Christmas Games

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Eggnog

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Christmas Home Decorations

Christmas Tree Decoration

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Christmas Wreaths, Garlands,

Christmas Greenery and Christmas Ribbon
Artificial Christmas Wreaths and Pre-lit Christmas Wreaths
Artificial Garland and Lighted Christmas Garland.
Decorated Country Holiday Garland
Decorative Christmas Wreaths
Mistletoe, Christmas Greenery, Christmas Picks
Artificial Spray Snow For Windows
Unique Christmas Ribbon

Christmas Costumes Santa Suits
Santa Claus Hats.
Santa Clause Suits and Santa Costume.
Santa Beards Santa Claus Belts and Accessories.
Santa's Elves and Children's Santa Claus Costume.

Unique Christmas Ornaments

Angel Ornaments
Animal Ornaments Christmas
Baby First Christmas Ornament
Capiz Shell Christmas Ornaments
Cat Ornaments.
Crystal Christmas Ornaments and Silver
Dog Ornaments
Fish Ornament
Gingerbread Ornaments
Gold and Cream Ornaments
Gold Ornament and Red Christmas Ornaments.
Hunting Christmas Ornaments
Miniature Ornaments
Nativity Christmas Ornaments
Nutcracker Ornaments
Our First Christmas Together Ornament
People and Profession Tree Ornaments.
Red and White Candy Ornaments.
Santa Ornaments.
Snowman Christmas Ornament
Sports Ornaments.
Western Christmas Ornaments
Miscellaneous Holiday Ornaments

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Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is associated with giving thanks to God for the harvest and expressing gratitude. While historically religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

History of Thanksgiving

For thousands of years, mankind has set aside a day each year to celebrate bountiful annual harvests. Before the establishment of formal religions, many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits. Harvest festivals and Thanksgiving celebrations were held by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Hebrews, the Chinese, and the Egyptians.

What is the history of Thanksgiving in United States? The initial "Thanksgiving" feast, held in 1621, was really a traditional English harvest celebration. The Pilgrims shared it with the Native Americans because they had taught the colonists to plants crops and hunt wild game. Without the Native Americans, the Pilgrims may not have survived the harsh winter and been able to celebrate their first harvest of plentiful crops in the New World. The colonists' first harvest feast lasted for three days. Food was served all at once, instead of in courses, so people ate whatever they pleased in the order that they desired. The more important members at the feast were given the best pieces of meat, while the rest of the diners ate whatever was closest to them. Since the Pilgrims didn't use forks or plates, they ate their meal straight off the table with spoons, knives or their fingers. They used large napkins to wipe their hands and also wrapped it around food when it was too hot to hold.

The history of Thanksgiving demonstrates that feasts like the one at Plymouth were held throughout the colonies after fall harvests. However, all thirteen colonies did not celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time. In 1789, George Washington became the first president to declare Thanksgiving a holiday. By the mid-1800s, many states observed the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor, Sarah J. Hale, had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November a day of Thanksgiving.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Controversy ensued, and Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains. What is Thanksgiving today? At its heart, it's a holiday where family and friends congregate to catch up, reminisce, tell jokes, share scrumptious food and generally give thanks for all the good things in life-exactly what they did at the very first Thanksgiving.

Labels: whatisthethanksgivingday

Christmas^[2] or Christmas Day^[3][4] is an annual holiday that, in Christianity, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.^[5][6] It is celebrated on December 25, but this date is not known to be Jesus' actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived,^[7] a historical Roman festival,^[8] or the date of the northern hemisphere's winter solstice.^[9] Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.^[10]

Although traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many non-Christians,^[1][11] and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in some areas, including North America, Australia and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.^[12]

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Celebration

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many whose populations are not majority Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Major exceptions, where Christmas is not a formal public holiday, include People's Republic of China, (except Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Turkey and North Korea.

While most countries celebrate Christmas on December 25 each year, some eastern national churches, including those of Russia, Georgia, Egypt, Armenia, Ukraine, FYROM and Serbia celebrate on January 7. This is because of their use of the traditional Julian Calendar, under which December 25 falls on January 7 as measured by the standard Gregorian Calendar.

Around the world, Christmas celebrations can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions. Countries such as Japan and Korea, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.

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1. Make the salt brine by dissolving 1/2 cup salt in 4 cups of cold water.

2. Place chicken parts in a large glass bowl, add enough salt brine to cover, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight.

3. The next day, drain off the salt brine and add 1½ cups buttermilk to the bowl. Allow the chicken to soak in the buttermilk for a couple of hours (or until ready to cook) turning the chicken several times to make sure all the pieces get to soak.

4. To make the breading: Add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and sage to 1 cup of flour.

5. In a very large, heavy skillet, add vegetable oil or shortening to ½ deep, and heat over a medium flame. Be careful of overheating or you'll burn the flour coating, but if the oil isn't hot enough it will soak into the coating (making it greasy). Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the hot oil. If it sizzles right away without smoking, it's perfect.

6. Dredge each piece of the buttermilk-coated chicken in the seasoned flour and place them skin side down in the skillet. Do not to crowd the pieces in the pan to achieve the best all-over crispiness.

7. Cover the pan with a loose fitting lid to vent some of the steam and cook to a deep golden brown (approx. 15 min.). Turn the chicken over with tongs and cook an additional 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Chicken is done if the juices run clear and there is no sign of pink near the bone.

8. Drain the cooked chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Serve on a warm platter.

Labels: chickenrecipes

One of the best tips I found about baking ham is to place the meat cut side down on the roasting pan and cover the ham with a foil tent. This preserves the moisture in the ham. The foil is removed for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. To burnish the glaze, turn your oven to broil for 5 minutes. Make sure to watch the ham carefully, because these glazes which are high in sugar can burn very easily.

Make sure to read the label on the ham you purchase. Partially cooked hams need to be baked about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Fully cooked hams need about 10 minutes per pound baking time, just to reheat them.

You can buy bone-in or boneless hams. Bone-in hams tend to be more flavorful, but they are more difficult to carve. I prefer boneless hams, just because the presentation is nicer. If you serve a bone-in ham, figure on 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound per person. For boneless hams, 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person is an accurate serving measure. Buy the higher amount to ensure lots of leftovers!

Spiral sliced hams are a newer invention. These are fully cooked hams that are sliced using a special machine so the meat literally falls apart into thin slices. These hams usually have a glaze baked onto them so all you need to do is heat the ham according to directions that come with the ham.

Leftover ham should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the ham and store it up to 2 months.

Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. And make sure to check back here the day after Christmas for ideas about Christmas leftovers.

Traditional Christmas Dinner

• Honey Glazed Ham
  The glaze on this ham is made of honey and butter. It adds delicious flavor and color to your holiday ham.
• Potatoes Grand Mere
  This perfect recipe for scalloped potatoes is rich and delicious. I only serve it on holidays.
• Carrot Pineapple Gelatin Salad
  This salad is traditional in my family. I love the color and the sweet flavor it brings to the meal. Try it!
• Creamy Molded Cranberry Salad
  I just found this salad recipe after it was lost for years. I was so happy to see it again. The color and flavor are perfect for Christmas. There are a lot of recipes out there similar to this one, but none I could find that are molded. I think that makes this salad special and adds a touch of elegance. Ground cranberries are sweetened with sugar and marshmallows, and suspended with celery and nuts in a creamy gelatin mixture. Yum!
• Sour Cream Cherry Fruit Salad Mold
  This gorgeous salad has the most incredible pink color. It's full of nuts and fruits, and perfect for a celebration.
• Parker House Rolls
  These tender and delicious rolls must be on the holiday table at my house. You can make them the day before Christmas and reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
• Special Green Beans
  The fresh crisp tender texture and flavor of these beans make them the perfect side dish for this rich holiday dinner.
• Christmas Cookies
  This selection of cookies include my family favorites. My personal favorite? Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies!

Labels: christmasdinnermenus

Labels: christmassidedishes

12 to 14 lb. turkey (not pre-basted or kosher) - 1 cup sugar - 1 1/2 cups kosher salt - 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces - 1/3 cup fresh chopped thyme - 1 head of garlic, peel and separate cloves - 4 juniper berries, smashed - 4 allspice berries, whole

Container: Large Stockpot

Prep Time: 30 minutes How to Combine the sugar, salt and 4 quarts of water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients. Place the turkey in the stockpot and add the brining solution. Add enough cold water to the stockpot so that the turkey is completely submerged. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator or another cold storage area. Allow the turkey to stand in the brining solution for about 10 to 12 hours. After the required soaking time, remove it from the container and thoroughly rinse under cold water. The brining solution should be discarded because it cannot be reused. The turkey can be cooked using several cooking methods, such as roasting, grilling and deep frying.

Labels: turkeybrinerecipes

3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
4 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 cups dried white bread, cubed

In a large frying pan, melt butter over a medium heat. Fry onions and celery together with the dried herbs, salt and pepper, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a very large bowl. Add the bread cubes and mix well.

If you are making the stuffing ahead: Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hours. Mix with bread cubes before stuffing the bird.

Stuff the turkey at both ends with this mixture. (see our Roast Turkey Recipe for directions on stuffing the bird).

* Stuff the turkey just before baking it. Do NOT stuff the bird ahead and let it sit, even in the refrigerator. It can become infected with bacteria and make you quite ill.

Labels: turkeystuffing

• 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon, scrubbed clean
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more as needed
• 6 fresh bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
• 2 to 3 cups apple cider
• Salt and pepper

How to

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

Labels: turkeybreastrecipes

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 rib celery
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 8 cups homemade chicken stoke or turkey stock
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

To make the gravy

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Gravy Base just made
• 1/2 cup reserved turkey fat
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Making the Gravy Base

1. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, garlic, turkey neck and sauté until the vegetables are caramelized. (approximately 15 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

2. Deglaze the pan with apple juice and stir, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce until the juice evaporates to an essence. (Approx. 5 minutes)

3. Add the chicken stock, peppercorns, and herbs. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for one hour. Strain gravy base and set aside.

Making the Gravy

4. Remove turkey from roasting pan. Pour off pan drippings and reserve. Place pan over high heat and deglaze with white wine. Skim the fat from the reserved pan drippings and reserve.

5. Add the Gravy Base and the defatted pan drippings back to the pan and bring liquid to a boil over medium heat.

6. Make a roux by heating the reserved turkey fat and enough butter to make 1/2 cup in a small sauté pan. When the fat is hot, add flour and whisk to combine.

Labels: turkeygravyrecipes

	Sonoma Jack Garlic & Herb Cheese
	Water Crackers
	Nonni's Biscotti
	Caramel Popcorn
	English Tea Cookies
	Beth's Chocolate Chip Cookies
	Lindt Lindor Chocolate Truffles
	Cheese Straws
	Toffee Pretzels
	Holiday Almonds
	Chocolate Wafer Cookies
	Cashew Roca
	Almond Roca
	Licorice Petites
	Dolcetto Chocolate Wafer Rolls
	Cheese Swirls
	Fudge
	Truffle Cookies
	Panetini
	Ghirardelli Chocolate Bar
	Smoked Salmon
	Caramel Apple Bites

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Daily Mail Supermarkets are battling to sell you the cheapest Christmas feast - so which ... Daily Mail Plump and good-looking turkey, which turned an even brown colour after cooking. The flavour was good: succulent and meaty. The generous sizes are perfect to ... See all stories on this topic

Game goes gourmet News-Leader.com No matter what wild game you select, the key to perfecting it into the focal point of an elegant Christmas feast is in the pre-prep (prior to cooking), ... See all stories on this topic

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Google News Alert for: turkey cooking

Don't Let A Turkey Spoil Your Christmas Medical News Today (press release) For more information on how to prepare your Christmas dinner safely, or to use our online turkey cooking or defrosting calculators, follow the link below to ... See all stories on this topic

Let's talk turkey - food safety tips for the season The Boundary Sentinel Store and thaw safely: Keep fresh turkey refrigerated no longer than three days before cooking. There are three ways to thaw frozen turkey in its wrapper: ... See all stories on this topic

Times LIVE This turkey is so delish. and the gravy awesome Times LIVE Preheat the oven to 190C. Coat a deep roasting pan with cooking spray. Clean the turkey and transfer to the prepared pan. Add the onions, carrots, ... See all stories on this topic

Five ways to look after your pets this Christmas WalesOnline Although you may be busy opening presents or cooking the turkey, make sure your pet sticks to the same routine. Get someone to feed the cat at its usual ... See all stories on this topic

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The Canadian Press For a change from traditional holiday turkey dinner, try roast beef or ham The Canadian Press "At one time, a huge turkey at Christmas was a splurge item when families were so much larger," says the executive chef at The Good Earth Cooking School and ... See all stories on this topic

The bluffers' guide to Christmas dinner Mayo News Top tip: If cooking Turkey, rub butter with salt and herbs under the skin all over the bird to increase its succulent nature. Prepare the bird on Christmas ... See all stories on this topic

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins Seattle Times Line miniature muffin pans with paper baking cups or spray cups with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt; ... See all stories on this topic

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Los Angeles Times Christmas turducken: A whole lot of a good thing Los Angeles Times One thing I've always appreciated is that, unlike a turkey that has to be carved, a turducken can be simply sliced like a loaf of bread or a meatloaf. ... See all stories on this topic

Turkey meatloaf Toronto Star Serve this Italian-style meatloaf with a thick, spicy tomato sauce. Don't be tempted to skimp on the pancetta: its fat compensates for the lean turkey, ... See all stories on this topic

'Retro 50's diner' approved Seacoastonline.com ... version of a 50's diner by serving cage-free eggs, naturally raised chicken, a turkey bacon option and turkey meatloaf, in addition to the standards. ... See all stories on this topic

Rudy's Deli offers healthy, homey lunch San Antonio Express Using bread baked in-house, Boar's Head meat and cheeses and a skilled hand, Salinas turns out sandwiches such as the Rudy's Classic, ham, turkey, ... See all stories on this topic

The Green Gourmet comes to Delray Beach Sun-Sentinel.com Look for pot roast, meat loaf, turkey meat loaf, roasted chicken, lasagna, salmon, tomato and five-bean soup. Each day, he features 15 different side dishes ... See all stories on this topic

Unusual holiday dinners Baltimore Sun (blog) ... traditional holiday meatloaf each year has never taken a photo of it -- no surprise there -- so we're stuck with a picture of a beautiful turkey dinner. ... See all stories on this topic

Oh, for a Trader Joe's Mail Tribune Started in May by Stacie Brink of the Applegate, the group "went viral" in the last few weeks, with members praising Trader Joe's turkey meatloaf, hummus, ... See all stories on this topic

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