Merry Christmas to All!

We have had the most beautiful Christmas season.  We took this week to just spend time together and make treats for our friends and family.  It was most blessed this year because for the first time my children bought presents for each other.  They worked odd jobs for family members in the fall, and spent their own money on each other.  Now I have been able to see the blessings on both sides, when they were picking out things for each other and then on Christmas morning when they exchange gifts.  To see my boys fiddle around Barbie outfits and Littlest Pet Shop animals to choose the perfect gift for their sisters was truly special.

Our favorite foods include sausage balls, bacon wrapped dates, spinach cups, and Chick-fil-a style chicken nuggets....not to mention gingerbread cookies and egg nog.  Here is our season in food.

Gingerbread recipe (without the black pepper and with 1/2 sprouted flour, 1/2 unbleached flour).  This was the perfect amount sweet.  I love the Smitten Kitchen.  It isn't a traditional foods website, but I edit her recipes to be traditional, I love them because they are never too sweet.  

Always just right, and her photography is inspiring!  

We used this icing recipe, which I have to say is my new favorite by far!

Too simple to call a recipe.  Shove a raw almond in a date, wrap with bacon.  Bake at 400.  YUM!

My husband made these, and I don't think he followed a recipe.  But it is probably similar to this.  

Soak Chicken for 1-2 hours in kefir.

Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. 

Coat chicken well, remove excess.  Fry in about 1/4 inch of fat.

Of course, we fried them in Palm oil, lard would have been my first choice, but I used the rest of my lard in the "Bisquick" mix for my sausage balls.

My favorite!  Sausage balls!!  I followed this recipe, but used 1.5 lbs of sausage, because just 1 seemed too dry.  I also used my own "Bisquick" Mix so there was no trans fats!!

And to wash it all down?  EGG NOG...yes in all caps, because homemade nog is AAH-mazing!!  You CAN NOT improve on this recipe!!

We make it every year with fresh milk and eggs from our farmer.  I've never been a fan of egg nog because I hated the way it felt in my throat, but raw is totally different!  

Christmas Blessings to you and yours.

Love and Butter,

Mishelle