrugged, and took him out to the pound,
and couldn't understand why all the employees frowned.
Despite pointing out this dog's problems and failures
the staff members didn't seem enthused to take the position of jailors.

But took him they did and put him up for adoption,
And on their website of him posted pictures and description...
"I like people and dogs and even cats," it read,
"I need exercise and love and I'm not neutered," it said.

Well my husband and I had long wanted a canine companion
and frequently searched dog blogs and websites with abandon.
October '09 we found this orphan canis familiaris,
and we let out a cheer saying, "I think he's the one for us!"

We went to the see this dog, so respectful and sweet,
could already shake-a-paw and sit down on his seat.
True, he was shy and unsure and had a bit of a cough,
but he seemed perfect to us, a diamond in the rough.

We still can't fathom the first owners' misguided intents
But if they'd kept him we wouldn't be fortunate recipients
of a wonderful dog who knows tricks and is mannerly,
and is now a wonderful part of our happy family!

Hide N Seek with Bruiser

This is a game we play... We stick our head around the corner and if Bruiser sees you do that he will chase you... So you can try to hide, but so far neither of us can outrun him! lol

This is more fun... First you go hide while the dog is distracted... Then you call him or make little noises to attract his attention... lol



Daddy's (David's) turn to hide! I'm just following the action!


Another search and rescue performed by Bruiser...