Announcing All Things Christmas Linky — Link any and all Christmas related posts you’d like to share. Old or new, it doesn’t matter. . Link now until December 25! Enjoy!!
Opening the door to new ideas — one link at a time!
Eat Healthy, Do it Yourself, Live Well, Have Fun.
Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints
Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies
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Cranberry Pineapple Salad is a kid friendly addition to holiday dinners. The addition of crushed pineapple and diced apples in raspberry gelatin take away the signature tartness of the cranberry. Easier for kids and people who aren’t into tart – like me – to eat. I have a tart reflex. One bite and my face just folds – no way to hide it. On the other hand this is not overly sweet either – but just right. Cranberries are also healthy. Cranberries are one of the top antioxidant-rich foods, containing more than other superfoods – including pears, grapes, apples and strawberries. Antioxidants help prevent or stop cell damage. For this reason, you can serve them any time of year – don’t wait for holidays!
This salad is also versatile in the ways you can serve it. I like the minis as shown above for buffet serving because you can pick up a single serving. It’s faster, neater and portion controlled. The cupcake liners are a little less formal when served in the liner and have the same advantages. Removing them and keeping a whole mold can sometimes be tricky, but if you can pull it off you can make a very pretty display.
A large mold on a plate or or cake stand is spectacular. (But I wouldn’t have first hand knowledge of that since I don’t own a large mold.) I do however have a collection of ramekins and collection of small molded salads also makes a statement dish, either on individual small plates or on a platter.
Or you can serve it in any pan that will hold 6 cups liquid. This works well if you are transporting some distance to the meal. I took this last Thanksgiving to a dinner for 40 odd people – yeah, odd meaning plus some in numbers and odd meaning odd! 🙂 But that’s okay since we share the same sense of humor! They are a lot of fun and I love them all dearly. You can leave off the dollops of whipped cream cheese — they didn’t add anything to the appearance or the taste. Learn from my mistakes — you’re welcome!
Use crushed pineapple, well drained, and sugar free jello. I’m not usually brand specific but Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce seems to me to be somewhat thicker than other brands so makes a firmer mold. Dice the apple so the pieces are fairly small so they are easily eaten. I don’t bother to peel the apples. I used Gala, as that is usually what we have on hand, but really any apple will work. I love nuts, but if you have someone with a nut allergy the walnuts can be optional. Make ahead so the gelatin has time to firm – a perfect candidate for making the night before the Big Dinner.
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Savory chicken noodle soup mix is not your grandma’s chicken soup even though it tastes just like it! And just like grandma’s soup, this makes a healthy, comforting gift — but so much easier to make. Pair a jar of mix with a can of chicken and it is perfect for a sick friend. A minute or two of measuring water and waiting for the soup to cook is all the effort needed to make four servings of healthy comfort. Chicken noodle soup mix is great for the pantry shelf as well. A healthy no preservative quick lunch or dinner for those really busy days – just add crusty bread and/or a salad. A single college student or young professional would also appreciate this (along with a couple of other mixes!) as a stock the shelf gift. Minimal prep time and there will be 2-4 meals depending on the size of the servings you choose.
Making the mix is very simple. Measure the seasonings shown above directly into a small plastic zipper bag – a snack size bag – and shake to mix. If you can’t find chicken flavor powder or granules, you can substitute one wrapped bullion cube. Technically two cups of dried noodles could fit into a pint jar. If you use the short, wide egg noodles, they will fit with little crushing. But I like the kluski noodles because they are thicker and a more stick to the ribs kind of food. They are also narrow and long and fit better in a quart jar. Add a few more noodles to the top of the jar after you’ve rolled and tucked the bag of seasonings in the jar. Or add a small bag of mini crackers to fill the empty space. This is the link to Printable Directions for Savory Chicken Soup Mix
To make the soup you will need 1 jar of mix and 1 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken (1 12 ounce can) , a stalk of celery and a carrot. The carrot and celery is an option, if someone is really under the weather, by the way, and doesn’t feel like dicing. For busy people — take the time anyway. It’s good for you. Grandma said so. 🙂
Gifts in a Jar: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Pancake Mix
For no-bake recipes in a 12 Days of Christmas series: Christmas Wreath Potato Chip Clusters Cherry Mash Bars Pistachio Fudge Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints Classic Oreo Truffles Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark Ritz Turtles Gooey Golden Chex Mix Fabulous Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
If you want cookies check these out — 1. Fruitcake cookies 2. Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies 3. Pineapple Walnut Cookies 4. Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies 5. Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints 6. Cherry Almond Chews 7. Polka Dot Macaroons 8. Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts 9. Butterscotch Pecan Softies 10. Toffee Crisps 11. Crescent Mini Chip Cookies 12. Minty Christmas Cookies
no bake and no stress treats in small batches. For when you want to have a variety of treats without a lot of leftovers.
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
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Searching for holiday dinner recipes? Me too! We’re unexpectedly hosting festivities since the originally scheduled host can’t. If you’re in the same boat – vs my usual boat of waiting till the last minute — here’s a helpful list of some ideas from past A Pinch of Joy posts. You can find more ideas in the index above. Don’t forget to pin and share!!!
Main Dish
Cornish hens serves four
Moist and Tender Turkey for a crowd
Sides
Classic cheesy potatoes — Everybody loves creamy, cheesy potatoes. Easy to make and transport.
Sweet Potatoes A lower carb alternative recipe
Sweet potato Struesel topped classic Crunchy struesel topping ( no marshmallows 🙂 )
Baked Corn Chowder — Bread, casserole, vegetable, delicious, classic in one dish
Vegetables
Maple Glazed Baby Carrots – -A delightful change from the ordinary
Bacon Pecan Green Beans – Breathtaking good — always a hit
Salads
Cranberry Relish classic – sweet and tangy, Thanksgiving memories in a bowl
Layered salad – always good, a healthier contribution to the feast
Classic sweet coleslaw — crunchy, healthy good
Fruit Salad with Lemonade Dressing — For a crowd since it serves 25-30 –- and healthy
Bacon Broccoli Salad – serves four for the smaller celebration
Frozen Cranberry Salad – creamy pineapple and cranberry delight — make ahead and freeze – serves 12
Breads
Carrot Pineapple Bread — Almost dessert
Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread — A lighter bread
Desserts
Spiced Carrot Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – yum!
Cheesecake topped Fudgy Brownies – the perfect marriage
Cheesecake Bars with Struesel topping – Delightful!
Blushing Peach Pie – Wheel’s favorite and one of my very first posts
Pumpkin Bars – classic pumpkin spicy flavor but not a pie, cream cheese frosting a bonus. Crowd sized
Hummingbird Cake – something different
Turkey Leftovers
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup – just substitute turkey
Guest Breakfast
Purple Ribbon No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls
Peaches and Cream Baked French Toast
Overnight Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Sugar and Spice Muffins – Best Breakfast Muffins Ever
Beverage
Perfect Punch – lemon, pineapple and snappy
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
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A light lemon flavor combined with creamy white chocolate and a crisp chewy texture, Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips are a study in contrast and complements. Compliments too, because that’s what you’ll get when you make them!!
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t own or use a lot of kitchen specialty tools. I’m a quick and easy cook, as a general rule, so my tools have to fit into the very useful category before I pull them out. And they have to fit in the kitchen drawers. A pastry cutter for cutting shortening/butter into flour was the only “special and limited use” thing for a long time. It was joined by a good digital thermometer a few of years ago that has vastly improved meats served here. Then a cookie scoop wandered in on a sort of whim and was found to be incredibly useful. It makes such nice round cookies, too – who knew? Then a lemon zest grater about 3 inches by 6 inches came home with me. It’s small and doesn’t eat anything so I kept it and slid it into a crack in the regular “stuff” in the drawer. And fresh lemon zest adds such depth of flavor to many recipes. That’s four specialty tools besides the many knives, spatulas and whisks! Let’s hope this doesn’t get out of hand!!!!
Lemon white chocolate chip cookies go together really quickly. Use your cookie scoop to make quick work of getting the cookies on the lined baking sheet. If you have little helpers around they can roll the dough into balls. It may take a little longer, but it will be fun and so worth it! Be careful not to overbake the cookies or they will be dry and crumbly. They should be just turning golden on the bottom and around the edges. Give them a few minutes to finish baking on the sheet before removing to the cooling rack. If I’m using a liner, I like to slide the liner full of cookies onto the cooling rack so tender cookies like these don’t break apart. The flavor is best after they’ve cooled – if you can wait that long. Store in an airtight container or a zip lock bag.
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