Christmas Holiday Treats

Transcription

1 Christmas Holiday Treats Here are ways to get some nutrients in your holiday treats with the use of dried fruits, nuts spices, whole-grain cereals and even chocolate. Fruits and nuts are rich in antioxidants; cinnamon suppresses blood sugar spikes; chocolate may help your heart and your mood.

2 Peanut Butter Clusters 10 ounces peanut butter chips 1/2 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts 1/2 cup regular oats, uncooked 1/2 cup raisins 1 teaspoon cinnamon Microwave chips in a bowl on high power until melted, about 1-1/2 minutes. Stir. Add remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly. Using your hands, firmly roll into 1-inch balls. Cool. Nutrition Information Yield: 3 dozen balls Calories: 64; Protein: 2g; Fat: 3g; Carbohydrates: 7g; Fiber: 0; Sodium: 19mg There are twelve courses in the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper. According to the Christian tradition, each course is dedicated to one of Christ's apostles.

3 Orange Fruit Nut Truffles 1-1/2 cup walnuts 1 cup dried plums 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chocolate-covered raisins (or plain raisins if preferred) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract In a food processor with the knife blade, blend all ingredients until a dough-like ball forms. Using your hands, roll into 1-inch balls. Optional: Top each with a walnut piece. Yield: 3 dozen balls Nutrition information per ball: Calories: 62; Protein: 1g; Fat: 3g; Carbohydrates: 8g; Fiber: 1g; Sodium: 1mg Frankincense is a sweet smelling gum resin derived from certain Boswellia trees which, at the time of Christ, grew in Arabia, India, and Ethiopia. Tradition says that it was presented to the Christ Child by Balthasar, the black king from Ethiopia or Saba. The frankincense trade was at its height during the days of the Roman Empire. At that time this resin was considered as valuable as gems or precious metals. The Romans burned frankincense on their altars and at cremations.

4 Mint Chocolate Clusters 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon mint extract 1/2 cup pecan pieces 2/3 cup Cheerios 1/3 cup M & M's mini baking bits (or raisins) Microwave chocolate chips in a bowl on high power until melted, about two minutes. Stir in mint. Thoroughly stir in remaining ingredients. Using a teaspoon, drop 1-1/2 inch pieces on wax paper. Cool. Yield: 2 dozen pieces Nutrition information per piece: Calories: 68; Protein: 1g; Fat: 4g; Carbohydrates: 7g; Fiber: 1g; Sodium: 8mg It is a British Christmas tradition that a wish made while mixing the Christmas pudding will come true only if the ingredients are stirred in a clockwise direction.

5 Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake At Christmastime, your family will be dreaming about this cheesecake with its creamy texture and festive aroma! Place 8-ounces softened reduced-fat cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 14 ounces fat free sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and beat well. Fold 1/2 cup milk chocolate (or mint chocolate) chips into cream cheese mixture. Fold in 2 cups lite whipping cream, whipped. Spoon into 8 or 9-inch pre-made chocolate crust. Freeze, covered, until set, about 2 hours. Garnish with crushed peppermint candy, if desired. Recipe makes 16 serving. Nutrition Information Per serving: 349 Calories; 5g Protein; 24g Fat; 30g Carbohydrates; 187mg Sodium; 74mg Cholesterol In Victorian England, turkeys were popular for Christmas dinners. Some of the birds were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in London. To get them to London, the turkeys were supplied with boots made of sacking or leather. The turkeys were walked to market. The boots protected their feet from the frozen mud of the road. Boots were not used for geese: instead, their feet were protected with a covering of tar.

6 No Bake Cranberry Clusters 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup milk 3 cups oats 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/4 cup white chocolate 3/4 cup macadamia nuts chopped 1/4 cup cranberries, chopped In a large pot, bring to a boil sugar, butter and milk. Stir in the oats, vanilla, cranberries and white chocolate. Scoop and let cool. The world's first singing commercial aired on the radio on Christmas Eve, 1926 for Wheaties cereal. The four male singers, eventually known as the Wheaties Quartet, sang the jingle. The Wheaties Quartet, comprised of an undertaker, a bailiff, a printer, and a businessman, performed the song for the next six years, at $6 per singer per week. The commercials were a resounding success.

7 Eggnog Coffee Like some after-dinner coffee? Make it festive during the holidays with eggnog! 1/4 cup ground coffee 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons sugar 2-1/2 cups cold water 1 cup eggnog, warmed Whipped topping, thawed Place coffee in filter in brew basket of coffee maker; sprinkle with the nutmeg. Place sugar in empty pot of coffee maker. Add water to coffee maker; brew. When brewing is complete, stir in eggnog. Top each serving with whipped topping; sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Serve immediately. Serves: 5 Christmas 'Round the World. Sweden: Instead of leaving cookies and milk for Santa, Swedish children leave a dish of porridge for Tomte, the Christmas elf.