A homemade christmas.

[Winnie]

Well it's official, I'm broke. So with that in mind, I'm making christmas this year. Some things I've always made, but this year the shopping list is going to be a lot smaller.
So with that in mind, what does everyone else make for christmas?
My list will include..
Christmas cake.
Christmas pudding. check
Shortbread.
Mince pies.
Mincemeat for above.
Cheese straws
Pesto twists.
Peanut brittle.

The bird I raised myself and is sitting in the freezer awaiting the big day.
I'll be using some of the beans I salted in the summer.
I made some redcurrant jelly, so that's going to replace cranberry sauce.
I've collected some chestnuts and have herbs in the garden to make the stuffing.

So apart from a few ingredients and some fresh veg I won't be racing round the stores like a headless chicken, worrying if I've got everything.

Well I hope you all are having a better time of things because if things don't pick up after christmas I could well be practicing certain outdoor survival skills..

[Rick]

Here you go, Winnie. Marylp had a thread on the same subject while you were off rubbing elbows with the French...ooh la la...

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ight=christmas

[NCO]

Ah, but are we now talking about foods in particular! Lets see.

The HAM (yes, we eat ham, not turkey or any other bird in Christmas)
Swede pureé (nothing to do with Sweden, but the plant)
Carrot pureé
Potato pureé
Mustard herring
Salmon roe
Vendace roe
Rice porridge
Gingerbread
glogg

Now I'm hungry...

[Rick]

Do you have turnips or rutabaga in Finland? Do you find much of a difference between swede, turnips or rutabaga?

(I think rutabaga and swede are the same thing but I'm not sure)

[Winnie]

Do you have turnips or rutabaga in Finland? Do you find much of a difference between swede, turnips or rutabaga?

(I think rutabaga and swede are the same thing but I'm not sure)

It's that language thing again. Swede is a member of the cabbage family, but grown for the root. it's sort of a cross between carrot and turnip in flavour and colour. When you say rutabaga would you mean beetroot? A purple root vegetable?

I remember Mary's thread. I'm just grateful brother-in-law paid for the holiday or I'd be in a tent already, or sharing the girls' accommodation(sp?)

[NCO]

Let me see my online dictionary...
It says that rutabaga and swede are the same thing.
Swede/rutabaga(lanttu) looks like this:
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Turnip(nauris):
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I think I prefer swede to turnip both as it is and in pureé.

And this is beetroot(punajuuri):
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This stuff I usually eat pickled..

[Rick]

By Jove, I think we've got it. I find turnips to be a bit more pungent in flavor. I like them but I get my fill of them pretty quickly. Turnip greens, on the other hand, are pretty darn good. Rutabagas are better in my opinion.

[NCO]

Wohoo! We have established common understanding!

[Winnie]

By Jove, I think we've got it. I find turnips to be a bit more pungent in flavor. I like them but I get my fill of them pretty quickly. Turnip greens, on the other hand, are pretty darn good. Rutabagas are better in my opinion.

My favourite way of serving them is winter mash. potatoes, swede and carrot mashed together with butter. MmmmMmmmMmmm.

Ooo NCO try making crisps with the beetroot! peel, thinly slice and deep fry til crisp. Heaven!

[Rick]

Do you use regular potatoes with the swede and carrot?

[Winnie]

Do you use regular potatoes with the swede and carrot?

Yup, just regular spuds, sorry potatoes. Peel and chop potatoes into large chunks. Peel and chop swede and carrots into dice, then cook all 3 together til tender. drain, mash add butter.... enjoy! When I was a poor broke student I lived off this with gravy.

[NCO]

My favourite way of serving them is winter mash. potatoes, swede and carrot mashed together with butter. MmmmMmmmMmmm.

Ive done this! Another good one is mashing potatoes and sweet potatoes together with butter and a slash of full fat milk... maybe 1/4 sweet potatoes and remaining 3/4 regular ones.

Ooo NCO try making crisps with the beetroot! peel, thinly slice and deep fry til crisp. Heaven!

Project for me tomorrow!!!

[Nativedude]

I don't celebrate the holidays up here, but if I'm with the family in the lower 48 I do.

For my (AK) holiday meal, as such it is, I generally have:

Roast Ptarmigan or Caribou
Buttermilk mashed sweet & russet potatoes (mixed)
Fireweed & dandelion salad w/olive oil & vinegar
Carrots or peas or beans
Sourdough biscuits
Chocolate custard pie
& Blueberry & dandelion wine

Most of the rest of the year it's smoked fish or meat, unless I catch a trout or salmon fresh. Those times I bake 'em in the fireplace with wild sage, butter, and powdered garlic.

If you're wondering how I get eggs? I bought 6 chickens (2 Rooster and 4 Hens) in the spring of 2008 and they lay me about a dzn. eggs in the summer and 1/3 to 1/2 dzn. in the winter per week. I kept them in the cabin last winter (what a hellish event that was), but this past summer I built them a heated coup adjacent to the cabin. Much better for my sanity! So, now I have eggs. Which I was missing in my diet desperately.

[gryffynklm]

My favourite way of serving them is winter mash. potatoes, swede and carrot mashed together with butter. MmmmMmmmMmmm.

Winnie, I like t take the leftovers the next day and fry up some Boxty. My recipe changed depending on what leftovers I have. I'll mix any combination of root vegetables, cabbage, spinach, celery, or onion. If there is excessive moisture I'll add flour to make a almost dough consistency. If the mixture is stiff enough i'll just dredge it in flour. Fry it in butter till browned and crisp, salt and pepper. Great for breakfast.

Along with the turkey this year I'll make a vegetarian stuffing on the side with toasted chestnuts, walnuts, apple and pare from the yard and mix with wild rice and dried fruit.

I'll also make grandma's Welsh Cakes with rum soaked raisins or cranberries.

[nell67]

I'll be making a lot of Christmas this year ,I usually do anyway,although it has usually meant candies and such.

THis year,I will be making goat soaps and lotions to go along with the sweets,as well as making up some homemade laundry soaps for them to try and maybe get them interestd in making their own.

[rwc1969]

We used to make our own christmas decorations and wrapping paper.

we always have a relativley homeade christmas as far as food goes. Except for them hawaiian rolls. Mmmm!

[nell67]

We used to make our own christmas decorations and wrapping paper.

we always have a relativley homeade christmas as far as food goes. Except for them hawaiian rolls. Mmmm!

Homemade honey yeast rolls are one of my favorite things to make at Holidays,along with Red Velvet cake, yummy!And dressing,and then theres the turkey and coleslaw and potatoe salad........great,now I made myself hungry...

[Winnie]

Honey yeast rolls? red velevet cake? any chance of recipes please?

[nell67]

2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour, separated
vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey




Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature

I don't usully use a recipe,as I have been making them for (xx) number of years,and just go for it,LOL,but this one is very similar to what I make!Oh yea,the longer you knead the dough the better the texture of your rolls!

[nell67]

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 oz. red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda sprinkled over
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar

Preparation:

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Heat oven to 350°.
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Sift flour, salt & cocoa together. Add alternately with buttermilk. Beat after each addition. Stir in baking soda and vinegar mixture, then blend in the food coloring. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes bounce back when lightly touched with a finger.

• 1 C. Milk
• 1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1/4 C. flour
• 3/4 C. Shortening
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Combine milk & flour & cook until thick (like a white sauce) Stir constantly. Set aside to cool. Cream sugar & shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla & cooled cream sauce. Beat until icing becomes stiff.

Alot of sites offer this recipe with a cream cheese icing,and that just not right,I have always prefered the taste of the original cookd icing I included here.

Enjoy!