11th Day of Christmas with Melissa Taylor

It is day 11 in our 5th annual 12 Days of Christmas giveaways.

Each day I am featuring a different Proverbs 31 Ministries gal offering an idea, recipe, memory or story of Christmas.

Today’s guest?

The fabulous online Bible teacher and encourager-in-chief:

Melissa Taylor!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey everyone! Who can’t use a new tried-and-true recipe at the holidays? Here are a few of my favorite Christmas recipes, the name of the item and where I got them from:

Hay Stacks  (Little Granny)

I remember my husband’s grandmother, Little Granny, making this easy, crunchy candy. It’s made with chow mein noodles, peanuts, and butterscotch chips.

 Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup peanuts
  • 2 cups chow mein noodles

Preparation:

Microwave the butterscotch chips and peanut butter on 50 percent power for 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend to coat noodles thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Traditional Home-made Chex Mix~ (My Mother in Law)

 

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 

 

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
2. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

I get real creative with this adding just about whatever my family loves. Like Cheetos, cheerios, and cheez-its.

Home-made Crispix Mix~sweet (My Beautiful Mama, who I really miss a lot!)

 

This is the note card from my mom’s recipe box in her handwriting. How precious and special! My mama wrote that y’all! That alone makes this Christmas treat extra special!

Jesus’ Birthday Cake (Southern Living)

 

This is the cake we bake for Jesus each year. It is from the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, 20th Edition.  Of course you know that Jesus likes any cake baked for Him. We used to do chocolate cake until I found this one. It’s so delish! I make this when I need to take something to a Christmas brunch or gathering. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t LOVE this!

 

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake ( Happy Birthday Jesus!)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/2 (8 oz.) pkg reduced fat cream cheese

2 (11 oz.) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

 

*Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside

*Place about 3/4 teaspoon cream cheese in center of each biscuit; fold biscuit in half over cheese, pressing edges to seal.

*Dip biscuits in melted butter, and dredge in sugar mixture; place biscuits, curved side down, in a single layer in curves of a lightly greased 12-cup Bundt.  Place any remaining biscuits around center tube of pan, filling in spaces, if necessary. Drizzle any remaining butter over biscuits; sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture.

*Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.  Immediately invert onto a serving plate.

*Combine powdered sugar and orange juice, stirring well; drizzle over warm coffee cake. Serve immediately. 

 

Peppermint Sticks and Candy Canes (Grammy)

These are completely store bought. We get the soft peppermint sticks because they remind us of Grammy. She was my grandmother and every Christmas she handed out peppermint sticks. She was such an influence on my life spiritually. Jesus was her best friend. When we share our peppermint sticks, we also share a story about Grammy.

The candy canes, we place in a small Christmas bucket and keep them where guests can take one on the way out. Attached to each cane is the “Legend of the Candy Cane, Jesus Edition.”  Just another way to share Jesus during His birthday season.

A few days before Christmas, my kids and I set aside a day to bake lots of fun cookies, candies, etc, etc. We keep some and give some away.  Christmas Eve we make Jesus’ Birthday Cake and build a Gingerbread House together.

Now, I’d love to hear about the food you love at Christmas. Maybe it’s part of the meal or maybe some kind of yummy treat. You pick. Just make sure to share the recipe with us!  This will be like having our own little 12 Days of Christmas Recipe Book!

Share a recipe and you will be entered to win a Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study Package including:

 

  • Our past 2 Online Bible Study books, Unglued (signed by author, Lysa TerKeurst) and Greater by Steven Furtick
  • A Proverbs 31 Ministries T-Shirt
  • Our next OBS, which is a mega-package~ including the Let.It.Go.book (signed by author, Karen Ehman), Participant’s Guide, DVD Series, and Conference Call Series

 

Please share with us your favorite recipe! I can’t wait to read all them!

If time is tight, just shre the name of your favorite holiday food. :)

Karen, thank you so much for inviting me to share in your exciting 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember, you have until Sunday night December 16th to comment on all the posts. One grand prize winner will be chosen from among the gals who post on all 12 days! The grand prize is:

A unique advent candle display depicting Bethlehem, Mary and Jesus, with votive holders and candles nestled inside. A $50 retail value. And, along with it, a copy of my new book LET. IT. GO. How to Stop Running the Show & Start Walking in Faith.

293 Comments

  1. Love these snack crackers:

    FIRECRACKERS
    • 1 lb unsalted saltine crackers (4 sleeves)
    • 1 cup canola oil
    • 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing mix
    • 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes, or more if you like heat
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    Directions: Line crackers on ends (like dominoes) in an air-tight container.
    In a small bowl, mix oil, dressing mix, peppers, and garlic powder.
    Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
    Continue to stir to prevent the pepper from settling on the bottom of the bowl.
    Spoon mixture evenly over crackers, like drizzling icing on a cake.
    Close lid tightly and flip the container over every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Lightly shake back and forth to make sure all the crackers are coated.
    Store in a ziplock bag. The longer they soak the better (about 3 to 4 days) Will keep for about a week — if they last that long!

  2. One of my many favorites would be Mincemeat Pie which my dad and i both love. Go figure i hate raisins, but love mincemeat! I get my pie crust done and then follow the directions on the jar of mincemeat and bake it. Super easy. There there are also Mincemeat cookies that are fantabulous! The recipe is sometimes on the box of Mincemeat for these but not always so i will share it. I also double this because if i am doing all this work i want lots of cookies!
    Mince Oatmeal Cookies
    1 cups quick cooking oats
    1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
    1½ cups all purpose flour
    1 tsp. baking soda
    ½ tsp. salt
    ½ cup vegetable oil
    3 eggs, beaten
    3 Tbs. water
    1 (9 oz. box of NONE SUCH Condensed Mincemeat, crumbled

    Preheat oven to 350°.
    In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add oill, eggs and water. Mix well. Stir in Mincemeat.
    Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto well greased baking sheet. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from baking sheets. Cool and enjoy!

    For those who don’t like mincemeat, you can’t even tell that’s what is in the cookies, it will just seem like raisins.

  3. Since we eat soooo big on Thanksgiving… my family always eats finger foods and bitesize desserts on Christmas Eve. One of my favorites, and also my 3 sons, is an easy sausage recipe passed down from my grandmother. Instead of sausage balls, we make sausage rolls. They actually look like pinwheels. You make one martha white biscuit mix package together and roll out flat and 12×24. Take the sausage and press out on top of the biscuit end to end. You need to then roll longways and wrap in foil and freeze. When you are ready to cook, cut into coin size pieces and bake! They are also wonderful on Christmas morning when nobody wants to sit down and eat. Merry Christmas!!!

  4. my cold cherry pie
    1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
    1 stick margarine
    1 large 8 oz pkg Creme Cheese
    2 teaspoons milk
    1 cup Powdered sugar
    1 cup chopped pecans
    large Cool whip
    2 cans cherry pie filling

    Combine crumbs and melted margarine. Press in bottom of Rectagle backing dish. Bake it for 15 minues at 325 degrees. Cool then chill.
    Cream together cream cheese, milk, and sugar. Spread on chilled crust. Sprinkle layer of nuts,spread whip cream over the nuts. Spread cherry pie filling over top.
    Let chill overnight

  5. Christmas Cookies are my favorite.
    Here’s my recipe for Butter Christmas cookies
    1 lb. real butter, 1 cup sugar, 4 cups flour. Mix up/knead, bake at 370 degrees to be as brown or not as you prefer. I make a buttercream,
    1 stick real butter, shake salt, vanilla, lb. powdered sugar, add cream (not milk) to consistency you prefer.

  6. My favorite holiday food is all of the sweet treats, the ham, the hash brown potatoes, the tacos on Christmas Eve…. I LOVE holiday food!

  7. This year, we are making a delicious goodie from my friend, Sara’s recipe box.
    Chocolate Balls
    1 chocolate cake mix
    1 container chocolate frosting
    1 pound chocolate bark

    Make the cake according to package directions. Let cool completely. Cut cake into small squares. Add container of frosting to cake squares and mix thoroughly. Melt bark. Form cake mixture into small balls and cover with bark. Let dry on waxed paper.

    You can use any cake/frosting/bark combination for a variety; and make them fancy by adding sprinkles, drizzling almond bark on top, etc. Soooo yummy!!

  8. This was a favorite at our house growing up the, page in the cookbook is well worn, and
    this was my Mom’s recipes. Enjoy!!

    Peanut Butter Kisses

    1 cup gran. sugar
    1cup of packed brown sugar
    1 cup of shortening
    1cup of Jif Peanut Butter
    2 eggs
    1/4 cup milk
    2 tsp vanilla
    3 1/2 sifted flour
    2 tsp. baking
    1 tsp salt
    1 11 ounce package Chocolate Candy Kisses

    Preheat oven to 375
    Cream together gran. sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and the Jif. Add eggs,milk, and
    vanilla. Beat well, Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to Jif mixture. Beat well. Shape into 1-inch balls roll in the aditional sugar.
    Place on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake @ 375 for 8 minutes. Remove oven and Press a Kiss into the center of each warm cookie and return to the oven for 3 more minutes.
    Hope ypu enjoy this Recipe from my precious mother, who is smiling down upon us from heaven.
    Merry Christmas!!!

  9. This is my new favorite easy thing to do. Gourmet Popcorn

    Pop your popcorn in an air popper, whirly pop — just not bagged microwave

    Pick your pleasure
    chocolate
    mint chocolate
    dark chocolate raspberry chips
    candy melts
    Kraft Carmel bits

    Make your concoction and serve. I did this for my sons teachers and all the elementary staff it was a big hit.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *