47 weeks until Christmas 2025 ~ New Recipes Tried

 I made myself a binder (nothing special, just to organize) for Christmas preparations years ago.  I keep recipes (which I should also copy and keep in my regular recipe box), Christmas gift ideas, games and so forth.

There is not too much in the binder, as years went by, and we continued to remove very old (and dog ruined) carpet, and do home repairs and updates.  We just didn't host any holiday here, and we continue to do that (much needed repairs, updates, purging, painting etc.), but in the mean time. . .

The binder reminds me to try a new recipe, or write down a homemade edible food gift idea etc. Back in the day, January and February were my months to made handmade Christmas tree ornaments for the next Christmas.  I LOVED making Christmas ornaments, and my family was given a plenitude of them.  Trust me when I say in abundance, ha ha!  

I then resorted to steering those same energies to making them and selling them.  I have now left the craft show scene due to lack of support/sales.  I can tell you, that I do miss making ornaments and creating new ones from recycled materials.  I may be making some to donate.  Anyway, back to the recipe.

What did I try?

Pigs in a Blanket (Recipe is free online at Mennonite Girls Can Cook).

Holiday Appetizer 

Honestly, this would be a great go-to for any party you are attending.  The re-heating part has me thinking on easier ways that using an oven, but I'm not sure that's possible.  Anyway. . .

You make a homemade dough (very easy to make, but they suggest you cream the cottage cheese, and I did), split it in 6 pieces, then roll each piece to a disc and cut it into 8 pieces to roll each mini-sausage.  Place them on parchment lined baking sheets and bake.

I forgot to take a photo of how to cut the ball of dough into 6 equal parts, so here is an image from google for a visual.

You then roll each piece into a disc, shown in my photo below.

I forgot to take a photo of how to slice this in 8 pieces.  I used a pizza cutter.

(photo from google, showing a visual for cutting the rolled dough into 8 pieces, but you want your dough to be about 1/8 inch thick for these pigs in a blanket).

(one 14 ounce package of sausage smokies gave me 38 in the final baking, see notes on how I used the extra dough, or buy two packages of meat).

(notice the print date on this recipe?  Oh boy!  In the process of looking for it, I found my long lost broccoli salad recipe card that my SIL shared with me.  Time to clean off the side of the fridge ha ha ha ha!)

I printed the new (to me) recipe about a year ago, and it came up on my reading list via my blog last Christmas.  I finally got around to trying it, and guess what?  It's a keeper appetizer recipe.

I will be very interested if this does indeed freeze well (according to the recipe instructions it freezes well, and reheats nicely {bonus}).

The cocktail sausages are not that healthy, but the dough is homemade, and oh my gosh it tastes so good, and is very flaky.  I made the dough about 3 days in advance, and it still made a delicious result. By the way, I am currently looking in stores, to see if they make the mini sausages from turkey or chicken.

There were no instructions on suggestions for re-heating, so I may play around with that idea.  I think keeping them warm in a crock pot would not work, as the steam may make them soggy.

They only sell the mini (smokies) sausages in 14 ounce packages, so we had a small bit of dough left.  We used it to wrap turkey pepperoni and it turned out pretty good too (maybe add a small bit of cheese for those).

We made a homemade honey mustard dip for these too.  They are good on their own, but who doesn't like a dip for appetizers?  The recipe is from Inspired Taste online, but I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (I didn't have any on hand), and it was delicious.  

The newly tried recipes would be great for any gathering, potluck, holiday meal or just for fun.  It would be nice to have some Pigs in a Blanket in the freezer for unexpected guests too.  I call these "not just for Christmas" recipes, but that is what I had in mind for them.

47 weeks until Christmas 2025 ~ New Recipes Tried  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

49 Weeks Until Christmas 2025

I'm joining Anne in the Kitchen (blogspot - Cooking and All that Jazz ) with her Christmas countdown preparations and fun planning posts.

Preparing for the next Christmas season.  January is the best time to work on crochet Christmas gifts and/or ornaments.  My family has been overwhelmed with my gracious and over abundance of ornament making over the years.  I need to find another outlet for them now.  Maybe nursing homes?  Adult assisted living facilities?  

 We have located a non-gmo Christmas cookie sugar sprinkle for next year's cookies.  I had no idea they even made them, and our Menard's sells Watkins brands.  They make this in "green" too with no artificial dyes.

Current library book for Christmas possibilities:

Delicious Foods to Make and Give Homemade, by Judith Choate.  A good library find for holiday planning if you are doing so during these slower winter days.

It has many recipes and ideas.  However, what in the world would you use parsley jelly for ?

The book suggestion is for a glaze on poultry, fish, veal or lamb.  Honestly, I would rather dehydrate my herb garden parsley and use it that way.  Would you use the jelly?  Just wondering.  It is an odd recipe, and with sugar too.

I have printed and saved one adult game for our binder.

I have not yet tried any new recipes for the next holiday.

49 Weeks Until Christmas 2025  © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart