Christmas Foods

Lots of food are "Christmas foods" to me. Here are my top 5.

my #1: puppy chow. some people call it garbage, or trash. whatever you call it, it is my favorite. in fact I have had it for breakfast the past two mornings. LOVE IT. 

#2: spiced tea. my mom makes this hot tea and i LOVE it. the best part for me this year- you can make it decaf! (recipe at bottom). Every other year Mom usually makes me some spiced tea and brings it to me. this year, I made my first batch all by myself! I am so proud of myself.  

#3: Aunt Annie's Wisconsin Strata casserole. Aunt Annie hosts a Christmas Eve brunch every Dec 24 in the morning. It is the best food of the whole year. Philip hasn't been able to attend one of these delicious meals... until this year! He has had to work and last year we both missed it. So this is his year:) 

#4: Grandma's peanut butter fudge. She makes homemade fudge every Christmas and it just melts on your mouth. Emily has discovered it this year and has stolen a lot of it from me. 

#5: Press Cookies. you know, the kind that you shoot out of one of those fancy guns and then cover in sprinkles? basically little buttery sugar cookies. my mom makes them. my uncle steve craves them. I think the uncooked batter is the best though (not for me this year though:( )

Ok anyway, here is the recipe for Spiced Tea. I don't like iced tea or even just plain hot tea. this is way different and so much better. Even Philip likes it and he doesnt usually like this kind of thing. 

ingredients: 

1/2 can frozen orange juice

1/2 can frozen lemonade

1/2 can frozen pineapple juice

8 hot tea bags (caffeinated or decaf) 

2-3 sticks of cinnamon

1 tbs whole cloves

to make: put cloves and cinnamon in water and boil for 5 minutes. 

Turn off heat, add tea bags and let simmer. 

Add fruit juices to pitcher. 

Strain tea into pitcher. 

add water to equal 1 gallon total. 

add sugar/splenda to taste. 

*store in refrigerator and make a cup, or two, at a time*

Enjoy!