Gala Pecan Spread

Well, it's New Year's Eve and that puts me in the mood for snacks! Wait, I'm ALWAYS in the mood for snacks!! If you're looking for one last thing to take to a New Year's Eve party or something just to snack on, this is a wonderful and fairly quick little snack. It's actually more like a hot dip. It's one of the things we have for Christmas.

Gala Pecan Spread

8 oz cream cheese
5 oz smoked dried beef (we use 2- 2.5 oz jars Armour Dried Beef)
2 Tb onion flakes
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup sour cream (8 oz)

Topping: 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 2 Tb melted butter

Soften cream cheese and blend with a dab of milk. Cut dried beef into small pieces and mix into cream cheese with peppers, onion flakes and garlic salt. Fold in sour cream and put into an 8" pie plate. Sprinkle with topping, and heat in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot with crackers.

Recipe from: Faye Whitfield

Notes: Our favorite crackers to eat with this dip are Wheat Thins, Ritz, and Triscuit. Another plus about using the jars of Armour Dried Beef - you get a free juice-size glass!

Rye Party Sandwiches

Whenever we have Christmas at my in-laws, you can guarantee that a few specific finger foods will be there. Rye Party Sandwiches, Sausage Balls, Gala Pecan Spread, homemade beef logs, homemade caramels, spiced peanuts, candied nuts, and peanut butter balls. I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting, but those are the ones we know will be there. This year, my in-laws are preparing to leave for Africa in a few weeks for a 3-month stay. Therefore, they are making the rounds to us kids and bringing peanut butter balls for everyone. Hmmm. I should probably be posting the recipe for the peanut butter balls. (The grandkids associate Christmas at Grandma's with peanut butter balls. She keeps them in her freezer so throughout the day, we see kids raiding her freezer.)

I've been craving the Rye Party Sandwiches for a couple of weeks now (left side of the picture), and they are really good right out of the oven. Don't be afraid to try these if you don't like rye bread. I don't care for rye bread, but the cocktail rye bread is small (2 1/2" x 2 1/2"), thin, and light. You can't tell there's rye in there.

Hope you like these. I think I'll get the filling made today so that all we have to do is warm it up and spread it on the bread -- pop them in the oven, and EAT!

Rye Party Sandwiches

1 lb hot sausage

1 lb regular sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

Fry and drain.

Add to sausage mixture:

1 pound melted Velveeta Cheese

1 Tb. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder.

Heat until thoroughly heated (it's easier to spread). Spread mixture on Cocktail Rye Bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Recipe from: Faye Whitfield

Notes: I prefer Jimmy Dean sausage. There's less fat, more flavor. The Cocktail Rye Bread is usually found in the specialty bread section of your grocery store. I was actually able to find it at the Walmart Supercenter this year.

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

This year has been a "different" year for us as far as Christmas goes. Part of the family is overseas, part are visiting my sister, and we're not as busy the week before. Thank goodness for that part. My grandson and I FINALLY got my tree decorated the other day, and he put his favorites in a clump together (that's what you see at the bottom center of the tree). There's no way in the world I would change that.

Seems like Christmas, cold weather, and hot chocolate go together. Those store-bought hot chocolate mixes can be quite pricey. This homemade mix is initially pricey but goes a very long way. It makes a whole lot! Once you've had this hot chocolate, you won't go back to the store bought mixes.

This recipe is another prime example of manufacturers changing their volume and even their product, therefore, it changes the outcome of the recipe. (The original recipe calls for Hershey's mix, but they haven't made that product for years.) I've tried to put down what you need for today's market.

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

2 pounds Nesquik chocolate powder

1 pound powdered sugar

1 large (22 oz.) Coffeemate

8 quart size (25-26 oz.) dry powdered milk

Mix all ingredients together well and store in a tightly covered container.

In a standard-sized mug, I would start with 3 heaping tablespoons hot chocolate mix (more or less to suit your taste). Add boiling water and stir. Marshmallows are optional.

Recipe from: Faye Whitfield

Notes: If you like your hot chocolate really rich, fill your mug 1/4-1/3 full of the mix.