X-Mas X-Tra’s

Merry X-Mas

I had no where to put these little X-Mas X-Tras, so I created this page to place them on.

Nothing grand, just something cute and simple. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

Have a Safe and X-Tra Special, Merry X-Mas,

Julie and Gordon XXO

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I couldn’t help but make my 2023 official Christmas mug Alexis from Schitt’s Creek.

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Veronica’s CRACK

(That’s what she’s calling it. Probably because they are made with Soda Crackers.) 🙂

Recipe From Veronica’s Sources

For one batch you need:

2 sticks of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 full sleeve of saltine crackers
1 full bag of chocolate chips (Dark, milk, or white chocolate)

Directions:

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees
•On a baking sheet (with raised edges to prevent spilling) covered in foil, lay a single layer of saltines. Spray with cooking spray.
•On the stovetop begin to melt your butter and sugar, add vanilla.
•Melt until it begin soon to look really bubbly.
•Pour evenly over the saltines.
•Spread mixture evenly then put the baking sheet in the oven until the toffee starts to bubble.
•Take out of the oven (fix saltines as needed if they moved) and quickly sprinkle chocolate chips over the entire baking sheet.
•Wait about 5 minutes for chips to melt and spread evenly.
•Optional: Add festive sprinkles, nuts, pretzels, etc.
•Place in fridge for about 30-60 minutes to cool down.
•Once cooled, take out of the fridge and ether break it apart by hand or use a knife to make cleaner cuts to look like bark.

•Enjoy!

(She says that this will be an X-Mas tradition of hers from now on.)

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Frosty and Rudolph

(Aren’t they charming?)

I’ve been plowing through containers in the attic trying to find things to pass on to our children for their X-Mas’s. I came across these books of Veronica’s from when she was little. The photos are X-Tras of her that I wanted her to have. Wasn’t she cute? 🙂

Julie and Veronica, 1990, Rome, Georgia

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We found Brodie’s train that my Grandmother gave to him for Christmas when he was young and decided to set it up underneath our tree. Of course it doesn’t work, but it is still very cute to have set up to look at and enjoy.

Sometimes giving the gift of X-Mas’s past, and in memories, is the best gift of all.

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Not every gift has to be homemade.

Here is a gift that can accompany a dessert, or with some holiday mugs.

Or simply given on it’s own.

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Strawberry Jam Sour Cream Loaf Cake

(Recipe Down Below)

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Barbie’s, Santa, and….

Christmas Wrapping Paper

It actually made a nice backdrop for these displays.

I passed the Barbie’s onto my daughter Veronica as they are hers.

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Fragrance Disk Player

This is actually from the mid 80’s. When I was selling Germaine Monteil Cosmetics this Fragrance Disk Player was being sold in my department. I bought one. Still have it to this day.

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Our Holiday Charcuterie Board

Everyone seems to be doing these this holiday season, and we are following right along.

I adore foods displayed like this because I enjoy ‘snacking here and there’ and not always ‘feasting.’

To me, the heavy Christmas foods are served on Christmas Day.

But, the little party’s here and there should be light in their fare. Or at least, in smaller portions.

Fruits, Cheeses, Meats, Nuts, Honey’s, Garlic, Olives, and Sweets

Gordon and Julie’s Cocktail Plates

(Recipes Down Below)

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Ready For The Post Office

X-Mas Gifts to be Mailed

Our Arabic, and Indian Foods X-Mas Care Packages

We love shopping at our local ethnic supermarkets and putting together a range of foods to create a theme that we can then introduce to those in our lives.

Beautiful Artisan Jars of Honey, Coconut, and Nuts

Automatically, these were a hit with the recipients. Look how unique and beautiful the contents in those jars are? They are nothing more than nuts and coconut in honey, that’s it. But, what is so special about them is how they were put together. They are from Turkey.

On the left you see this white stringy stuff with a dusting of green? That is Arabic cotton candy. When you open the package you are removing what looks like a white haired wig with green ground pistachio’s on it. Really good!

On the right are Gulab Jamun, an Indian donut in syrup. Really delicious! Also some Arabic Bruschetta and some Turkish Delight. I believe that most everyone has heard of Turkish Delight.

Arabic Olive Oils, Olives, Grilled Olives, Fermented Olives….

Hazelnut and Chocolate Turkish Delight, Pistachio’s, Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Grape Leaves….

…and Helva

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The Gift of Julie’s Jezebel Sauce

Click Here For: Julie’s Jezebel Sauce

They make X-Cellent Edible Gifts

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My Marinated Olives, Herbs and Cheeses, Congealed From the Refrigerator

I thought they looked beautiful just like this!

Here, Ready to go into the Fridge

(Recipe Down Below)

Ready to Give as Edible Gifts

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Veronica’s Favorite, Sausage Balls

Although we have a few recipes for these on our website, we made these differently than we normally do.

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We also made SAGE Sausage Balls w/ Fresh SAGE

(Recipes Down Below)

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Kona Koffee, Kahlua, and Chocolate Liquor Kocktail

This is a favorite Kocktail of ours. It’s 3 parts Koffee, Kahlua, and Liquor.

Just mix into a pitcher and serve.

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Marinating Cocktail Sausages

This is special for us, and an old favorite.

Simple ingredients of:

Cocktail Sausages, Orange, Lime, Sweet Black Soy Sauce, and, Sweet Chili Sauce

You Just Drain the Sausages and Place into a Bowl

Eyeball the Ingredients of Sweet Chili Sauce and Sweet Black Soy Sauce

Now, Add the Juice and Pulp of an Orange and a Lime

Place Into a Baggie to Marinate Overnight

Next Day…..

Place into oven safe baking dishes, into a 400F oven for about 30 to 45 minutes. Monitor the cooking progress so that the sausages don’t burn. You do want them to plump up, like so. Remove every 15 minutes or so to stir and distribute the sauces so that the sausages are always coated.

A Favorite With Everyone!

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Strawberry Jam and Sour Cream Loaf Cake

(My Recipe Title) 🙂

The Ingredients:

1 Cup Sour Cream (You can use Lite Sour Cream)

1 Cup Strawberry Jam (I used Sugar Free)

1 Cup Butter, Softened

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

4 Eggs

3 Cups Flour

1 t. Baking Soda

3/4 t. Cream of Tartar

1 t. Lemon Extract

1 t. Vanilla

1/2 Cup Pecans, Chopped

Powdered Sugar (For Dusting)

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Recipe Taken From: The Potluck Adventures of Mrs. Marmalade

This children’s recipe book was given to us by my Mother-In-Law, Sarajane Whann

It used to belong to her.

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Time To Get Started

The Recipe:

No Place Like Home

Essentially Strawberry Bread

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I made this cake exactly as the recipe is written. It made 2 loaf cakes. I made the first batch using regular sour cream and sugar free strawberry jam. I made the next 2 cakes using the lite sour cream and sugar free strawberry jam. They both tasted delicious! So, if you are trying to cut back on the richness of this cake, the lite sour cream and sugar free strawberry jam do not take away any of the flavor.

1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

Add To The 1 Cup of Softened Butter, and Cream Together in a Mixer

Time to add the 4 Eggs.

I did this one at a time and blended until each Egg is incorporated into the Sugar and Butter.

In a separate bowl mix together the Strawberry Jam and Sour Cream.

(I do wish that I had not blended this as much as I did.

I loved coming across the little blobs of jam in the cake.)

(Still incorporating those eggs.) 🙂

Now you want to mix all of the dry ingredients together.

But NOT the Powdered Sugar, that is for later.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

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Now We Have 3 Bowls of Ingredients to Blend Together.

First add some of the Strawberry Jam and Sour Cream to your Sugar/Butter/Egg mixture. Mix together thoroughly. Then add a scoop of the dry ingredients to the Sugar/Butter/Egg mixture. Mix together thoroughly. Then add some more of the Strawberry Jam and Sour Cream to the Sugar/Butter/Egg mixture. Mix together thoroughly. Then again, add the dry ingredients as well, a scoop at a time. Do this until all of the ingredients are mixed well in the mixer. Rotating one at a time.

Your Batter Should Look Like This

(A Pretty PINK)

Now It’s Time To Add Our Lemon Extract and Vanilla

Mix Together

Now Add The Pecans and Stir Together

Ready to Pour into the Loaf Pans

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Spray With a Cooking Oil Spray

(This one is for baking and it has flour in it.)

This Recipe Makes 2 Loaf Cakes

Place Into a Preheated 325F Oven for About an Hour.

(I would check it after 40 minutes just to make sure things are going well. If the cake is becoming too brown you may want to cover it with Aluminum Foil to prevent it from burning. Then check it every 5 minutes from thereon.)

When you can insert a toothpick or wooden skewer and it comes out clean, you know it’s done.

Set on wire racks to cool while in the pan first. Then, after about 15 – 20 minutes or so remove from the pans and set on the rack to continue to cool.

Let Sit on the Rack Until Totally Cool

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This is Truly Delicious!

This is a Beautiful Gift given just as it is! 🙂

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This is the second batch of 2 that I made using the lite Sour Cream and the Sugar Free Strawberry Jam.

I Followed the Recipe Same as Above

I Did Add More Nuts to This Batch 🙂

Bake Same as Above, Decorate However You Like

A Sprinkling of Powdered Sugar Looks Nice

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Remember The Beautiful Honey and Nuts from Above?

They Work Great on a Charcuterie Board

Our Holiday Charcuterie Board

We have a baked Brie with our very own Honey and Walnut Topping.

Click Here For: Santa’s Elves Kitchen Favorites

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We also have Green Grapes, Cranberry-Walnut Bread, Whole Wheat Rustic Bread, Black Garlic, Whole Grain Milton Crackers, Turkey Hickory Farms Sausage, Sweet Lebanon Bologna, Cracker Barrel Sweet Smoked Ham, Prosciutto Bacon, Mustard, Cashew Nuts, Dates, Dried Figs, Montavio Festivo Cheese, Black and White Sesame Seeded Crackers, and Rice Crackers with Sesame and Nuts, also our Marinated Olives, Herbs and Cheeses.

A Beautiful and Tasty Charcuterie Board

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Black Garlic

This Black Garlic is so Sweet! It’s fermented. You simply peel off the skin and it is ready to eat. Perfect for a Charcuterie Board. It spreads nicely onto a piece of bread or a cracker, or eaten with a cheese.

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Baking Brie is Really Easy

You of course need a pan that can go into the oven. This is a non-stick pan we are using. Gordon simply removed the brie from it’s wrappings and placed it into this skillet.

This is a 400F oven for about 25 minutes.

He covered it with a pie pan so as not to brown it.

When the inside of the Brie is all jiggly, then it is done.

Turn Out Onto A Plate, Top With Something Sweet

Here, we are using our Honey Walnut Topping from Above

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Slicing Some of These Delicious Breads

Placing Onto a Baking Sheet to Brown a Bit

We Love These Milton’s Crackers

(Gordon’s dad’s name is Milton.) 🙂

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The Meats For Our Charcuterie Board

Cracker Barrel Sweet Smoked Ham

Sweet Lebanon Bologna

Pancetta Bacon

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Here Gordon is Rolling Them into Cigars

Regular Lebanon Bologna and our Hickory Farms Turkey Sausage

Montasio Festivo

A very mild cheese. This would be great on a grilled cheese sandwich with the cranberry-walnut bread and some of the great meats we have here. Just a suggestion on ways to eat the leftovers.

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Creating My Marinated Olives, Herbs, Cheese, etc.

I started this out by roasting some Garlic Cloves in Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.

Turn the oven on 400F and place a few Garlic Cloves into a dish with some of the Garlic Olive Oil. Cover with foil and bake for a good 35 minutes. Stirring every 15 minutes or so. I don’t want this to brown as much as I normally do because it is going into the jars of olives and cheeses.

Like so…..

This is where creativity comes into play.

You can make this to be whatever you want it to be.

We have:

Sweet Cherry Peppers

Banana Pepper Rings

Various Olives of Mediterranean, Green, Greek, Pimiento Stuffed, etc.

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We also have Bay Leaves, Lemons, White Peppercorns,

Pink Peppercorns, and our secret weapon Buddah’s Hand. (You’ll see.)

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Time to Drain the Liquids From These Jars

Like so….

Place Into a Mixing Bowl

Now Add the Peppercorns and Lemon Zest

Cut the Feta Into Chunks

Now We Start To Fill Our Jars

Here is Our Buddah’s Hand

To those that don’t know. This is a funky lemon. 🙂

I started filling the jars with everything that you see above and also placed some herbs in there as well. Basil, Thyme, and Rosemary. Also, Bay Leaves.

They Look Very Beautiful and Festive, Don’t They?

Time To Either Give As Gifts, Or Refrigerate

This is How Beautiful They Look Refrigerated