Grandma M&M's Cranberry Salad

1 bag fresh cranberries (you can also use fresh frozen berries)
1 Small box raspberry jell-o
1 Cup sugar
2 apples peeled, cored, and diced (I like to use Honeycrisp. They contrast beautifully with the tart cranberries)
1 C. chopped walnuts (optional...Grandma always makes one with and one without nuts)

Put cranberries in the food processor & chop until fine. Stir sugar into cranberries & let dissolve. Prepare jell-o according to package directions less 1/2 cup of water. Combine all ingredients & pour into 8x11 glass dish. Refrigerate until set, preferably over night.

Semi-Sweet Sugar Balls

Here are the chocolate balls I promised on my Traditions post several weeks ago now...sorry for the delay!

These were always made by my Nana, who lived in NY. We always loved it when she came out for the holidays, and it was made even more special by her incredible commitment to teaching my siblings and I all about our Italian heritage...making the best ever dishes that she grew up eating for special occasions and specific holidays...If I can weasel the recipe out of Daddy, I'll post the Meat Pie for Easter...mmmmmmm, that makes my mouth water thinking about it!!!

Prep to Serve: At least 24 hours ( read on to see why )
Serves: As Many as you decide you can part with...I don't share these so well...

Ingredients:
12 oz SEMI-SWEET chocolate chips
3 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1/2 C Orange Juice
2 1/2 C Crushed Vanilla Wafers
1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar
1 C finely chopped nuts (Optional We never add the nuts because we just don't like nuts in our food...unless it is baklava)

Directions:

Melt chocolate over low heat (I use my double boiler so it doesn't burn). Remover from heat, add corn syrup and orange juice. Combine Vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar and nuts. Add to chocolate mixture, and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Form mixture into 1 inch balls, and roll in more confectioner's sugar. Layer in a tin, or plastic container with wax or parchment paper between layers. Cover tightly and ripen in fridge for at least 24 hours. The longer they sit, the better they taste, but don't forget you made them!!!

Quick Fudge (should be called the BEST EVER!!!!)

Prep to Serve: 24 hours for best results
Serves: as many as you want to share it with!



Ingredients

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can Eagle Brand SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:
Melt chips in milk over low heat. (I use my double boiler for best, creamy results)
Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla. BLEND WELL.
Spread into a buttered 9 inch square pan (I buy the disposable foil ones each year). Cover with plastic wrap or foil, and chill until firm (about 3 - 4 hours, give or take). Cut into SMALL pieces. (We're talking no bigger than 1/2 inch squares people...)

Tip

Need a new way to serve your meatloaf?

Looking for that perfect serving size..

Why not try putting your mixture into greased (PAM) muffin tins.

I've been doing this now for about 4-5 months. Saves on cutting it up..It's easy to put on the plates. Bakes down to just the right serving size. It's also perfect size to put in freezer safe bag to freeze individual servings.

Tator Tot Casserole

This was a favorite when my kids were younger and it was cheap too. It freezes well and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

1 lb of lean ground beef
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can (fill soup can) of milk
1/2 bag of frozen tator tots
1/2 bag of frozen peas
3 oz of cheese (optional)

Brown ground beef and drain. Combine soup and milk, mix thoroughly. In a 13x9 pan mix ground beef, soup mixture, tator tots and frozen peas. Sprinkle cheese on top (Optional) Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Almond Candy

This recipe was from a neighbor of my Grandmas in the 1960's who was from Europe. Gram made these every Christmas for us and for the last 4 years we've (mom and I) have been making them now.

In a bowl Mix together with your hands works best.

• 2 cups coconut
• 1 cube of butter
• 4 cups nut meats chopped medium fine. (I use almonds..One year I did use walnuts for a different flavor)

Next add

• 7 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla (may need to add more depending on your preference)
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Thoroughly mix with your hands. Take mixture and roll into small balls and place onto wax paper in rows.

NEXT:

On the stovetop, heat a double broiler with a Block of Parafin Wax and 12 oz of chocolate chips (I've also used peanut butter chips and butterscotch chips) together. Thoroughly mix well.

Use a toothpick or some use a nail and dip premade balls into chocolate and place back on wax paper to harden.

Freezes Well. Place in a tin lined with wax or parchment paper, stack and place wax or parchment paper over the top before placing tin lid on. These were made for Temera (Farm Fairy) and Bruno last Christmas. See Link

Peppermint Ho-Ho Cake

I used to make this cake years ago (as in I haven't made it for about 8 years) minus the peppermint and called it a "hoho cake" in reference to the white filling, chocolate cake, and chocolate glaze resembling a giant Hostess hoho cake. For some reason I came up with the idea to try it with the addition of peppermint flavoring and crushed candy canes in the fluff. It's very refreshing this way. It wasn't until I started typing the ingredients that I realized the whole "hoho" thing means something different for Christmas. Ya know... Ho-HO... as in what the big guy says... anyway... Put however much peppermint you like in it. Here's hoping everyone likes it at the toy drive at church tonight!!


1 chocolate cake mix (and ing. to bake cake)
1 container chocolate frosting
12 candy canes (pulvarized to bits in the blender)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese (softened)
1 stick of butter (softened)
3 C powdered sugar
1 8 oz. tub of cool-whip (thawed)
peppermint flavoring to taste

Mix cake mix and bake. Set aside to cool. While baking and cooling, mix together the cream cheese, stick of butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint really well with a mixer. Add peppermint a little at a time, (they have different strengths depending on which one you use) and take a little taste after mixing in. You can always add more, but you obviously can't take any out. I add about 3/4 teaspoon of the one I use. Then slowly FOLD in the cool-whip until all is fluffy! Put in fridge to get cool and thicken a bit.

When cakes are cooled and filling is thickened a little, slice the cakes in half horizontally, so you now have four layers of cake. Place first layer on cake stand or plate, spread 1/3 of peppermint fluff close to edges (not completely, as it will ooze when you add more layers on top) and then sprinkle crushed candy canes all over. Repeat this two more times. After last layer is placed on top, place in fridge to chill for an hour or so. After cake has cooled, place frosting in microwave for 15 seconds at a time until pourable. Pour frosting over top of cake and let it "ooze" over the top and down the sides. Sprinkle more candy canes over the top and put back into fridge to stay cool!! Enjoy!!

Oh yah! Be sure your top layer of cake isn't wider than the rest of the layers, because if it is, then all the chocolate glaze drips off the sides and pools at the bottom instead of running beautifully down the sides as it's supposed to! Yes, that's what mine did up there, but oh well, we'll it eat anyway!!