White Castle Stuffing

I realize this post probably falls outside the expected realm for "Holiday Treat". I don't have a real sweet tooth, never have. Sure, I'll eat a pound or two of peanut brittle if it's placed in front of me, but in general I don't. Pam and I did some baking this holiday season, but I decided to post the holiday treat I like the best.

Here's the deal: I'm from Southern Indiana. It's redneck country. I was raised as one and many members of my family are proudly such. We are simple folk. We like beer, trucks, guns, loud music, and beer. But there is a hallowed holiday tradition in my family, White Castle. More specifically, there's a hallowed tradition amongst the men in my family. The women folk refuse to partake for reasons unknown. But to me, nothing portends St. Nick sliding up and down your chimney like a White Castle hamburger sliding in and out of me.

In fact, a redneck in a White Castle looks something like this:

So, for my holiday treat posting, I give you WHITE CASTLE STUFFING!

This recipe is super easy. So easy a caveman....er, redneck can do it.

- 10 White Castle hamburgers, pickles removed. (I bought mine the day before and refrigerated them. Remember, White Castle is closed Christmas day for baby Jesus, so PRELOAD!)

- 1 1/4 cup chopped celery

- sage

- pepper

- 1 or so tsp. of poultry seasoning

- 1/4 cup chicken broth

All you gotta do is pull the hamburgers into little pieces in a big bowl.

Add in the celery and seasoning. Then slowly add the broth as you toss by hand. Empty the contents into a casserole dish and bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or so. Here's before the oven and after.

Reactions were mixed. Generally there was a mix between those who would eat some and those who would not. Of those that tried it (the men), it was agreed that it was quite good. Surprisingly, it didn't taste much like White Castle hamburgers, which I still can't quite figure out. Below is my cousin from New York enjoying it. For my dollar, enjoying this stuffing with your bird and some Big Red cola and you got yourself a holiday. Ain't nothin' sweeter.

White Castle Stuffing

I realize this post probably falls outside the expected realm for "Holiday Treat". I don't have a real sweet tooth, never have. Sure, I'll eat a pound or two of peanut brittle if it's placed in front of me, but in general I don't. Pam and I did some baking this holiday season, but I decided to post the holiday treat I like the best.

Here's the deal: I'm from Southern Indiana. It's redneck country. I was raised as one and many members of my family are proudly such. We are simple folk. We like beer, trucks, guns, loud music, and beer. But there is a hallowed holiday tradition in my family, White Castle. More specifically, there's a hallowed tradition amongst the men in my family. The women folk refuse to partake for reasons unknown. But to me, nothing portends St. Nick sliding up and down your chimney like a White Castle hamburger sliding in and out of me.

In fact, a redneck in a White Castle looks something like this:

So, for my holiday treat posting, I give you WHITE CASTLE STUFFING!

This recipe is super easy. So easy a caveman....er, redneck can do it.

- 10 White Castle hamburgers, pickles removed. (I bought mine the day before and refrigerated them. Remember, White Castle is closed Christmas day for baby Jesus, so PRELOAD!)

- 1 1/4 cup chopped celery

- sage

- pepper

- 1 or so tsp. of poultry seasoning

- 1/4 cup chicken broth

All you gotta do is pull the hamburgers into little pieces in a big bowl.

Add in the celery and seasoning. Then slowly add the broth as you toss by hand. Empty the contents into a casserole dish and bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or so. Here's before the oven and after.

Reactions were mixed. Generally there was a mix between those who would eat some and those who would not. Of those that tried it (the men), it was agreed that it was quite good. Surprisingly, it didn't taste much like White Castle hamburgers, which I still can't quite figure out. Below is my cousin from New York enjoying it. For my dollar, enjoying this stuffing with your bird and some Big Red cola and you got yourself a holiday. Ain't nothin' sweeter.

Candy Strawberries- Brooke

This is my all-time favorite homemade holiday candy, and when I add them to a plate of holiday cookies, people always ask, "What are those?" They're strawberry candies made with Jello, sweetened coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk. Eat more than 1 or 2, and you'll get a major sugar rush!

Admittedly, they're a bit of a pain-- it's a gooey process and you'll end up with red-dyed fingers. But if you're a fan of coconutty-strawberry-ness, it's completely worth it.

My recipe is below. A very similar recipe (although she calls it a summer candy) is here, and the source of the photo: http://urbandrivel.blogspot.com/2007/07/strawberry-candy.html

Ingredients:
2 large packages strawberry jello
1 can sweetened condensed milk
7 oz sweetened shredded coconut
1 c fine-chopped pecans
red, pink and green sprinkles
Handy to have: wax paper

Combine everything except sprinkles and chill, covered, for 1 hour. Mix pink and red sprinkles in a small bowl. Put green sprinkles in a separate bowl. Spread a large sheet of wax paper on a working surface. With your fingers, scoop out a small amount of chilled strawberry mixture (between 1 tsp. and 1 Tbsp. in amount) and form into the shape of a strawberry. Coat bottom portion in red/pink sprinkles, and dip top in green to make it look like a strawberry. You may need to wash your hands several times to keep them from getting gloppy. If you prefer, use green frosting instead of green sprinkles for a stem. My mother uses almond slivers dyed green with food coloring (too messy, even for me!).

Store in a sealed container, separated by layers of wax paper if necessary. The candies can sit out for long periods, but it's best to store them in the refrigerator.

When Emma had one of these this year, she eyed me suspiciously and said, "Sweeeet. This is NOT healthy. Please can I have another one?"

Candy Strawberries- Brooke

This is my all-time favorite homemade holiday candy, and when I add them to a plate of holiday cookies, people always ask, "What are those?" They're strawberry candies made with Jello, sweetened coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk. Eat more than 1 or 2, and you'll get a major sugar rush!

Admittedly, they're a bit of a pain-- it's a gooey process and you'll end up with red-dyed fingers. But if you're a fan of coconutty-strawberry-ness, it's completely worth it.

My recipe is below. A very similar recipe (although she calls it a summer candy) is here, and the source of the photo: http://urbandrivel.blogspot.com/2007/07/strawberry-candy.html

Ingredients:
2 large packages strawberry jello
1 can sweetened condensed milk
7 oz sweetened shredded coconut
1 c fine-chopped pecans
red, pink and green sprinkles
Handy to have: wax paper

Combine everything except sprinkles and chill, covered, for 1 hour. Mix pink and red sprinkles in a small bowl. Put green sprinkles in a separate bowl. Spread a large sheet of wax paper on a working surface. With your fingers, scoop out a small amount of chilled strawberry mixture (between 1 tsp. and 1 Tbsp. in amount) and form into the shape of a strawberry. Coat bottom portion in red/pink sprinkles, and dip top in green to make it look like a strawberry. You may need to wash your hands several times to keep them from getting gloppy. If you prefer, use green frosting instead of green sprinkles for a stem. My mother uses almond slivers dyed green with food coloring (too messy, even for me!).

Store in a sealed container, separated by layers of wax paper if necessary. The candies can sit out for long periods, but it's best to store them in the refrigerator.

When Emma had one of these this year, she eyed me suspiciously and said, "Sweeeet. This is NOT healthy. Please can I have another one?"

Cream cheese bon bons

December Challenge: Holiday Treats
Challenger: Tiffany Schriever
Recipe: Cream cheese bonbons (aka Mexican wedding cakes)
This is a family favorite. I have made these cookies every Christmas for probably 10
years. One batch is never enough to satisfy my family and the Bloom family. This year, my gift came early and my nieces helped me bake.
Ingredients & directions:
For starters, 3/4 C Oleo is butter (in case you didn't know like me) and I always use walnuts. Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll dough into bit sized balls and place on ungreased baking sheet.
Exception to recipe - Bake at 325 for 16-20 min (ovens vary) until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool cookies on cooling rack. I pour some powdered sugar in a zip-lock bag, add 6 or so cookies, seal bag and shake to coat cookies.

chopping walnuts

dough is ready to be rolled into balls

rolling dough

baked cookies

baked, powdered and ready to eat!

You are going to love these cookies!

Cream cheese bon bons

December Challenge: Holiday Treats
Challenger: Tiffany Schriever
Recipe: Cream cheese bonbons (aka Mexican wedding cakes)
This is a family favorite. I have made these cookies every Christmas for probably 10
years. One batch is never enough to satisfy my family and the Bloom family. This year, my gift came early and my nieces helped me bake.
Ingredients & directions:
For starters, 3/4 C Oleo is butter (in case you didn't know like me) and I always use walnuts. Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll dough into bit sized balls and place on ungreased baking sheet.
Exception to recipe - Bake at 325 for 16-20 min (ovens vary) until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool cookies on cooling rack. I pour some powdered sugar in a zip-lock bag, add 6 or so cookies, seal bag and shake to coat cookies.

chopping walnuts

dough is ready to be rolled into balls

rolling dough

baked cookies

baked, powdered and ready to eat!

You are going to love these cookies!

Christmas Cookies, December 2009

Who doesn't love a plate full of assorted holiday cookies and candies. You don't need to make the whole assortment. Just give us your favorite holiday cookie or candy treat.