Eggnog

We love eggnog at our house! This is a great recipe that's not overly thick and sweet like the kind from the grocery store -- and you know exactly what's in it!

-Mom Pulsipher

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
2 tsp. imitation rum extract
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup whipping cream

Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt in top of double boiler (or bowl set on top of pan). Add milk; mix and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture barely coats a metal spoon. Stir in extract and nutmeg. Cool, and then chill in the refrigerator (this can take several hours).

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Pour immediately into glasses and serve. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, if desired.

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza

If you're a fan of Pizza Hut's deep dish crispy crust - you'll enjoy this! This might be our new Christmas Eve Dinner tradition. :)

4/5/12 - I modified the original recipe and we think this recipe is pretty great! The trick is to leave the dough pretty sticky - more like a thick batter than a bread dough. It's messy, but produces a very light crust - just like Pizza Hut.

-Modified from Your Homebased Mom

1 1/3 c. Warm water (105F)

1 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp. yeast

2 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 1/4 c. Flour

1/4 c. Non-fat dry milk

1 tsp. dough enhancer, optional, but helps achieve a light and airy crust

1 tsp salt

6 Tbsp. EVOO (2 Tbsp each for three 9" cake pans) * good oil makes for a really tasty crust!

Pizza or Marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and desired toppings

Garlic butter, if desired

Set out three 9" cake pans and add 2 Tbsp EVOO to each pan. 

Put water, yeast, sugar, and vegetable oil in Bosch mixer. Add flour, dry milk, dough enhancer, and salt and mix for 3 minutes. (It will be sticky) Divide dough into three equal parts. Use your hands to press dough down so it covers the bottom of the pans (it might not completely cover the bottom). Cover with plastic wrap, place in warm area, and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

*If you're running short on time, preheat your oven to 100 while you make the dough. Turn the oven off and then place the prepared pans with dough inside to proof. It cuts the rising time in half.

Prepeat oven to 450 degrees (425 works better for our oven). Spread sauce on each pizza and then add cheese and toppings. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown – about 15 minutes. After removing the pizza from the oven, remove immediately to cooling racks to preserve the crispy crust. If desired, brush outer edge of crust with garlic butter. Cool slightly before cutting.

Coconut Bread

Brandon's mom makes this yummy bread for her neighbors every Christmas. A little bit different and delicious!

-Mom Roberts

2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
4 eggs
1 T. coconut flavoring
1 c. Buttermilk
1 c. coconut flakes
1 c. chopped pecans (optional - I didn't use)

Cream butter, sugar, add eggs, flavoring, buttermilk, coconut flakes, and nuts.

Blend in:
3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder

Bake in two greased and floured loaf pans @ 325 for approx. 40 min. (mine took 55 minutes in two 9" loaf pans).

Glaze:

1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. butter
1/3 c. water
1 t. coconut flavoring

Bring to sugar, butter and water boil. Remove from heat and stir in flavoring. Let bread cool for 5 min. Poke holes in it with a skewer, pour glaze over each loaf, while still in pans.

Let set 5 min. Remove from pans, place on cooling rack. Pour additional glaze over them.

Caramel Corn

If you can't have Garrett's - make this!

- Jessica Hall, with slight modifications

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 quarts plain popped popcorn (about 2/3 cup unpopped kernals)

2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Pop popcorn and divide between two baking sheets (non-stick are great).  

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. (Comes to about 250-255 degrees)

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken

I always hate to pass up split chicken breasts when they're on sale for 99 cents a pound. This recipe was easy and flavorful. The hardest part is trying to find a package with similarly sized pieces!

-Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin (I used 4 split chicken breasts with skin & ribs)

1.Preheat the oven broiler (on high, lower-middle rack). Lightly grease a baking pan. (I covered mine with foil)

2.In a microwave safe bowl, mix the butter, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and parsley. Cook 2 minutes on High in the microwave, or until butter is melted.

3.Arrange chicken on the baking pan, and coat with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture for basting.

4.Broil chicken 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until juices run clear, turning occasionally and basting with remaining butter mixture. (The larger breasts took 40 minutes)