A Holiday Tradition

When I recall Christmas from my childhood, I may not always remember who was at the house a particular year or what presents I received, but I vividly remember three things:  a savory cheese ball coated with chili powder; a platter of German Christmas Cookies decorated with red, green, yellow and white icing; a punch bowl surrounded by a garland of poinsettias and filled with Kool-Aid punch.  My mother only made these goodies at Christmas which made them special.

I don't follow my mother's Christmas tradition -- I only make the cheese ball and punch every few years -- except for the Christmas cookies.  I've made these cookies every Christmas for the last 18 years.  Last Christmas, when my brother and his family visited from Atlanta, for old time's sake, I made all three items just like our mother did every Christmas.

The punch uses a package of cherry Kool-Aid which gives it a beautiful red hue that's perfect for Christmas.  If you prefer a green punch, use a package of lime Kool-Aid instead of cherry.

The easiest way to make the punch is with a clean gallon milk jug.  Pour the contents of the lemonade and cherry Kool-Aid packages in the jug, along with sugar and 2 cups water.  Put the lid on the jug and shake it to combine the ingredients.

Add a large can of pineapple juice.

Add water to completely fill the jug.

Put on the lid, shake the jug to combine the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.  I make the punch a day or two ahead of time so it gets thoroughly chilled.

If you're not using a gallon jug, stir the ingredients thoroughly whenever the recipe calls for shaking the jug to combine the ingredients.  You'll need to add 7 1/2 cups water after you add the pineapple juice.

When my mother was ready to serve the punch, she poured it into a punch bowl and added a quart of pineapple sherbet.  The sherbet gave the punch a creamy consistency and the small chunks of pineapple added some texture.  I'm not a fan of sherbet or ice cream in punch so I leave it out. However, if you like sherbet, go ahead and add it to the punch bowl.  If you're using lime Kool-Aid, add a quart of lime sherbet instead of pineapple.  After you add the sherbet, stir in a can of chilled 7-Up.

Most punch recipes call for a carbonated beverage such as Sprite, ginger ale or 7-Up.  My mother tried all three beverages over the years, but the best punch was always made with 7-Up.  We only drink diet drinks, but this is one time we'll use the real thing.  You can still make the punch with diet 7-Up, but it's not as good.

To make sure the last glass of punch tastes as good as the first, add a quart of sherbet and a can of chilled 7-Up everytime you replenish the punch bowl.  If you're not using sherbet, just add the can of 7-Up.

Now that I'm a mother, I can appreciate why my mother only made these items at Christmas.  She knew not only was it something to look forward to, but something to look back on with fond memories that last a lifetime.  

I serve the punch in the same punch bowl

my mother always used.

Kool-Aid Punch

18 Servings

1 (2 qt.) size pkg. unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid

1 (2 qt.) size pkg. unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 (46 oz.) can unsweetened pineapple juice
water (enough to fill the jug or 7 1/2 cups)

pineapple sherbet

12 oz. cans 7-Up, chilled

Put the first four ingredients in a clean gallon jug; shake to combine.  Add pineapple juice.  Finish filling the jug with water; shake well.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.  When ready to serve, pour mixture in a punch bowl.  Add 1 quart pineapple sherbet and 1 can 7-Up; stir gently. When replenishing the punch bowl, add another quart of sherbet and can of 7-Up.

© Margaret's Morsels

Thirst Quencher

Several years ago when my mother-in-law celebrated a milestone birthday, we hosted a luncheon for her at our house.  Since it was spring, I served my favorite warm weather meal:  individual mounds of chicken salad topped with a sprig of fresh parsley served on a bed of lettuce, cherry gelatin fruit salad made in individual molds, raw veggies with dip, a basket of croissants and, as with any family function, fruit tea.


I wanted to offer another beverage other than soft drinks and water, but didn't want to serve punch since the only sweet item on the menu was birthday cake.  I had recently attended an event where Cranberry Orange Cooler was served and decided to make it for the luncheon.  Everyone loved it!  In fact, it ran out before the fruit tea.


With summer fast approaching, I thought this would be a great time to share the recipe.  The recipe uses four ingredients and takes only a few minutes to prepare.  Like so many recipes, it's best made a day ahead of time so the ingredients have time to blend.


A lot of drink recipes call for the ingredients to be combined in a bowl and stirred until the sugar is dissolved.  The directions for Cranberry Orange Cooler say to heat the cranberry juice cocktail and orange juice first.  Out of curiosity, I decided to make a batch and see what would happen if I didn't heat the ingredients first.  It wasn't pretty.  Instead of a beautiful pink shade, I ended up with one that looked like this:

Science isn't my forte so I have no idea what caused this to happen.  The beverage still tastes the same so, if you don't care what the finished product looks like, you can prepare it without heating the ingredients first.


If you want a more aesthetically pleasing color, heat the cranberry juice cocktail and orange juice on low heat until warm; don't let the mixture boil. Pour the warm juices over the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate the mixture.


Although the beverage is served cold, it's nice to serve it over ice.  Regular ice cubes dilute the beverage.  To avoid this problem, freeze some of the leftover orange juice.  You can even freeze some of the Cranberry Orange Cooler if you have enough.


You can use any ice cube tray.  I prefer silicone ones.  Not only are they available in a variety of shapes and sizes, the ice cubes are easy to remove.  A quick and easy way to fill these small compartments is with a bulb baster.

A bulb baster's not only for basting a turkey.

For a ladies luncheon or shower, I like to use this ice cube tray with three different types of flowers:

If I want whimsical ice cubes, I freeze orange juice in ice cube trays with compartments shaped like orange slices.  If you purchase additional cranberry juice cocktail, you can freeze some of it in ice cube trays with round compartments.  The ice cubes would give the illusion of orange slices and cranberries, but without the choking hazard of real fruit.

Ice cubes that resemble orange slices.

Cranberry Orange Cooler is a versatile recipe.  Not only is it a refreshing tangy fruit drink, the beautiful pink shade makes it an ideal beverage for baby or bridal showers.  It's also a good way to get your kids to drink juice!

Cranberry Orange Cooler

6 to 8 Servings

1 cup sugar

1 (2 qt.) bottle cranberry juice cocktail

2 cups pulp free orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

Put sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside.  Heat the cranberry juice cocktail and orange juice over low heat until warm, but not boiling.  Pour warm juices over sugar; stir until dissolved.  Add lemon juice; mix well. Refrigerate. 

© Margaret's Morsels