Christmas Omelet

I shared this on my personal blog last year. It's our traditional Christmas breakfast. I had it growing up every year and its not Christmas to me without it!

Ginger Bread House Recipe and Pattern

Here is the recipe - if you want to make your own. There are two pieces- an isosceles triangle and a rectangle (cut 2 of each shape for one house). The triangle measures 5 1/4" on the two long sides and 4" on the short side, the rectangle measures 5 1/4" x 3 1/2. I cut out a little door on one triangle per house...then I glue it so it is half way open and attached to the house. You can also glue the bottom of the house to a square of foiled covered cardboard - so it doesn't move when you decorate it.

2/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. oil
3 c. white flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together all ingredients. Roll out onto sprayed upside down cookie sheet and then cut out pieces using a pizza cutter and template (give a little space between each piece because they do expand a bit in the oven)... this way you don’t have to move the pieces – just remove the extra dough around the pieces. I use a template traced onto cardstock as I cut out the pieces. Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes.

Glue houses together with caramelized white sugar. Just put a couple cups of white sugar in sauce pan on the stove and slowly heat it until it melts. It gets really hot...be careful this can seriously burn you. Carefully dip piece by piece as you glue it together...it glues nice and hard like a glue gun. Make sure you do this with no children around....it is dangerous and needs your complete attention.

Makes 3 houses.

Click here for tips & pictures on how to cut out your house!

Click here for pictures on how to assemble the pieces!

Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from Chad's new employee today. She brought it to the company Christmas party and I LOVED it! I even brought some home. It is so good!

Ingredients:

* 2 bunches broccoli, florets only (5 to 6 cups florets) - I chop up the tender part of the root too or can save for later
* 2 bunches chopped green onion - use the green tops too
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
* 10 to 12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled or 2 TB Bacos bacon bits(for vegetarian style)

* Dressing:
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or more to taste
* 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation:
Separate florets from broccoli stalks - I like to shave and chop them off the stalk - giving a size variation in the salad. Save the remainder of the broccoli for another use or freeze for later. Combine salad ingredients; mix well with dressing mixture. Chill and serve.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer on low speed just until moistened, stopping frequently to scrape bottom and side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Pour into greased and floured 13x9-inch pan.
Bake 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan .Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.
Remove cake from pan. Carefully cut cake crosswise in half using serrated knife. Place 1 cake half, top-side down, on plate; spread with some of the cream cheese frosting. Top with remaining cake half, top-side up. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Press nuts into sides. Keep refrigerated.

NOTE: I made this for Olivia's baptism dinner today. The cake was one of the moistest cakes I have had. It was delicious, and everyone raved! Not to mention it looks fabulous. :) I also sprinkled a light amount of walnut crumbs on the top to make it look pretty. This is a great recipe for a crowd or dinner party. You can't go wrong here!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this tonight and it was super yummy.

2 large chicken breasts- thawed boneless
2 cans of chicken broth
2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
3 chicken bullion cubes (I use "better than bullion" in the spice section at Costco)
chopped carrots
chopped celery
noodles

Cook the chicken in crock pot season with salt and pepper
2 hours hours before serving add vegetables and broth
10-20 minutes before serving add cooked noodles and cream of chicken soup

enjoy!