Holiday Entertaining

   

Welcome Back to the Ever Ready Kitchen

Hope your Christmas was one filled with joy. I may have taken a week off from blogging, but I cooked a lot, tried new recipes, and was busy entertaining. Our daughter was here for several days, and we went on several excursions.  I am excited to share a few recipes with you just before 2025 comes to a close. 

The new word for the week is Gluhwein, which literally means “glowing wine.” It is a mulled wine traditionally served in Germany, the Alsace region of France, and other parts of northern Europe. Gluhwein is a popular beverage served at every German Christmas market during the holiday season.

I took these photos in late November, several years ago, at the Christmas market in Vienna. Since the weather was quite cold, a mug of Gluhwein really hit the spot. 

In this picture, note the man carrying a yellow mug of mulled wine. Wine is sold in special keepsake mugs. An hour later, a freezing drizzle followed by snow sent the crowds scurrying into warm places.

The mulled wine is prepared with red wine that has been heated and spiced up with cinnamon sticks, citrus (orange or lemon), cloves, and sometimes raisins.

You don't need to go to Vienna to enjoy a glass of Gluhwein, as it can be made in your own kitchen. 

Glühwein – Mulled Wine Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar 
• ½ cup water 
• 1 large cinnamon stick 
• 1 orange 
• 8 whole cloves 
• 2 star anise
• 1 bottle of red wine (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaujolais, Merlot, or Shiraz are suggested wines to use). I used Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Cinnamon sticks to serve with the beverage 
• Optional but quite good, adding in a splash of brandy (1-2 tablespoons) with each serving.

Directions:

• In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, anise, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer. 
• Cut the orange in half and divide the cloves in half. Place cloves in each orange half and place in simmering water. 
• Simmer on low for 30 minutes or until thick and syrupy. 
• Pour in the wine. Heat until steaming but not simmering. Avoid having it boil, as you don't want to boil off the alcohol. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1/2 hour or up to 3 hours.  
• Remove the clove-studded orange halves, anise, and cinnamon stick.  
• Serve hot in mugs that have been preheated or glasses preheated with warm water-(note a cold glass could break) 
• Add a splash of brandy and serve with a cinnamon stick and orange slice. 

The following recipes were fun discoveries, made with a few ingredients and were quite tasty. They were perfect appetizers to share with friends. 

Crockpot Meatballs with Cherry Bourbon Sauce

Cook's Notes:
These meatballs were made in a crockpot and then transferred to this dish, and served with a small container of toothpicks for the guests.
It's a no-fuss recipe using only 5 ingredients. Let your slow cooker do the work for this recipe.
Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen pre-cooked Italian meatballs (I used about 36 meatballs from the bag)
• 1 (13 oz.) jar cherry or black cherry preserves (preferred brand Bonne Maman)
• ½ cup ketchup
• 4 tablespoons bourbon
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• Optional: Add a little heat to the sauce with hot sauce

Directions:

• In a saucepan, mix all the ingredients except the meatballs.
• Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes, uncovered.
• Add frozen meatballs to the crockpot. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Ritz Holiday S'mores

Cook's Notes: Winner -winner made with only three ingredients! 

Another option-the recipe did call for adding a bit of deli ham or turkey over the jelly, but I skipped that part. 

Ingredients: 

• Ritz Crackers
• Brie Cheese
• Pepper Jelly  (deli section) 

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• No need to take rind off cheese.
• Place Ritz crackers on the baking sheet.
• Add a teaspoon of jelly to each cracker and top with a small piece of Brie cheese.

  

  Disclaimer: This was my first attempt (above photo) when I realized I needed parchment paper on a baking sheet to prevent sticking. Then I found out you can buy Brie Bites in a grocery store. I had a wedge of Brie and cut pieces from that for the recipe, which did work.  
  
• Heat crackers in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately top with another cracker and press lightly together like a sandwich. 
  
  
     

Christmas Blessings

 

Merry Christmas

 Christmas Blessings to All

 from Ever Ready

See you on December 31 with a 2025 Year in Review

12 of the most popular Ever Ready recipes

A Christmas Carol

Original cover 1843 " A Christmas Carol" a classic tale by Charles Dickens.

It was on this day in 1843 that Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol" was published.. Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in six intense weeks. He was struggling financially — he had a large mortgage payment, his parents and siblings were asking for money, his wife was expecting their fifth child, and sales of his most recent novel, "Martin Chuzzlewit", were disappointing. He rushed through "A Christmas Carol" in time to get it printed for the holiday season, finished it in early December, wrote "The End" in huge letters and underlined it three times.

Dickens was angry with his publisher over how little money he had made from "Martin Chuzzlewit", so he refused the lump-sum payment that his publisher offered for "A Christmas Carol". Instead, he decided to publish it himself. He oversaw every detail of the publication, and he had a very specific vision for the book: a gold-stamped cover, woodcuts, four hand-colored etchings, a fancy binding, gilt-edged pages, title pages in red and green, and hand-colored green endpapers. He examined the first copies and decided he didn't like them after all — the green on the title pages wasn't bright enough, and the endpapers smudged. So he demanded a new version: red and blue title pages, and yellow endpapers. All the changes were made to Dickens' satisfaction by December 17th, two days before the book was to go on sale.

Dickens wanted as many people as possible to purchase the book, so he charged five shillings, and sure enough, it was a huge best-seller — the first edition of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve. By the following spring, the book had run through seven editions.

Information from Writer's Almanac

                                                 For all things EGGNOG

Three eggnog recipes (muffins, coffeecake, and bread) found at 

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2018/12/tis-season.html

 

Book Review Early Snow

 

A  GUY HOGAN MYSTERY #2 

Who doesn't love a good mystery filled with intrigue, complex and well-developed characters who frequently switch alliances, adding to the guessing game of red herrings, cliffhangers, complicated relationships, and a diligent sleuth? Kevin Wolf delivers on all points in book two of the Guy Hogan mystery series, "Early Snow."  Weather elements, particularly developing snow and blizzard conditions, play a predominant role in the storyline. The storm symbolizes chaos and danger, foreshadowing impending changes. Wolf's description of the story's setting is top-notch and exemplifies someone who understands weather patterns and changes in a particular region.

Odyssey Pruit paints pictures of the ghosts and spirits she saw in the halls of an old hotel where she worked ten years before. Guy Hogan doesn’t believe in ghosts. Hogan is hired to guard Odyssey’s pictures for her first art show in the same old hotel. When an early blizzard closes the roads, knocks out the power and telephone, Hogan is trapped in the hotel with Odyssey’s quirky fans. When imps and ghouls make their presence known, Hogan questions his doubts. 

As the story unfolded, I felt like I had stepped into scenes from the board game, Clue. The action takes place in several different locations within the hotel. Secrets, misdirection, twists, and turns frequently changed the narrative. When a murder occurs, speculation runs rampant as to who was actually murdered, who could be the murderer, and what could possibly be the motive for the killing.  Guy Hogan was a reluctant sleuth who became a reluctant hero, not one who set out to be in the spotlight. He was just as afraid as the others but wanted to do his job. Wolf skillfully navigates all these pieces, keeping the reader engaged with just the right amount of pacing.  

As winter weather settles in, it's time to cozy up with a good whodunit mystery. As an added bonus to the book, Wolf added his award-winning 2021 Short Fiction Spur Award Winner from the Western Writers of America, "Belthanger," to the back of the book.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Wolf is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Crested Butte Writers. The great-grandson of Colorado homesteaders, he enjoys fly fishing, old Winchesters and 1950s Western movies. He lives in Estes Park, CO with his wife. His novel "The Homeplace," is the winner of the 2015 Tony Hillerman Award. The novel was a finalist for the 2016 Strand Critics Award for Debut Mystery. Western Writers of America selected his short story, "Belthanger," as the 2021 Spur Award Winner for Best Short Fiction.

Check out his website for more information about the author jhttps://kevinwolfstoryteller.com/

Brunch at the Reindeer Bar Confetti Bacon Hashbrown Casserole

Reindeer Bar 

Confetti Bacon Hashbrown Casserole is an excellent breakfast/brunch dish for entertaining, filled with cheesy hash browns, bacon, eggs, chiles, green onions, and red bell pepper. I love brunch with the many dishes to choose from and knowing the Reindeer Bar closing tonight I had to make one more stop. 

Cook's Notes: It's a great breakfast dish for easy entertaining, filled with cheesy hashbrowns, eggs, chiles, green onions, and red bell peppers. The addition of protein-rich cottage cheese is a bonus. The casserole can be refrigerated overnight, covered, without the cornflake topping, which can be added before baking. The recipe was adapted from thegirlwhoateeveything

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen shredded O'Brien Hash Browns, thawed
• 1-1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons Elote seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained and patted dry on a paper towel
• 12 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled or 1 lb. cooked Italian sausage, crumbled
• 1 cup diced mini red peppers
• 1/3-1/2 cup diced green onions

Cornflake Topping
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ½ teaspoon each of parsley flakes and Italian seasoning

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 or 9 x12 baking dish.
• Mix spices and butter with cornflakes and set aside.
• Thaw hash browns on a baking sheet. Squeeze out the moisture from them before adding to other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, add the thawed and drained hash browns, cottage cheese, eggs, cheddar and Swiss cheese, green chiles, 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, 1/2 of the red bell pepper, and the green onions.
• Mix well and pour into the prepared dish.
• Top with remaining bacon and bell peppers.
• Sprinkle the cornflake topping evenly over the dish.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

I picked a salad to pair with the casserole, but I splurged with a Cranberry Mimosa. The group I was with thought we needed a toast to 2025. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Champagne
• Frozen cranberries

 Directions: 

• In a chilled glass, add the ingredients in the following order:   cranberry juice, orange juice, and top off with champagne. Add in frozen cranberries last.  

Well, I made one more stop before leaving the Reindeer Bar at the Cookies and Milk Station, as I heard Almond Crinkle Cookies were freshly baked this morning. They did not disappoint. 

The recipe, adapted from December 2023 BHG, makes 21 cookies. These cookies "beg" to be served with a cup of tea or your favorite cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, and extracts. beating until smooth.
• In another bowl, whisk together both of the flours, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low until combined.
• Cover and chill the dough for 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.
• Shape the dough into 2-inch balls, then roll in the powdered sugar. Bake for 12 minutes, until the cookies flatten and develop a crackly surface.
• Remove from oven and sift powdered sugar over the cookies. After two minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. 

Cooking Tip: The dough can be shaped into 1-inch balls for smaller cookies. Adjust baking time to 10-11 minutes.

Goodbye to all our friends at the Reindeer Bar. See you in 2026

Enjoying Saturday Night Specials at the Reindeer Bar

 

Tonight I was back to the Drink and Appetizer Station 

Santa Clausmopolitan Special

A Santa Clausmopolitan at the Reindeer Bar is a festive holiday drink specially made with Pomegranate-Cranberry juice, vodka, a touch of citrus, crushed ice and a few frozen cranberries. Sip and enjoy your drink with an appetizer plate. Recipe makes 4 drinks.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Pomegranate-Cranberry juice or Cran-Raspberry juice
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• Crushed ice
• Frozen cranberries

Directions:

• In a pitcher or large cocktail shaker add juice, vodka, orange liqueur and lime juice. Shake. add crushed ice and mix again.
• Pour into chilled martini glasses and add a few frozen cranberries to each glass.

Maple Dijon Sausage Bites
The combination of sweet and savory, with unusual ingredient pairings, brings flavors together in one simple bite. These mini bites taste great as a breakfast item or as an appetizer. Taste test before increasing Dijon mustard. Shells can be filled ahead, refrigerated, and baked later in the day. Recipe makes 15 shells.

Ingredients:

• 1 package mini fillo appetizer shells
• 1 lb. Italian sausage or breakfast sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-1/2-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese or shredded 4 cheeses

Directions:

• Brown sausage in olive oil with green onions. Drain grease, crumble meat, and return to the pan. Add syrup, mustard, and seasoning to the meat. Mix well, cook on medium-low heat for about 8 minutes. Add in cheese and stir until it melts.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill each fillo shell (no need to thaw) with 1 tablespoon of filling. Place each fillo shell in a small appetizer muffin tin for stability during baking.
• Bake 8-10 minutes.

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

Tonight, I learned a grocery-store tip from the chef. Boursin Cheese makes these cheese balls with their signature spices. It's like a small mozzarella ball. On the skewers were smoked salmon, tomato, a Boursin cheese ball, and a basil leaf. These appetizers practically "flew off the plate"; they were so popular. 

Can you guess which station I am visiting tomorrow for the last day of the Reindeer Bar? I have made reservations for noon to make sure I get a place.  
  

Reindeer Station-Festive Drinks

What a fun discovery of new recipes at the Reindeer Station Festive Drinks. 

Chilled copper mugs intrigued me enough to try one of their two variations of a traditional Moscow Mule, the Cherry Mule.    

 Cherry Mules 

Ingredients:

• Vodka- 3 oz.
• Fresh lime juice-half
• Ginger beer- 4 oz.
• Fresh or frozen cherries
• Ice cubes
• A sprig of mint and a slice of lime for garnish

Directions:

• In a chilled Moscow Copper mug, muddle fresh cherries to release their juicy essence.
• Add ice to the brim and pour vodka over it.
• Squeeze fresh lime juice and stir to combine the flavors.
• Top with ginger beer and stir gently to mix.

Holiday Moscow Mule
Ingredients: 

• 4 oz ginger beer
• 3 oz vodka
• 2 oz grenadine
• half a lime
• Maraschino cherries to garnish
• Lots of ice

Directions:

• Freeze some copper mule mugs at least one hour before you prepare your drinks. If not, serve in a chilled glass.
• In a cocktail shaker, add your ginger beer, vodka and grenadine. Give it a good shake and then pour over ice in your chilled copper mug. Squeeze in half a lime and garnish with a few maraschino cherries. Serve immediately.

Cran-Pommegrante Mistletoe Margarita

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 oz tequila
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 3 oz. Cran-Pommegrante juice
• 1 oz. lime juice.
• ½ oz simple syrup

Directions: 

• Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker. then pour over ice.

Winter White Holiday Cosmos

I was quite taken with the festive ice cube but slurped my drink down before the ice block even melted:) 

Preparation: Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice (save the lime halves!) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the juiced lime halves to the syrup and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover with lid, and let steep for 1 hour. Squeeze the limes to get as much juice out as you can, then strain the syrup into your jar and let cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator (for 3-4 weeks)

Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 1.5 oz white cranberry juice
• 3/4 oz orange liqueur (Triple sec)
• 1/2 oz lime simple syrup
• festive cranberry + rosemary ice cubes for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice. 

LOOKING AHEAD

The sign reminded me I had only two more days to visit the Reindeer Bar which would close Sunday night for the season. I knew I needed to make my selections carefully. Be sure to check back Saturday and Sunday to see what I chose. 

Stopping by the Grinch Station

Recently, the Reindeer Bar participated in the neighborhood outdoor lighting display contest. Their Grinch display won the Most Creative. Several people stepped inside the Reindeer Bar to check out the Grinch Station. Business was brisk since it was rather cold out. Lucky for me, The Grinch Station offered some healthier options, since I may have overindulged at their cookie station yesterday. 

I could not pass up a warm-up with Apple Cran-Raspberry Cider. It was perfect for a chilly evening.

I managed to get the recipe for us.  

Apple Cran-Raspberry Cider
Ingredients:

• ½ gallon apple cider
• 32 oz. cran-raspberry drink
• 10 whole cloves
• 3 large cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange cut in half

Directions:

• Place 5 whole cloves in each orange half
• Pour cider and cran-raspberry drink into a large pot on the stove
• Add orange halves with cloves cut side down into cran/cider mixture with cinnamon sticks
• Warm on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally
• To serve: Remove orange halves and cinnamon sticks, and pour into mugs.
  
  
  

A Stop at The Grinch Station Part One

At the Grinch Station, I met a cookie overload of new recipes. Of course, it was hard to stop at just one. While I was fortunate to get the following recipes for us my best discovery of the day was the bag of Grinch Hershey Kisses pictured below. Each foil-wrapped candy had a Grinch image on the bottom.  Oh, the possibilities with this bag. 

I used some of the candies for the following cookie recipe. 

Cook's notes: Sugar cookie dough rolled in green sugar and topped with a Hershey’s Kiss. Perfect for the Grinch station. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. The recipe was adapted from http://cookinfood.com/

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 6-8 drops green food coloring
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 bottle green decorating sugar (you’ll need about ¼ cup)
• 24 Hershey’s Kisses (unwrapped)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Continue to mix and add in the vanilla and egg. Mix until thoroughly combined. 
• Add 2 drops at a time (food coloring) to give the dough a nice light green color. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and make sure all of the color and ingredients are well incorporated.
• Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Refrigerate dough for approx. 30 minutes.
• Refrigerated dough makes it easier to roll. Scoop out about 1” size dough balls. Roll the cookie balls in the green sugar on a plate, and then place on the cookie sheet 2” apart.
• Bake the cookies at 350°F for 9-10 minutes. As soon as you pull them out of the oven, sink an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Grinch Cookies
 

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• green gel food coloring
• ½ cup cornstarch
• red heart-shaped sprinkles or cinnamon candies

Directions:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 cups of powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Cut the butter into tablespoons and drop the pieces into the flour mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring until the desired color is achieved. As the cookies bake, the color will lighten. Beat mixtures until well incorporated, making sure there are no white streaks in the dough.
• Chill the dough for about 40 minutes to make it easier to handle.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar.
• Scoop the dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each between the palms of your hands to form a ball, then roll in the cornstarch mixture until well coated. Place each ball about 3 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets, and slightly press down on the tops.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies start to crinkle and are lightly browned on the bottoms. Remove from the oven and immediately press a heart-shaped sprinkle or candy on each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cooking Tips:

• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• You can use red heart-shaped sprinkles or cinnamon candies. If you cannot find any of them, you can use red M&M’s.
• Careful not to overmix the cookies, or they’ll be dense.
• I recommend bringing the eggs to room temperature, so they incorporate into the batter without over-mixing. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, place them in a bowl of warm tap water to help warm them up.

Since I spent so long sampling cookies, I never got to the Grinch Drink and Appetizer section. Check back tomorrow for Part Two.