12 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 12

I started this series with my go to Christmas gift from the kitchen, Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies.  I want to end the series with the gift my mother made and gave to friends, relatives and neighbors for close to 30 years.  Instead of something sweet, she gave people a small cheese ball and a sleeve of Ritz crackers.  Why Ritz crackers?  When made in a log shape, a slice of the cheese ball fits perfectly on a Ritz cracker.

© Margaret's Morsels

12 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 2

The recipe I shared yesterday is the cookie I've been gifting at Christmas for years.  However, with its blend of cloves, ginger and cinnamon, nothing smells more like Christmas to me than Molasses Sugar Cookies.

© Margaret's Morsels

12 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 1

This time of the year, I start getting emails with 12 days of Christmas cookie recipes.  Since I love giving gifts from the kitchen, I thought I'd share 12 recipes -- not all of them cookies -- that would make wonderful Christmas gifts.  I hope to share one or two new recipes, but I can't make any promises. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

What better way to start this series than with the recipe I shared five years ago in a post titled, "Gifts from the Kitchen."  I've been making these three (four if you use sprinkles) ingredient cookies at Christmas for years.  I prefer chocolate almond bark, but you can use vanilla if you want a white cookie.  Seasonal sprinkles add a festive touch to the cookies.

Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies

© Margaret's Morsels

Luscious Layers

I've been on the road a lot the last few years.  One advantage to all this traveling is I have the opportunity to read newspaper food sections from other cities.  In fact, it was on a trip a few years ago that I acquired the recipe I'm sharing today.  I don't remember which city I was in, but I do remember coming home after the trip, buying the ingredients and making the recipe.  It's been a family favorite ever since.

Strawberry Delight Cake is a delicious summertime dessert.  It's refreshing, easy to make and there's no baking involved!  The recipe calls for sugar-free ingredients, but you can substitute ingredients with sugar or use a combination of the two.  It's pretty to layer the ingredients in a clear glass bowl or, if you have enough of them, mini trifle bowls.

The recipe starts with a store bought angel food cake.  You can substitute pound cake, but angel food cake is lighter and airier since the only fat it uses is stiffly beaten egg whites.  I use a white angel food cake, but you can use strawberry if you can find one.

To make the layers equal, cut the cake in half vertically.

If you want to use a knife to cut the cake into cubes, slice each cake half into vertical pieces

and then cut them into cubes.

Or, just tear the cake into cubes with your fingers.

Once the cake has been cubed, put half the cake cubes in the bottom of a glass bowl.

Mix a box of vanilla pudding with milk according to the package directions.

Pour the pudding mixture over the bottom layer of cake cubes.

Put the remaining cake cubes over the layer of pudding.

Combine a package of frozen strawberries with a container of strawberry glaze.  If you use frozen whole strawberries, slice or halve them before combining with the glaze.  This is easier to do if the strawberries are partially frozen.  You can substitute fresh strawberries, but slice them before mixing them with the glaze. 

Pour the strawberry mixture over the top layer of cake cubes, spreading to cover completely.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.  When you're ready to serve it, scoop the dessert into bowls and, if desired, top with whipped cream.

I always think about this recipe when I'm traveling because another great recipe might be in the next newspaper food section I read!

Strawberry Delight Cake

8 to 10 Servings

1 sugar-free white or strawberry angel food cake, cut into cubes

1 (1 oz.) pkg. sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups milk

1 (16 oz.) pkg. no sugar added frozen strawberries (or fresh strawberries)

1 (12.75 to 15 oz.) container sugar-free strawberry glaze

whipped cream (optional)

Spread half the cake cubes in the bottom of a 2-quart glass bowl.  Mix pudding and milk according to package directions; pour over bottom layer of cake cubes to completely cover.  Spread remaining cake cubes over pudding layer.  Halve or slice strawberries (easier to do if partially frozen); fold together with strawberry glaze.  Spread over top layer of cake cubes to completely cover.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Spoon into serving bowls and top with whipped cream, if desired.

© Margaret's Morsels

A Well Stocked Refrigerator

After I posted a blog about a well stocked pantry, several readers emailed and asked what I keep in my refrigerator and freezer.  I'm happy to share the information, but it's not as well stocked as my pantry!

Right now in my refrigerator, I have a variety of condiments -- mayonnaise, catsup, mustard, jelly -- salad dressings, bacon bits, pickles and pickle relish.  I also have lemon juice and Parmesan cheese which I use on a fairly regular basis.  I also keep a bottle of corn syrup on hand.  I don't use corn syrup in a lot of recipes, but I use it enough that I finish the bottle before the expiration date.

We drink a lot of milk so there's always one if not two gallons of 1% milk in the refrigerator.  Eggs are also a staple at our house as is margarine.

Things are a little more interesting in the meat/cheese drawer.

I keep a package of bacon on hand.  It's great for breakfast, but I also use it in dishes such as green bean bundles, easy stove top beans and marinated pork tenderloin.  Luncheon meat of one kind or another is in the drawer as is cheese.  We love cheese as is evidenced by the packages of Cheddar, American and string cheese!

I keep fruit on hand all the time.  The day the picture was taken I had grapes, but apples, oranges and fresh pineapple also make a regular appearance in this drawer.

The contents of the vegetable drawer change from week to week.  There's almost always a package of salad mix and baby carrots.  There's no baby carrots in this picture because we finished them a couple of days before the picture was taken.  On this particular day, the drawer contained broccoli which was going to be steamed as a side dish plus a stalk of celery some of which was used in a casserole.

My freezer compartment isn't very interesting either.  I don't make biscuits or pie crusts so I keep a package of each in the freezer, along with a carton of Cool Whip.  I try to keep garlic bread, single size servings of macaroni and cheese and several varieties of frozen vegetables on hand. I find it helpful to keep frozen breakfast items on hand for mornings when I don't have time to cook.  I keep a one pound package of ground beef in the freezer plus packages of precooked meatballs and precooked country fried steak.  These three items are real time savers when plans change and I need to alter the menu on short notice.

When it comes to perishables, I prefer to buy them as I need them.  That way, they'll be fresh plus they're not taking up space in the refrigerator. What are your indispensable items for the refrigerator or freezer?

© Margaret's Morsels

Party Food

I always loved planning birthday parties for my son.  When he was younger, he'd choose a theme -- building, cars, Legos -- and we'd plan food and games to go with the theme.  Although the theme changed every year, one thing remained the same.  He always wanted Little Corn Dogs, also known as pigs in a blanket, on the menu.


You can buy pigs in a blanket in the freezer section at the grocery, but if you have the time they're easy to make.  All you need is canned dough and cocktail wieners.  Most recipes use a can of crescent rolls.  The recipe I liked and made for years used a can of cornbread twists instead. Unfortunately, cornbread twists are no longer on the market.  All is not lost, though, because you can recreate the taste and texture with only one additional ingredient.


I don't care for pigs in a blanket made with crescent rolls so I substitute a can of breadsticks.  After I take the breadsticks out of the can, I coat both sides with the secret ingredient:  cornmeal.  The cornmeal is what gives the finished product a wonderful texture.

I coat the dough before cutting it into thirds.

There are 12 breadsticks in a can so I cut the breadsticks into thirds.  This gives me 36 pieces which is enough for one 14 ounce package of cocktail wieners.  The easiest way to assemble them is to put the cocktail wiener on one end of the dough and roll the wiener and dough to the other end. Once the wiener is covered with dough, roll the seam back and forth on the work surface to smooth the seam and seal it completely.

Start rolling from one end to the other.

Most directions say to bake the pigs in a blanket at the temperature listed on the can of dough.  I think they brown better if they're baked at a higher temperature.  I bake them at 450° until the dough is brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Today is my son's birthday, but he doesn't want a party or pigs in a blanket this year.  He requested Marinated Baked Chicken for supper instead.  At least he still wants Peanut Butter Pie instead of cake for dessert.  I guess some things never change!

Little Corn Dogs

1 (11 oz.) can refrigerated breadsticks

1 (14 oz.) pkg. cocktail wieners

cornmeal (optional)

Coat breadsticks with cornmeal, if desired.  Separate breadsticks into strips.  Cut strips into thirds.  Wrap each strip around one cocktail wiener. Place seam side down on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450° for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

© Margaret's Morsels