We are in the thick of yummy food season, so I thought I would share a round-up of some of our family’s favorite holiday recipes.  There are still a few more that I need to add to the blog like Linda’s sweet potato casserole, our Christmas cheese grits, and Rosa’s cheese spread.  It’s always such a flurry in the kitchen during the holidays that I don’t always think about taking pictures!  I just need to get things made and in the oven.

Anyway, here are some holiday recipes we enjoy making and eating through the holiday season…

pomegranate & barley salad

I will readily admit that this holiday recipe is a strange one, but this pomegranate & barley salad is surprisingly yummy and a great way to use seasonal pomegranate.  In this recipe, I also share some tips on seeding a pomegranate quickly and efficiently.  This makes a good snack or cereal during the holidays and is quick and easy to make.  I’m sure it also has lots of antioxidants and whole grains, so you can feel like you’re eating healthily.”

no-fail apple pie

This is the holiday recipe my family looks forward to most – no-fail apple pie.  After years of pie-making failure, a wonderful woman in PA taught me how to make a perfect apple pie.  She grew up on an apple orchard and so she knows a thing or two about apple pie.  This one is flavorful and perfectly textured.  It’s a very good pie and an easy one!

nuts & bolts

This holiday recipe is very nostalgic for me.  I have vivid memories of my Oma hunched over the oven, stirring nuts & bolts in a huge roasting pan and then storing them in a Charles Chips metal tin.  Over the years, I’ve tweaked the recipe to our tastes and omitted things like peanuts (that half of our family is allergic to), but it’s still the same basic classic recipe.  I always make a big batch around Christmas and eat it as my snack until it’s gone.  I look forward to it every year!

Rosa’s fruit salad

I can’t even remember life without Rosa’s fruit salad at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.  It is a family staple and one of my favorites.  I’ve never seen another recipe like it, but it will definitely bring you back to the 1950s!  I love citrus, so this salad is a must.

gingerbread

The funny thing about gingerbread is that none of us eat it!  Marshall sometimes will eat a cookie or two, but these are ones we make for fun and to use as decor.  Here are some tips for gingerbread house success…

And here are the gingerbread house recipe & templates I use each year.  I’ll make a mix of small houses and ornaments.

holiday simmer pot

This is another one that we don’t eat, but I love putting a fall & winter simmer pot on the stove.  I’ll just throw this and that into a pot of water and let it simmer on the stove for hours.  I’ll turn it off and night and simmer it some more the next day.  It’s a great way to use orange peels, apple cores, etc.

maple house sugar cookies

This is a new favorite family holiday recipe this year, but it will be a regular thing.  I’ve already made them twice and they just fly off the plate.  These maple sugar house cookies also make a nice gift or an easy cookie to bring to cookie swaps & events.

These are just a few of our favorite new and old holiday recipes that I’ve shared on the blog over the years.  Have you tried making any of these (or something similar?)  What are some of your holiday staples?