Merry Christmas! This is the first time in all my years of writing that I have said those words on Christmas or Christmas Eve to you, I think.
I hope you are more ready for the holidays than I am. When people ask that most dreaded question (“Are you ready for the holidays?”), I just mumble around something to the effect that I will be ready when it gets here. I always think that if Christmas only came on Jan. 25, I would have everything done-but I doubt it!
I have been doing a bit of cooking and want to share the results with you. The first is a cake recipe that I really did create. Usually I have an idea from another recipe, and just play around with that recipe. I am trying to do more low-sugar, or sugar-free cooking. It seems like every group with which I am involved has several people who are diabetics (usually Type II), so I try to offer something that will be healthful for them (and for the rest of us, too). Joe (my husband) and friends thought that this recipe was a keeper.
Triple Apple CakeIngredients
3 eggs
4 medium apples, chopped (I used Fujis and I always leave the peeling on)
1 cup applesauce
6 oz. frozen apple concentrate, thawed
one-half cup oil (I usually use canola for baking)
3 cups flour
1 cup Splenda (an artificial sweetener that does well for baking), or granulated sugar or 1/2 sugar and 1/2 artificial sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Steps
Beat eggs, and mix with apples, applesauce, apple juice, and oil. Mix dry ingredients, and stir them into the apple mix. Pour into a greased and floured (or sprayed) tube or Bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or at 325o for about 1 hour. Check for doneness with a toothpick (it comes out clean with no batter on it when cake is done). Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Makes about 12-15 servings.
Guinette’s Cheese Roll
It has been many years since I made Guinette Tell’s Cheese Roll. I was looking for a recipe to make with items I had on hand (In other words-I did not want to make another trip to the grocery store). This is a wonderful appetizer. It is good with any kind of crackers.
Ingredients
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. diced green chilies, drained
4 oz. chopped black olives, drained
Steps
Soften both cheeses to room temperature. Roll out Velveeta on plastic wrap to a rectangular shape about 4″x8″. Spread with cream cheese, then top with peppers and olives. Roll up, as a jelly roll (from long sides). Chill and slice to serve. It is very hard to say how many servings you get from any appetizer because it depends on how many other items you have.
Citrus Punch
The recipe for which I get the most requests, I think, is for a simple punch. I have given you this one many times (or maybe just to many people), but it remains my favorite. It is not red, but I think you could just add cranberry juice to it (either in place of some of the juices, or in addition to them). It has evolved over the years. You can add champagne to it, if you wish.
Ingredients
12 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
12 oz. can frozen lemonade mix
1 cup lemon juice
48 oz. pineapple juice
Steps
Mix all ingredients, and stir well. Add 3 cups water (2 juice cans). Chill until serving time. Add half of concentrate to punch bowl, add ice, and 2 liters of Sprite, 7-up, ginger ale or any sort of citrus soda. Use remainder of concentrate with an additional 2 liters. This will make about 18-20 servings — of course depending upon the cup size.