The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Christmas Morning Casserole
Inside: Before you get to those cookies and eggnog, how about something substantial? Our Christmas Morning Casserole will give you energy for a strenuous day of tearing Christmas paper and singing Jingle Bells.
Christmas Morning Casserole
Before you get to those cookies and eggnog, how about something substantial? You know, for a strenuous day of tearing Christmas paper and singing multiple rounds of “Jingle Bells.” Or listening to Uncle Ed tell that story about the time he had to walk twelve miles to town in a blizzard when he ran out of gas because someone forgot to fill up the Dodge.
You’re going to need it, Friend. We’re talking sustenance. A stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast that will carry you through all the way to Christmas dinner.
Let me help you out with this recipe. Now, full disclosure here: I can’t take all the credit for this beauty of a casserole. In fact, I got it from a low carb forum years ago. The poster said she found it in one of those local cookbooks that are just full of gems from real home cooks. She gave credit to a librarian named Cindy, whose fellow librarians love it when she brings this dish to work. While I, too, liked it, I tweaked the amounts of some ingredients, increasing the cream cheese and veggie layer to make it richer. I also used fewer eggs, though, admittedly, eggs are the star in this recipe. And I added a final step in the baking process.
So here goes. Soldier on, my Christmas compadre. You can make it! (Both the recipe and the day.)
- 1 pound of pork sausage
- ½ cup of green bell pepper, diced,
- ½ cup of red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup of red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 - 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 9 large eggs
- 1 cup of sour cream
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9 x 13 pan.
- Brown sausage and set aside.
- Saute onions and peppers in butter until soft.
- Add cream cheese and mix until hot and easy to spread.
- Whisk together eggs, sour cream, and seasonings.
- Layer sausage in the pan.
- Spread cream cheese and veggies over the sausage.
- Next layer cheddar cheese, and pour the eggs and sour cream over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes if there's moisture on the top.
- Enjoy!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: The Write Gift
Inside: “I have to cut back on gifts this year,” my aunt Pat announced one Christmas when I was a teen. Her present to me? The write gift.
The Write Gift
“I have to cut back on gifts this year,” my aunt Pat announced one Christmas when I was barely into my teens.
Mom and her sisters and brother gathered every Christmas at Granny and Grandpa’s, families in tow, to celebrate the day with food, good conversation, and, of course, lots and lots of presents. Each family brought gifts for all the kids and adults, which made for no extra room under the tree. It was an expensive undertaking, to be sure, but no one wanted to resort to picking names out of a hat. That just didn’t fit Mom’s family. So when Pat, who was known for being a very direct person, made her announcement, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When the big day arrived, Pat mentioned she’d bought many of the gifts from a flea market, and, as it turned out, most of those purchases were books. I unwrapped mine to discover an old Writer’s Digest market guide. Another book accompanied this, I’m almost positive, yet I don’t remember what it was. My attention was strictly focused on the writer’s book.
The book itself was worn, and over a decade old (they come out with those yearly, you know), yet the pages inside its cover held something magical for me. Authors discussed their experiences writing. Magazine listings of what each publication was looking to buy, from short stories to articles to essays and fillers–and so much more–filled the edition! I started to dream of things I could write, places I could send my work. The thoughts raced through my mind faster than I could fully take them in. It was all so exciting, this world of authors and writing!
The strange part is, I never really talked about writing–with anyone. I’d have stories in my head, but I never mentioned it. I wasn’t even the bookish type. I loved stories, sure, but I indulged that passion by watching lots of television.
But I was good at writing. I’d often have my papers read in class, and I could write my way around an essay question to make it look like I knew the answer, even when I didn’t.
But all these things weren’t widely known about me. So how did my aunt Pat know?
Thinking back, I remember riding alone in the car with her once for twenty or so minutes between my house and hers. We talked about how we both loved fall, and she mentioned books she’d read and liked. Briefly the subject turned to writing, and she told me she liked to write, but I don’t recall what I said. I only remember how she treated me as though I was getting older, growing up, talking to me like an adult.
I’m not sure how Pat knew to buy me that gift. Maybe along that drive I admitted I liked writing, too. Or maybe she just had a hunch. But that book started me down a path. I began to dream of writing–and being a writer.
And that’s one gift I will never forget.
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Letters From Santa
Inside: For years children have been writing letters to Santa, but did you know about the letters from Santa?
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Tolkien’s Version of Letters from Santa
Of course you know about those letters to Santa, and maybe as a child you wrote a few to the Big Guy yourself. But did you know that, from time to time, Santa has actually written back? Yes, it’s true. With a little help from a couple of famous authors, that is.
J.R.R. Tolkien fans and Christmas lovers alike will be pleased at the centenary edition of his Letters from Father Christmas.
For those not in the know, Tolkien wrote an annual letter to his children from Father Christmas (aka Santa), starting in 1920 with his firstborn until the last letter in 1943 when his daughter had gotten older. These letters, stamped from the North Pole, contained tales of life there, from reindeer getting loose and scattering presents everywhere to Polar Bear falling through Father Christmas’s roof and wars with goblins living in caves underneath his home. Letters typically included Tolkien’s colored drawings and sketches to illustrate the adventures. Polar Bear and Ilbereth the Elf would sometimes add a note to Father C’s missives as well.
Letters from Father Christmas is a wonderful tribute to both the creative genius and loving father who was Tolkien. While I have yet to read this wonderful book, I am definitely adding it to my wish list!
A Writer Closer to Home
I couldn’t leave out a fellow Missourian, Mark Twain, a devoted dad in his own right. In December of 1875, following the letter three-year-old Susie Clemens wrote to Santa (with her mother Olivia’s help), Twain penned a tender and funny response from Santa, as only Twain could do. It begins:
My Dear Susie Clemens,
I have received and read all the letters which you and your little sister have written me by the hand of your mother and your nurses; I have also read those which you little people have written me with your own hands–for although you did not use any characters that are in grown peoples’ alphabet, you used the characters that all children in all lands on earth and in the twinkling stars use; and as all my subjects in the moon are children and use no character but that, you will easily understand that I can read your and your baby sister’s jagged and fantastic marks without any trouble at all. But I had trouble with those letters which you dictated through your mother and the nurses, for I am a foreigner and cannot read English writing well. (Read the rest of the letter here.)
Twain ends the letter with instructions to Susie and the other members of the household upon Santa’s visit to her house, including what George the butler must do. (George was supposedly in on many of Twain’s pranks.)
While a similar flavor to Tolkien’s letters, Twain’s “Letter from Santa Claus” makes for good Christmas reading as well. Who knows, maybe the act of writing to his daughter inspired Tolkien to do likewise with his children?
Note: You can find Twain’s “Letter from Santa Claus,” along with other stories in this audio book: 10 Christmas Stories: Classic Christmas Stories.
Happy Christmas reading!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Peppermint Mocha Pie
Inside: It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a quick, easy, festive, and thoroughly delicious recipe. Here’s our offering: Peppermint Mocha Pie.
Peppermint Mocha Pie
So we’re halfway through the yearly marathon of Christmas posts, and I’m finally hitting my stride. This is the fourth year I’ve done these posts, and I really do enjoy them, though I think I’d be better off with some advance planning to avoid all the late nights and writing on the fly. This was a last-minute idea, really, though the recipe is one I’ve made often in the past.
Today I found myself thinking about the other 12 days, meaning “The 12 Days of Christmas,” trying to remember the various items for each day. While I wouldn’t want to make six of these, one of them definitely hits the spot! I can’t think of a better gift for day six than this delectable Christmas pie. It’s either that or six geese a-laying. Trust me, you’ll have less mess with this option! And some beaters to lick, too.
The Recipe
The ingredients are rather simple–cocoa, cream cheese, sweetener, eggs, sour cream, almond flour, butter, peppermint extract, and peppermint candies. The steps to this recipe are easy, too. While I’m noticing a rise in “no-bake” dessert options on the Internet, let me be the first to confess: I like baking! Maybe it stems from my childhood days playing with my Easy Bake Oven (a Christmas gift), but something magical happens when you slip a combination of ingredients into the oven and, after so many minutes, remove a masterpiece. Okay, maybe masterpiece is a stretch, but after one bite, you’ll be happy with your work of art!
Shall we bake?
- ¼ cup of butter
- 1 cup of almond flour
- ¼ cup + ¼ cup of cocoa powder, divided
- pinch of salt
- 4 teaspoons + ⅔ cup of sweetener (Truvia), divided
- 2 eggs
- 2 - 8 ounce bricks of cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup of sour cream
- 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons of crushed peppermint candies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the microwave, melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate.
- Mix in almond flour, ¼ cup of cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons of sweetener, and pinch of salt with the butter until thoroughly mixed.
- Press evenly into the pie plate, covering the bottom and the side up to the top. Put aside.
- In a large bowl combine eggs, ⅔ cup of sweetener, cream cheese, sour cream, remaining cocoa, and peppermint extract and beat with mixer until smooth.
- Pour mixture into the pie plate and bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool the pie enough to place it in the refrigerator and chill for 2 or 3 hours.
- Sprinkle crushed peppermint on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes: You can increase the peppermint extract for a stronger flavor. If you have no dietary restrictions, then by all means use regular sugar. While this is a low carb recipe, you might notice I didn’t use sugar free peppermint candies. The reason is that the sugar-free candies often contain ingredients that disagree with me.
Take this delicious pie with you to your Christmas parties and family get-togethers. Or keep it for yourself to make your Christmas just a little merrier!
