"Magic" Kale

My new favorite recipe, garlic kale salad.  I fell in love with it last year when I tasted it at Wh*ole Foods.  So I finally worked out a ratio of ingredients that seems to replicate their taste pretty closely.  It's so very nice of them to list all of the ingredients on the label when you buy it there!  Since we get at least 2 bunches of kale a week from the CSA, it is helpful to have a few recipes people love, and this one has been a hit.  I made it last week for a picnic evening at our local vineyard (yes, even in the south we have a few vineyards and local winemakers!), then again over the weekend for a potluck karaoke evening.  It was at that event one of the guys asked if the dish was "that magic kale."  Made me grin; a bunch of meat and potatoes kind of guys who discovered kale can taste pretty good!

Garlic Kale Salad

Recipes

I am slowly trying to pull all of my recipes into one place, so they are easy to locate.  There is now a page in the header that links to a list of recipes organized by the liturgical year.  For now, the only season that is nearly complete is the Lenten season, but as I have time, I will continue to add to it to create a list of our family favorites for each fasting and feasting season of the church.  As always, I love to get ideas for new family favorites, so if you have a link for a great recipe, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Payoff for a Hard Summer's Work in the Kitchen

Bean Catsup.  Or rather, more properly, "Mawmaw's Bean Catsup."  A recipe a good friend shared with me last summer, one that has been around in her family for generations.  Little did I know when they sent over a jar last year for us to try that I would be introduced to the greatest Lenten condiment ever!  Once I realized just what a gem this recipe was, I stocked the pantry.  Seriously, as in 20 jars.  Enough to get us through the Fast, with leftovers to share with friends.  Now, I realize the timing of this post is terrible.  And I strongly urge you not to attempt to can any tomatoes that are currently on the market.  Ugghh, flavorless, colorless Frankensteins, grown in some greenhouse or hydroponic whatever, don't waste your time (more on that later).   But, should you be looking for a project for a hot summer afternoon, file this one away, and I promise, you and your kids will thank me (or rather, Mawmaw) next Lent.  We like to serve it over white beans or pinto beans, but I am sure there are many other ways to use it.  And while I consider this more of a relish than a ketchup, who am I to argue with generations of brilliance?  To quote Angie who passed this recipe along, "it's 'catsup', and that's how the old folks spelled it!"

Mawmaw's Bean Catsup

New Recipe for the Nativity Fast

Here is a soup we enjoyed this afternoon; perfect seasonal ingredients, warm and filling on a chilly fall day.  It has been adapted from a recipe included in the new Taste & See Cookbook.

Brazilian Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

3 c black beans, cooked (or 1 can)
6 c vegetable broth (or water)
1-2 chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, or use fresh pumkin puree
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 t cumin (or more to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon, and zest
chives or scallions, thinly sliced - as garnish if desired

Since it was Tuesday, I sauteed the onion and garlic in oil first, but the recipe calls to just dump it all in a pot, so on a strict fasting day, just skip the saute!  When the onions softened, I added the tomatoes, broth, beans, pumpkin and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and let it simmer until the flavors are nicely mixed (we were in a hurry, so I served it pretty quickly, am curious to see how it tastes after sitting a while.)  The pumpkin gave the broth a sweet flavor which the kids enjoyed.  It was a mild tasting soup, and I think if you like a bit of a kick, you could add more cumin, or perhaps curry or garam masala for a different twist.  The recipe also says you can puree part or all of the soup.  I skipped that as well for time purposes, but will puree a portion of it next time.  This was so easy, as I had leftover black beans from yesterday, and have lots of pumpkin around here right now.  I am thinking this would also work really well with butternut squash in place of the pumpkin, and I have a dozen of those waiting around to be stored!  I think this recipe will have to go into my Nativity Fast rotation for sure.

Paletas!

 Mmmm, blackberries are in season - and I have the perfect use for them!

My long awaited Paletas cookbook arrived last month, and I found the perfect pop to make.

Boil 1 lemon peel, 1/2 c water and 1/2 c sugar until all sugar is dissolved.  Cool and strain.  Blend cooled syrup with 1 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt and 2 T honey or agave nectar (I prefer the agave).  Fill molds half way and freeze for 30 minutes.  Slice berries in half and drop into molds, using a stick to push them into the yogurt mixture.  Top with remaining mixture and freeze overnight. 

Dreamy.

A Story and a Give-away

Let me share with you a story.  A story about a tea cup and a church.  A year or so ago, a small mission church was looking for a permanent home.  This mission has a special place in my heart because my husband and I were there when a small group of people started saying prayers together, hoping that God would help establish an Orthodox church in that area.  While we were not around to be a part of the fruition of this mission, they are always in my heart.  This mission got its name in a most un-orthodox manner.  After several months of meetings, several saints were put to the group along with a careful look at the lives of these men and women.  When no agreement could be made, my husband suggested that each of the names be scrawled on a piece of paper and placed in a hat.  A child was selected to reach in and draw a name.  From that drawing, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr was embraced.  It seemed so random.  And it certainly didn't follow protocol.  Fortunately, after His Grace Metropolitan Philip heard the Akathist to Elizabeth prayed, a blessing was given, and somehow this little group got to name their own church!  They found a commercial building and began to grow their little community.  Soon, a priest was found, one who had a deep heart for Russia, so it only seemed natural that he would serve at St. Elizabeth.   Quickly they outgrew their little space and began the search for a more permanent home.  A year ago a piece of property was considered.  About the same time another priest dear to my heart contacted the parish to say he had found an authentic tea cup belonging to St. Elizabeth through an antiques dealer and his church wished to gift it to the mission.  The tea cup which had travelled half way around the world now was driven across the state to be delivered to Fr. John, who at the time just happened to be standing on that little piece of property they wished to buy. 

The tea cup was handed over on that land.  Unfortunately the price of the land was too high, and the search continued.  A year passed, and the parish continued to grow.  Then a call came, from the property owners of that bit of land.  They had heard through mutual contacts that a church was interested in the property, and offered the land at half the original asking price.  The land was purchased, but it stands empty until the funds can be raised to build a temple.  The ladies of St. Elizabeth, many of whom were the original coordinators of the first Taste and See Cookbook, have now created a second cookbook with the goal of raising money to build that temple.  The cookbook is full of all new recipes and will make a great addition to any Orthodox home.  The cookbook includes a large number of gluten-free recipes, all clearly marked! 

To help support St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church in their journey to build a temple on this property blessed by St. Elizabeth herself, I am giving away one copy of the cookbook. Leave a comment to be entered to win, and then if you don't - go buy a copy!

Winner will be announced on July 10th 



Buttermilk (Ranch) Dressing

Start with a couple of cloves fresh garlic -I like a lot of garlic, but if you are a bit shy in this area, you can start with just one.  Smash the garlic by pounding your fist against the flat blade of the knife (yeah, that's how real chefs do it, no garlic press needed!).  Sprinkle the garlic with some sea salt - the sea salt has a nice big grain which helps.  Using the flat of the knife and the palm of your hand, mash the garlic and salt until it forms a paste.  It takes a few minutes.  Have patience.  Enjoy the smell.  Do NOT be tempted to resort to chopping the garlic at this point - it will wreak havoc on a knife blade with all that salt.  When you have a good paste, transfer the garlic to a bowl.  Spoon in equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream and stir to combine.

Now, slowly whisk buttermilk into the mixture until you reach your desired consistency.  Do a taste test to determine if you want more sour cream - I usually do.  Grind some pepper and add more salt if needed.  Now, you can stop here, or you can finish it off with some chopped herbs - preferrably a nice helping of dill and maybe some parsley as well?

Stored in a jar in the frig, it will keep for a couple of weeks. 

Another use for all those greens....

For me, a really good salad needs several key elements.  First, really great greens.  Swiss chard, spinach and boston leaf are at the top of my list - but really I am happy with anything but iceberg (which is the equivalent of eating crunchy water :)  Second, fruit.  Take your pick, strawberries, raspberries, apple, pear, the always popular tomato - I do draw the line at mandarin oranges though - because any fruit that has lived in a can just makes me sad.  Third, a nut.  Now I realize some of you can't indulge here, and I am sorry, but for me a salad needs a nut - my top pick is usually almonds, today I went with pecans.  Fourth element - the cheese.  Here is where a salad really can go over the top.  My pick - goat or blue cheese, but I also love chunks of swiss cheese, or freshly shredded parmesan.  Final element - really good salad dressing.  If you want inspiration for a great easy one - stop over at Pleasantview Schoolhouse for her take on salad and a nice vinagrette.  Today I went for ranch - homemade and absolutely full of garlic deliciousness and a bit of fresh dill to top it off.   Tomorrow I'll post my favorite ranch dressing recipe, and if you have any good dressing recipes to share, do tell!

Seasonal Cooking, or what do I do with all these greens?

If you shop seasonally, locally or belong to a CSA, chances are this time of year you are getting lots of greens - swiss chard, lettuce, kale.  Thought I would share a few of my favorite ways to serve these greens.  My top pick, boil a pot of pasta (here I used fettuccine) with a bit of salt.  Rough chop swiss chard.  Heat a saute pan with a little bit of olive oil, then throw the chard in with a clove of minced garlic.  You want it to sizzle good, but not burn.  It only needs to cook a few minutes, just enough to heat the greens through.  Since I had fresh broccoli, I threw a bit of that in as well.  Throw your drained (not rinsed) pasta in a bowl, add the chard then top it off with some grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts (get these in bulk and store in the freezer to save money and always have some on hand).  A little freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt and you are good to go!    I make this for lunch often in the spring, and it can be served as a side dish with or without the pasta.  Next week I will share another few of my favorites.

Smoothie Alternative

In trying to create healthy, satisfying meals that conform to the guidelines of fasting, I am always open to new ideas.  Last year we added a lot of smoothies to our breakfast meal - packed with fruit and a bit of flax seed, they offered some variety for the kids amidst the daily oatmeal and bagels with peanut butter during Lent.  My one complaint - I don't have a good blender, and making fruit smoothies for 6 people in a mini-food processor took far too long in the morning!  So, that brings me to a new idea.  My kids love paletas.  We are fortunate to have a wonderful little shop in our area that makes them.  So, the other day as I was trying to get some inspiration for the coming Nativity Fast, I remembered Jen's post on popsicle molds - well, thank goodness for Amazon, 2 days later I am sitting at home with our mold of choice and a book of "pop" recipes - and while I still haven't managed to discover the perfect combination of ingredients to recreate our local paleta shop's amazing avocado paleta - I'm working on it!  Really though, any smoothie recipe you have can be made up and frozen into pops.  I have been making them while I am in the kitchen cooking dinner - pop 'em in the freezer and you are good to go!  I am thinking I might need to order a second mold, if I make 20 popsicles at once, I could only have to make them once every few weeks.

The popsicles pictured are my versions of avocado, and strawberry banana - a favorite of the kids.  Not pictured, the mango margarita pops - I ate all of them :)

Mango Margarita Pop (okay, so not all of my recipes are aimed at the fast, some are just plain fun!)
margarita mix with tequila added
sliced frozen mango
splash of orange juice

Combine the liquids and add to the mold, then drop a few slices of mango in before freezing.  These have to be eaten quickly, as the alcohol causes them to melt quickly.  You can also soak the mango in tequila instead of adding it to the mix, which would give a longer lasting popsicle, but I was trying to use up some leftover margaritas from having friends over.

Avocado Cream Pop:
vanilla yogurt
1 avocado
splash of milk or whipping cream

Process avocado until smooth, add yogurt and milk or cream.  The best way to determine amounts here is to taste test often!

Banana Strawberry Pop:
1 frozen banana
2 c frozen strawberries
1 t ground flax seed

I let the fruits thaw just a bit, then cut and place in processor, processing til smooth.  No sugar needed!

Recipes

Okay, here are a few of the recipes I have ready to link.  In the comments it was mentioned that some husbands would not put up with such a meal plan (my dad is one of them :).  As I said, it's not for everyone.  I have always planned our meals a week or two in advance, and used to plan them monthly.  That worked well for a long time.  As children and homeschooling slowly consumed more of my days, I began to look for ways to eliminate daily decisions.  I think it is Fly Lady that often talks about how the most exhausting thing we do in the day is make decision after decision.  My menu plans have removed a lot of decisons.  I also tend to cook multiples of certain dishes to freeze.  Pot pie is a great example of that.  I can make 3 pot pies just as easily as one, so the other 2 go in the freezer and are used as meals for new mom's or those in need, or babysitter meals.  My kids have learned that having a babysitter means getting chicken pot pie for dinner.  Since it is one of their 3 favorite meals - it works great for everyone!   As for the getting tired of the same thing, that does happen during a fast, but I am not sure variety would help that, there are only so many dishes you can make during Lent!  When not fasting, the key to success in my house is several things.  First, my husband misses several dinners a week due to his work schedule, and only has breakfast and lunch with us when he has a day off.    Second, on days where I specify a meat, I have several recipes for that particular meat, so at a minimum it is 2 weeks before a dinner is repeated, and often times it is more like 3 or 4.  We eat venison a lot since I live with two hunters, and my husband's hunting philosophy is that you don't kill just for fun, what is killed should be consumed.  So, I have a number of ways I cook venison, and I like to pick dishes that are seasonal (venison stew is a great winter dish!)   A decade ago, I would have thought it was crazy, and a decade from now I am sure I will be doing something different, but for this season of my life, it works.

Cheesecake pancakes

pasta carbonara

homemade tomato soup

butternut squash apple soup

chicken pot pie

Happy New Year (a little late :)

Yes, I know, September has come and gone, and the start of the new year is a good 6 weeks past, but I guess better late than never!  After the Dormition fast, I did not get a new menu created for several weeks, and it showed.  I felt incredibly disorganized, and found myself making extra trips to the store because I had not planned well.  So, I took some time a few weeks ago to create a plan for this wonderful time of year - we get to enjoy the peak of the summer tomato harvest as August winds down, the leaves begin to fall, figs are in season :), and the weather around here is finally cooling off.  And - no major fasting until November!  So, here is a link to what our meal plan for this time looks like, and while I know I did not do a good job of following through with my Dormition Meal recipe promise, I have already typed out most of the recipes from this plan, so at least a good number of them should actually make the blog this time!  I realize that making a plan this specific is not for everyone, and I assure you there are times when the plans get tossed temporarily, as we shift around life and what is happening in our home, but I have found it to be a great guide for me.  If the creative mood strikes, I go with it.  If not, I always know the decision has been made and I don't have to panic cook (or shop!)

Download New Year Menu

The Dormition Fast

I have really enjoyed cooking in the past few weeks, with so many garden vegetables pouring in, and a brief break from the fasts, but it is time to look again to another fasting season, the Dormition.  Thankfully, a two week fast seems like nothing after this year's extended Apostles Fast, but each fast comes with its challenges.  One of them this year, our chickens decided to start laying eggs this week :)  Here's to hoping we have some non-Orthodox friends interested in farm fresh eggs for the next two weeks!  Also, I will be spending the first week and a half of the fast attending an intensive training for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, so with 8 hours of training each day and a service nearly every night - cooking time will be short.
Here is a peek at our menu for this season, with recipes to follow.  A word of warning, a few of these recipes I am trying for the first time, so I make no promises on how some of them taste!  I tried to find a few new recipes that would make the most of our overabundance of corn (over 250 ears harvested so far this year :), squash (12 squash casseroles currently sit in the freezer :) and tomatoes (still trying to get those canned)!

Dormition Fast Menu

I love it when a meal comes together ....

Yes, I am a child of the 80's. And while the hairdo's stunk, the fashion was atrocious, and the music banned by my father, at least there was some good television! And I have to admit, I always feel a bit like a cross between Hannibal and MacGyver (my other 80's hero, dreamy :) when I pull off a great "throw it together meal." You know what I am talking about, when 5:00pm rolls around, you don't have any real plans (which I rarely have on Sunday, since I don't do a lot of cooking on Sundays!), and you start staring at the leftovers. So, tonight was one of those great nights. I pulled out one of my new favorite cookbooks, and with a bit of tweaking to fit what happened to be in my frig at the time, we had a really good dish in 45 minutes.

First, and most important in my book, for a really successful meal prep, start with a good glass of wine. Every cook deserves a good glass of red wine to get those creative juices flowing! A recipe helps, but honestly, I didn't follow the recipe at all, just the concept. Shepherd's pie, a nice hearty dish - perfect for a family who spent the afternoon putting in the garden.

First, preheat the oven to broil. Then, pull out some left over meat. I had two small venison fillets sitting thawed in the refrigerator, leftover from last nights meal. Anything will do - the recipe calls for ground beef, but stew meat, or even chicken would suffice. Right now I am doing anything I can to cook the overstock of venison in my freezer - funny how hunting season lands during the two great fasts of the church. Result - by April I have 2-3 deer's worth of meat waiting to be cooked! So, cut that meat up, and throw it in a pan with a bit of oil.

Saute the meat 'till it is cooked through (don't overcook, especially with venison or it will get tough). I added a bit of Worcestershire as it was cooking, and a bit of salt and pepper. Then, I threw on some onions - already chopped up, again, left over from an earlier meal.

Next, a few veggies - I had peas and carrots left over from dinner last week, and threw in a few frozen ones to add some corn in the mix. Raw veggies would be fine too - I had 3 carrots raw I chopped and steamed in the microwave for 1 minute to soften them.

Oh, forgot to mention - before you mess with any meat, put on a nice pot of potatoes to boil - everyone has potatoes in the kitchen, right? Peel, chop, boil with plenty of salt (you can use instant, if you prefer). When the potatoes are soft (mine only took 15-20 minutes because I chopped them before cooking), drain, add a nice dollop of butter and sour cream if you have it. A dash of salt and pepper, then mash. Now, back to the meat. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and place in a casserole dish. Now, add some broth to the drippings left in the pan. The recipe calls for beef broth, but I almost never have that! I had a bit of chicken broth leftover, so I threw that in. Water and bullion cubes, or vegetable broth would work too. Add some flour (a few tablespoons) another dash of Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and stir until you have a nice thick gravy. Be sure to cook for 2-3 minutes to get rid of the flour taste. When the consistency is good, and the taste seems right, dump the gravy into the casserole dish, along with the vegetables. Give it all a good stir, then top with the mashed potatoes. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes, just to brown the top a bit. While you wait, be sure you finish off that glass of wine (if you haven't already :). Pull it out, and serve it up! The only thing I served with it was some bread. The kids cleaned their plates, and this was all that was left to photograph when we finished the meal.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Recipe Correction

For those of you who downloaded the "lemony shrimp scampi," sorry!!! I accidentally uploaded the non-fasting version which includes butter and oil. The recipe has now been updated to follow the strict fast, and I assure you, it still tastes great (just finishing up a plate now!)

Recipes

I know I promised recipes, I had no idea how hard that promise was going to be to keep (guess I need to remind myself of that sidebar BWO!:) The following are recipes that we use on a regular basis, and are scheduled within my Lenten menu. I have not included every recipe, such as a recipe for lentils and rice. Some are my own, some are from fellow bloggers and other resources. I have tried to give credit to each. As to the organization, I have a 3 ring fasting binder. The first page of that binder contains my menu, followed by a set of tabs labelled with the days of the week. I file the recipes for each day behind the appropriate tab, and store extra recipes in the back. When the season changes, the recipes will go back into my Triodion binder for the next year. So, here are the recipes, please let me know if you find any typos, or you know the source for a recipe I have failed to credit.

vegetable chili

foccacia

potato soup

vegetarian soup stock

kale & white bean soup

tomato salad

lentil burgers

chimichangas/burritos

taco salad

artichoke pasta

shrimp and rice

lemony shrimp scampi

basic vegetable soup

Spanish wheat berry salad

Lenten pumpkin pancakes

Lenten pancakes

spring rolls

falafel

Most of these recipes are kid friendly, though a few are just for me for lunch some days :) And of course, there is always a lot of peanut butter and hummus served around here.

Theophany and the Winter Menu

okay, I admit, I actually counted the number of non-fasting days between now and the start of Lent. 35. Thirty-five days to fit in all the family favorites my kids have been clamoring for me to cook. I like to have a fairly fixed menu during fasts, but in other seasons, I prefer to keep my meal planning a little more flexible. That said, I hate to have a lot of meat sitting around as Lent approaches, or spend a lot of time coming up with dinner ideas. So, last week I did a brainstorm session and created a list of favorite dishes (and a few just plain easy ones :). I came up with a list of 20 meals. Then I took my recipes and created 2 grocery lists. One listed all the meat necessary for these dishes. The other had all of the non-perishables. After checking my freezer and pantry to mark off any items already here, I went to S*m's and got my meat, and hit the grocery store for the rest. I spent a few hours last week preparing the dishes that could be made ahead and frozen, which means I now have about 12 meals in the freezer (now that's a good feeling!). I can now take my menu planning a week at a time. I know the dishes I will serve over the next month and a half, but each week I will look at the calendar, take into account the things going on that week, and plan our meals. A much simpler grocery list can then be made, containing mostly perishable foods. There are a few other dishes I would like to add to this list - I still have way too many butternut squash in my kitchen, so I will probably add a few other dishes here and there, but for now, here is my list. Not all the recipes are linked yet, but will be added over the next week.

meatloaf
beef chimichangas
venison chili
baked ziti

honey apple pork chops
honey vanilla pork tenderloin
pork chops with apricot glaze

chicken pot pie
Annie’s Chicken Casserole
Chicken quesadillas
Schoolhouse Chicken Soup
BBQ Crock Pot Chicken

Pasta Carbonara
Pot Roast
Marinated Venison Steak
Beef Fajitas

Venison Stew
Honey Mustard Salmon
Fried Tilapia
Pasties

Nick Lodge's Bread Pudding

I began cake decorating when I was 8, when my best friend and I entered a school contest for a school spirit decorated cake. Our cake won, and that started it all. When I was 12 I decorated my brother's birthday cake, which led my mom to decide I should attend a Wilton Cake Decorating class. She went along just to make sure they took me seriously (I mean, I was 12 :). After that I began making cakes for friends and family (sold my first cake for $10 - a $5 profit :). Over the years I bought books and learned as many new techniques as I could. When I was 19 I made my first wedding cake, and began looking more seriously at improving my skills. I was published in American Cake Decorating Magazine several times (even made the cover of this issue), and worked with several caterers in my area providing cakes for weddings. I played around with gumpaste, but lacked the techniques and understanding of the medium to go much further. Then, when I was 23, my parents gave me the amazing birthday gift of a trip to the International Sugar Art School in Atlanta run by master decorator Nicholas Lodge. What an amazing time! I have since taken several classes under Nick, and while I don't do a lot of decorating these days, the experience was priceless. One of the wonderful things about class is the atmosphere. It is a fun, friendly space, and he is a wonderful teacher. Each day, the students look forward to what is advertised in the brochure as "a light lunch". His business partner Scott cooks while the students work, and the smells often carry over into the workroom. During my visits there I enjoyed some amazing food - and at the top of that list was a simple bread pudding recipe ("light lunch" huh :). He graciously shared the recipe with us, and while I have not made it very often, this year I decided to pull it out. My kids had bread pudding at Mt. Vernon in October and loved it, so I am thinking it would be a wonderful treat for Christmas week.

Nicholas Lodge Bread Pudding Recipe

Christmas Morning

After a bit of rest (one thing I give my kids credit for - they will usually sleep in until 8 after a late night liturgy!), time to begin the feasting again. We are blessed to have both sets of grandparents living in town, and we alternate each year where we spend Christmas day. When it is my mother's turn, we head to their house for eggs benedict - the traditional breakfast of Christmas morning since I was a baby :) This year it is the in laws turn, so we will be having a late lunch with them, which leaves breakfast in my hands. So, how do I begin Christmas morning? With a mimosa, of course :)

Followed by those wonderful soft boiled eggs and toast, and my personal favorite, bacon!

Finally, we will be serving cheesecake pancakes (another fabulous Cuisine at Home recipe!) which are a breakfast tradition in this house - served on non-fasting mornings when Daddy is off. The kids have been looking forward to these for weeks, because no matter how you slice it, a vegan pancake is still a vegan pancake!

Christmas Cooking

This week it is time to start planning for the feast of the Nativity. While the preparations are far less involved than those for Pascha, there are still menus to be planned, grocery lists to be written, and shopping to do. The Nativity liturgy in our church is celebrated at around 10pm, which means we usually arrive home after midnight. There are many special traditions we have that go along with this evening, starting with the arrival home. The kids go check the Nativity set, to see the arrival of baby Jesus. We then move to the tree, where they each open one present, a set of special Christmas pajamas (so mommy can enjoy color coordinated photos on Christmas morning :). Then after everyone has donned their new Christmas pajamas, we move to the kitchen. The table has been set, and the feasting begins. Over the years we have slowly found our favorite snacks (that mommy can make ahead and reheat easily :) for this breaking of the fast, and every year my kids look forward to the same special treats. So, here are the recipes that have made the cut over the years.

boiled custard - this recipe comes from my Dad's mother, and has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. My kids enjoy it served cold in a tea cup with a candy cane for dipping!
mmm, sausage puff pastry, quick to reheat, and so good!

cheesy phyllo triangles, again, pop in the oven for a few minutes and enjoy!

and the ultimate treat - one I only cook for Cheesefare, Pascha, Thanksgiving and Christmas -sweet cream cheese stuffed dessert crepes, served with homemade hot fudge and whipping cream

Stay tuned for the rest, Christmas morning breakfast!