The Holidays in the Kitchen by Bendis

I grew up in a home where most of the family activity happened in the kitchen. Such is the way when both parents love to cook. About the only two things we truly ever did together as family was cook and travel together. By travel I mean cross country kind of travel. Growing up in the military was the reason for many trips across this land of ours as well as those overseas. I can't say that the travel was all that enjoyable other than that they always seemed to have a great sense of adventure about them. They were, however, long and tedious and my brother and I fought a lot as children do when cram­ped for space and feeling bored.

So memories of that family togetherness are not evoked with the same emotion as those of being in the kitchen with my Mother and Father. Back in those days, the pay in the military wasn't all that great but I would be willing to bet that my Mother spent as much on food way back then as I did on my family when they were growing up. We ate well. Nothing ever came out of a package. My Mother did use frozen vegetables when fresh were not available but that was her only concession. Her belief system was that good health was a direct result of plenty of rest, lots of sunshine, and healthy food to eat. And in looking back, I would say she was "right on."

As a result of so much time spent in this wonderful kitchen - all of us cooking, my memories of the Holidays center around food. So I thought it would be appropriate for a sharing here of the food I remember having during the holiday season. There was of course a lot of other food - turkey, ham, the best stuffing in the world, cranberry relish and yummy Jello salads, and of course the potato soup!

Jolly Cheese Nips

1 cup shredded cheese, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened, 1/2 cup sifted flour 1/8 tsp. salt, paprika.

Combine cheese, butter, flour and salt and blend well. Pinch off about 1 tsp. dough and roll into balls. Arrange balls on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Cool and freeze. Reheat at 325 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. (Also great with cayenne pepper added to the dough!)

Crab Meat Spread

2 cans white crab meat, mayonnaise to fully coat, one half medium onion finely chopped, Tabasco to taste, Cracked pepper, salt to taste

Mix together, chill in refrigerator. Serve with crackers.

Cheese Balls 2 packages cream cheese, 1 8 oz package of cheddar cheese shredded, 1 pack blue cheese, dash of Tabasco, finely chopped pecans.

Soften cream cheese. Mix all ingredients. Form into balls and roll in pecans. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate. Serve with crackers.

Gingerbread

Cream together: 2/3 cup molasses, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3/4 tsp. salt, 3 tsp. ginger,

Stir together: 2 cups flour, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp baking soda.

Mix molasses mixture to flour mixture alternately blending into creamy mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until tooth pick comes out clean.

Danish Kleiner 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 4 tbsp. cream, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp. baking powder, 3 to 4 cups flour, 4 tsp. cardamom.

Beat eggs and sugar, add cream, melted butter and stir in enough flour to make batter stiff enough to roll out like cookies. Cut in diamond shape, make slit in center and pull one end through the slit. Cook in deep fat until light brown. Best ­to cook only 6 to 8 at a time, turn with a fork. Place on brown paper to cool when done. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Yorkshire Pudding 1 pint milk, 4 eggs separated, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2 cups flour.

Sift dry ingredients together. Mix milk and egg yolk to dry stuff. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into other ingredients. Pour all into a pan in which 3 TBS. of meat fat have been placed.

Bake at 400 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Serve with roast beef and brown gravy.

Enjoy!!

Love, Bendis