Holiday Treats

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I can't believe it is already over, I feel like I was just decorating our home for the Holidays and now it's time to take it all down. 

Around the Holidays, I find myself always in the kitchen preparing (or helping prepare) the next meal. This Christmas was no exception! A few of my favorites from the past few days:

Bourbon Mini Hot Dogs:

1 package of Mini/Cocktail Hot Dogs 

1/2 cup of Ketchup

1/2 cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 cup of Bourbon Whiskey

In a large pot, combine the package of Hot Dogs, Ketchup, Brown Sugar and Bourbon. Stir and let simmer on low heat for 6 hours. Serve in a small bowl with toothpicks.    

Taco Soup:

A sweet friend of mine cooked dinner for us a few months ago and this soup was the main course. Since then we have had it many times including the day after Christmas - It was perfect for the cold, rainy day!

1 lb of ground beef

1 can of Pinto Beans

1 can of Black Beans

1 can of Whole Kernel Corn

1 can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes

1 Tomato, diced

1 Yellow Onion, diced

1 bunch of Scallion Onions, diced

1 packet of Taco Seasoning

1 packet of Dry Ranch Dressing Mix 

1 cup of Water

1. Begin by browning the beef on medium to high heat.

2. While cooking the beef, combine the can of Pinto Beans, the can of Black Beans, the can of Whole Kernel Corn, and the can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes into the crockpot. Do not drain any of the juices.

3. Finely Chop the yellow Onion and Tomato then add it to the crockpot.

4. Once the beef is fully cooked, drain the fat from the beef and add it to the crockpot. 

5. Add the packet of Taco Seasoning, the packet of Ranch Dressing Mix and 1 cup of water to the crockpot. Mix everything together and cook on Medium Heat for 2-3 hours.   

5. When you are ready to serve, add sour cream, grated sharp cheddar cheese and scallion onions on top and ENJOY! 

My Mom's Famous Dill Dip:

This is a must-have on any menu when we are having Guests over at my Mom's house. Everyone always raves about it!

1 cup of Mayonnaise

1 cup of Sour Cream

1 minced Garlic Glove

1.5 tablespoons of Dill Weed

1 tablespoon of minced Parsley

1 tablespoon of Nature's Seasoning 

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and place it in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours before serving. Serve with crackers and/or sliced vegetables (carrots, cucumbers and celery are a few of my favorite veggies to serve with the dip).

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake:

My Sister-In-Law (Miss Dixie) made this Coffee Cake on Christmas morning and it was so yummy! I hope you enjoy it as much as our family did.  

2 packages of Crescent Rolls

2 8-ounce packages of Cream Cheese

1 cup of Sugar

1 Egg White

1 Egg 

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Glaze:

1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar

2 tablespoons of Milk

1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. 

2. While the oven is pre-heating, spread one tube of Crescent Rolls in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Make sure to pinch the openings together.

3. In a large bowl, mix and beat the Cream Cheese, Sugar, Vanilla and Egg together until smooth.

4. Spread this mixture over the Crescent Rolls evenly then lay the second tube of Crescent Rolls on top of the Cheese Mixture and brush with the Egg White

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool for approximately 20 minutes and then spread the glaze over the top.  

6. While it is baking, mix the Powdered Sugar, Milk and Vanilla Extract together to create the glaze.

This sums it up perfectly! :)