Seasonal Sundays: Recipes & Ideas from Santa's Holiday Grab Bag

Santa's sack is overflowing with ideas (and recipes, of course!) for the holidays, not just for the Christmas dates themselves but for all the good times in between. Here's to embracing the holidays!

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

As ever, thank you for welcoming me into your InBox and RSS feed reader. It's your kitchens, your lives, I conjure while writing ... PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

So I'm a tree person. A tree "holiday motif" person, that is.

There are so many holiday motifs, across time. The religious ones are unexpectedly few. A nativity. The star of Bethlehem. Angels on high.

And then there are so many secular motifs. Bells. Candles and candy canes. Garlands. Gingerbread men, grinches and gnomes. JOY. Holly. Lanterns. NOEL. Nutcrackers. Poinsettias. Red trucks! Reindeer. Ribbons. Santas; so many santas. Snowflakes and snowmen. Wreaths.

And when I "put up" Christmas, a few santas and reindeer and snowflakes and wreaths appear, but walk through the house and you'll find trees — glittery, bare wood, metal, ceramic — arranged in vignettes in every room.

For me, trees bring a calm to the room, a seasonal quietude that suits.

And once a collection begins to form, it helps to say "cute but no thanks" when something attracts attention in a store.

And that, friends, is its own gift.

In Praise Of ...

... who's seen the photos of the new Notre Dame Cathedral? It's so bright, no longer covered with candle wax, coal dust, fire soot and more.

On my phone, there's an arty image of the spire, bent over, still burning. Like January 6th, the Notre Dame fire is etched in my screen-watching memory, experiencing something from afar but somehow very real as if standing there in the throngs in the dark, watching, weeping, wondering.

Do you too remember watching the church burn back in 2019, the collective gasp across the world as the spire began to collapse?

It's a testament to the French people, restoring Notre Dame, now gleaming, the bells tolling, the spire restored after five long years although, if you've read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth (recommended!), it took a generation to build the fictional cathedral in Kingsbridge Cathedral.

Maybe five years actually isn't so long?

If the French can rebuild Notre Dame in five years, let's imagine what democracy warriors can accomplish over the next four.

Yeah, let's imagine that. Let's do that.

The Words of Wise Women

Jess Piper is on fire. Her newsletter is free, the storytelling is terrific, the purpose is compelling.

• "I once had an exchange student from Estonia — she was 16 and already in youth training to be a soldier in her country. I asked why they started training so young and she reminded me of her country’s proximity to Russia. Russian aggression. I will never forget her. " ~ excerpt from The Exchange Students which hit me extra hard, since I was an exchange student myself (and wore a tiny Canadian flag on my backpack, it was safer, even then) and my parents/sister hosted students from Finland, Mexico, Sweden, Belgium and Australia all but one remain friends of the family.


• "Abolishing the Department of Education is just the tip of the iceberg. The idea is to defund public schools nationwide." ~ an excerpt from Some States Can't be Trusted With States' Rights, a must-read for all invested in our kids' eduction (which, frankly, should be 100% of us). Remember, Jess writes from Missouri, also my home state (though urban and suburban St. Louis is some different than out-state, rural "Missoura") where a generation of a gerrymandered Republican super-majority means our public schools are already at the very bottom by almost every measure. If you educate yourself on one issue, make it be education.

ISO ... an Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Who has a recipe you love??

I've long been on the hunt for the gingerbread of my dreams, years long, one "not quite right" and "nope" recipe after another. Maybe it's hiding in your recipe box? I'm nothing but patient, after all, it took a good 20 years to re-create a Whole Foods bakery item (back when Whole Foods was only in Texas and did things soooo differently than now) that became my Fresh Cranberry Bars.

So here's what I'm after. I'd like it to be a snacking cake versus a layer cake, but tall, very moist but not spongy, a medium crumb, not too molasses-y, maybe a very thin glaze on top but preferably needing no more than a little whipped cream for embellishment.

Help?! Anyone?!

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Santa's Holiday Grab Bag

For this week's recipes, I aimed for seven small recipe collections that just might be useful not only this week but also throughout the holidays ...

All Dressed Up for Christmas

• THE RECIPE Christmas Chicken Salad Chicken salad all dressed up for Christmas.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Salad for Sandwiches Makes up in minutes with pantry ingredients. (PIN This)

• HOLIDAY READY Gingerbread Granola All dressed up for Christmas. (PIN This)
• A HOLIDAY RIFF Gingerbread Snickerdoodle Bars All dressed up for Christmas with spices, fresh ginger, molasses. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Christmas Banana Bread My favorite banana bread, all dressed up for Christmas. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Cranberry Walnut Bread Special for the holidays, a barely sweet yeast bread studded with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. (PIN This)

Festive Food: Red & Green for the Holidays

• THE RECIPE Broccoli Tomato Holiday Wreath Topped with a lemon butter sauce. Dramatic to serve, easier than it looks, tastes great!
• ANOTHER TAKE Healthy Red & Green Green-Bean Salad Pretty for Christmas, healthy for year-round.

• THE RECIPE Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad An unexpected combination of ingredients with a Middle Eastern feel.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach with Roasted Pepper Nutritious, delicious and eye-appealing.

• THE RECIPE Party Rye with Tomato & Cucumber Five minutes prep, red & green for the holidays.
• ANOTHER TAKE Red Pepper Crostini Just sautéed bell pepper on crisp homemade or purchased toasts called "crostini".

Impressive Winter Salads

• THE RECIPE Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate A burst of color, texture and flavor for holiday meals. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans A big green salad with a rainbow of fruit. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans) An exultant platter of texture, color, flavor and mood.
• ANOTHER TAKE Festive Holiday Salad My signature salad during the holidays, just ten minutes start to finish. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Christmas Cauliflower Healthy roasted cauliflower with ribbons of festive red and green.
• ANOTHER TAKE Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter Just wait for the compliments!

Gettin' Cozy: Winter Casseroles

• THE RECIPE Potato Blintzes An old family recipe, rich mashed potatoes wrapped in tender crepes. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Light Tomato Basil Quiche Make-ahead, light and healthy. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar Very special, make in advance for a holiday brunch or buffet. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Butternut Squash Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel & Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna layers with bursts of flavor and texture.

• THE RECIPE Turkey Wild Rice Casserole A festive make-ahead hot dish. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Turkey Tetrazzini A good way to use up leftover turkey or roast chicken.

Merry Mornings

• THE RECIPE Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Apples & Caramelized Onions A make-ahead breakfast casserole, layers of sausage, apple and caramelized onion.
• ANOTHER TAKE Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote

• THE RECIPE Overnight Coffeecake Mix the night before, bake in the morning to serve warm. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Banana Streusel Muffins A super-moist banana muffin recipe topped with a "streusel" mix of toasted nuts and cinnamon. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Swiss Bircher Muesli Healthy overnight oats inspired by a hotel breakfast buffet in the Alps. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Manna Café Oatcakes (Oatmeal Pancakes) Famous pancakes from a much-missed restaurant. (PIN This)

Cranberry Cravings: My Love

• THE RECIPE Cranberry Champagne Cocktail Festive and flexible, just three ingredients. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Bourbon-Apple Cider Cocktail A simple, straight-forward seasonal cocktail, just three ingredients. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Fresh Cranberry Bars A chewy almost-blondie molasses and spice bar with bursts of juicy cranberry, topped with a scattering of sugar "snow".
• ANOTHER TAKE Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies Cookie bites bright with fresh cranberry, sweet orange and toasty pecans.

• THE RECIPE Fresh Cranberry Cake Best made a day ahead.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cranberry Pudding English-style pudding cake with butter sauce. (PIN This)

• FLAVORS OF THE SEASON Cranberry Recipes from Kitchen Parade, sweet to savory, simple to sublime.
• & ANOTHER Pomegranate from Kitchen Parade, sweet to savory, simple to sublime.

Gingerbread Greats

• THE RECIPE Cut-Out Spice Cookies My all-time year-round favorite cut-out cookie dough recipe. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies Chocolate-y ginger-y cookies that take hold and grab. (PIN This)

• THE HOLIDAY RIFF Gingerbread Snickerdoodle Bars All dressed up for Christmas with spices, fresh ginger, molasses. (PIN This)
• THE ORIGINAL Snickerdoodle Bars Snickerdoodle flavors with the firm, chewy texture of blondies.

• THE RECIPE Gingerbread Pudding Cake Layers of cake and pudding. It's magic!
• ANOTHER TAKE Gingerbread Muffins Low-fat and low-calorie molasses-y muffins with a moist and delicate crumb.

• FLAVORS OF THE SEASON Gingerbread Recipes Cookies, muffins, desserts and more.
• Eggnog

Homemade Holiday Conversation Starters

When does Christmas "start" for you? Is there a special event, a particular moment that every year, it just feels like, okay, Christmas is here? When does the Christmas spirit strike?

I'd love to know how this goes for you ... please do share! ♥

But as I ask (and I really do want to know!), I realize that this question is certainly in a pack of "holiday conversation starters" I've built up over the years. I cut up the front of last year's prettiest Christmas cards and then write open-ended questions on the backsides and keep them handy! The stack of questions is nice even for the two of us but also for groups: for years, conversation starters were an annual tradition at my cookie swap brunch!

Compliments!

Please know, YOU really matter here. Your comments and email (my current address is in the FAQs) encourage and inspire and motivate and some times make me laugh out loud or turn a little teary. It's a good day when I can "see" what you're cooking, "hear" how a recipe worked out, "know" what you're loving.

• LEFTOVER LOBSTER?! "I came upon this after a big lobster Thanksgiving feast and it was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten! Perfect way to use my freezer full of this summer's zoodles, plus a tablespoon of Costco's basil pesto. Yummmmm."
• THE RECIPE Garlicky Zucchini Noodles with Leftover Lobster The I would totally buy lobster just to make this again. lobster recipe.

Let There Be Light, Finnish Style

During December and January, a candle sits on my desk while I work, flickering in the quiet of my keytaps.

It's an old habit, one learned the year I lived in Finland, where as the winter solstice approaches, sunrise is at 9:30, sunset at 3:15 and the sun hangs so low that even daylight is more a foggy cast than illumination.

The antidote? Candles everywhere, even on the desks of students studying after school and evenings.

With so many of us working from home and extra-aware of the shortening days, perhaps your desk, your day, could use a candle too ...

December: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Apple Yogurt Salad Perfect for holiday & winter brunches. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Fruit Salad Colorful fruit salad when fresh fruit is unavailable. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Fast Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts Glazed with garlicky butter. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Bodacious Brussels Sprouts Prep ahead of time, then finish just before serving.

Random Christmas-y Ideas ...

Who Knew ...

... that Christmas is powered by ... AA batteries?! I bought a 48-pack early in the week, thinking, "Oh well. They keep." After putting up Christmas? Only a handful remain.

Oh and the pricey LED outdoor lights we invested in last year? Half had to be replaced.

Still ... sparkly lights and pretty ribbons, I do love 'em!'

Best Christmas Advice from a Kid

Years back when he was maybe eight or nine, my husband's Chicago grandson clued us in: the more ribbons the better! Maybe we "receive" with our eyes? Especially when gifts rest beneath the tree for a few weeks or days ...

So every year in tribute, I fixate on layers of color, especially for the Littles in the family. (But I'm thinking the young teens won't mind so much either ...) Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, just ribbon this way and that plus a bow or two.

That Said ...

Did you notice that ribbons bring joy on both sides? But these next few weeks are so jam-packed with December-ish expectations and responsibilities on top of January-December real life. So Emily Henderson's On Preventing (Or Preparing Or Coping) With “Overwhelm” During The Holidays (And A Letter To The Universe On Behalf Of Women) really hit home.

So did a post from Cup of Jo where women nix-nayed anyone's idea of women being responsible for all the family gift-buying. "I do my family. He does his." was the overwhelming sentiment. I'm happy to pitch ideas and even pick up odd things that strike me but hey, go for it. And the same goes for gift wrapping ...

December: Trending

• THE RECIPE Homemade Chili with Dried Beans For a slow cooker or slow-cooking in the oven. No canned beans! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage Brown the meat, dump and go. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Reuben Casserole Just five ingredients, wonderful homemade Thousand Island dressing. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Hamburger Casserole Weeknight comfort food lightened up.

Christmas-y Music for the Kitchen

On the Ten-Things-Even-My-Good-Friends-Don't-Know list, right there in the middle is that over the years, I've built a huge collection of Christmas music and every year, look forward to switching to Christmas music throughout December.

And hey, did you hear this story on NPR? How what we know as Carol of the Bells was written 100 years ago by a Ukrainian composer? I'll never hear it again without remembering the courage and tenacity of the Ukrainian people whose country is being ravaged by a ... well, you know.

Anyway, here are a few favorites from my collection, not your usual fare, I think. Hearing these for the first time each year, it's like reconnecting with old friend. Please note, all these selections are affiliate links, here's My Disclosure Promise.

And hey, any recommendations? My "buy now" finger is primed ...

• Christmas With The Puppini Sisters, this is such a fun, spirited side to Christmas.
• Everything You Want for Christmas from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, again, pure fun, pure energy.
• Spirit of Christmas by Ray Charles, this one's more traditional but oh jeez, Ray Charles ...

December: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• THE RECIPE Cranberry Salsa An explosion of flavors with a Christmas vibe.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cranberry Chutney A holiday tradition, fresh cranberries plus dried fruit, nuts and wintry spices.

• THE RECIPE Hot Corn Dip A super-fast, super-easy hot appetizer.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip A "light" spinach dip with 2x the spinach and artichokes, half the sour cream. Still rich and delicious!

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• December 13th (Friday) - Santa Lucia Day
• December 21st (Saturday) - Winter Solstice (Official First Day of Winter)
• December 23rd (Monday) - Christmas Adam (Adam & ... get it?!)
• December 24th (Tuesday) - Christmas Eve
• December 25th (Wednesday) - Christmas Day
• December 25th - Jan 2nd - Hannukah
• December 26th (Thursday) - Boxing Day
• December 26th - 31st - Kwanzaa
• December 31st (Tuesday) - New Year's Eve

• A COLLECTION OF MANY YEARS My Christmas Recipes Christmas baking, food gifts, special stuff for kids, Christmas meals and more.
• ALL THINGS SWEET Holiday Baking Cookies, bars, quick breads, cakes, candies and more.

• THE COLLECTION New Year's Recipes Bringing the year to a close in style.

Looking Back ...

• 2019 Mid December (Week 50)
• 2020 Gearing Up for the Holidays (Week 50)
• 2022 Crazy for Cranberries (Week 50)
• 2023 A Toast to Cranberries (Week 50)

RECENT WEEKS
• Let's Bake for a Cookie Swap (Week 49) (PIN This)
• Simple Thanksgiving Sides (Week 48) (PIN This)
• Unexpected Thanksgiving Desserts (Week 47) (PIN This)
• Substantial Soups (Week 46) (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for December

• DECEMBER's COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for December, tons of ideas!
• LOOKING AHEAD Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for January, back to healthy eating

• BUT DON'T MISS THIS Festive Celery, Cauliflower and Apple Salad Freshness and crunch extra appreciated during holidays laden with rich foods
• AND THIS Simple Dandelion Salad "This year, let's give salads with abandon."

Good to Know!

• THE TRADITION A Birthday Cake for Jesus: A Story My sister's gentle way of keeping the spirit of Christmas. (PIN This)
• AND ANOTHER How to Plant Lenten Grass (Easter Grass) An old Finnish tradition, good to mark the season of Lent with children. (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• December 8th — National Chocolate Brownie Day (Vanilla Brownies)
• December 8th — National Pastry Day (How to Make Flaky Tender Pie Crust)
• December 13th — National Ice Cream Day (Ice Cream recipes)
• December 13th — National Cocoa Day (Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix)

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

As I write, our nearby grand-niece and her husband are 90 minutes into a "fancy" party in their home for the associates in his medical practice, a caterer, a bartender, rented tables and more.

And yet, she did so much herself, the flowers (red and white roses with greenery in vases tied with plaid ribbon, all the flowers from Trader Joe's); the charcuterie board (cheeses and a few meats with grapes and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, again, Trader Joe's); the housemade cocktails, old-fashioneds and dark and stormies plus eggnog.

But her mom and I pitched in with organization and setup and ... baking! Between the two of us, we baked a good dozen cookies/sweet treats, all bite-size, for a dozen colorful platters spread across the house.

Here are a few of my contributions! My favorite, this time around, were the Fat Rascals! PS And two recipes, fingers crossed, her mom is willing to share!

• THE RECIPE Fat Rascals Simple English butter cookies spiced with cinnamon and studded with small currants.
• ANOTHER TAKE No-Chill Cutout Sugar Cookies Just mix and roll, no need to wait. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Gourmet Chocolate Mocha Cookies Deeply, darkly chocolate-y.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies Chocolate-y ginger-y cookies that take hold and grab. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE No-Roll Christmas Sugar Cookies Quick and easy, chewy and buttery, colorful and festive. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Colored Roll-Out Sugar Cookies (Christmas Stars) Pretty and easy-to-work-with roll-out sugar cookie dough. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Family Shortbread All the family tips and tricks to make simple, ethereal English shortbread.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chocolate Shortbread Cookies A simple chocolate cookie, tender and crisp, barely sweet. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Frosty Christmas Trees Gingerbread spices with a touch of chocolate, easy to handle.
• ANOTHER TAKE Big Fat Chewy Molasses Cookies Mix & bake in one hour! (PIN This)

Something to Read

I slowly meandered my way through the last of the five Olive Kittridge books this week, listening, absorbing, connecting, contemplating, challenging, caring.

These books are out of the ordinary in current fiction. Their characters are older, old even, elderly even. Nothing much happens except the moments, momentous and mundane, which fill their (our) lives. And that's the point of it all ...

Might I go back to the beginning? Perhaps, perhaps.

• THE BOOK Tell Me Everything (affiliate link) by Elizabeth Strout


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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