New Christmas Traditions

[baymule]

Dad grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His family made the simplest enchiladas (or, what they called enchiladas )

It was just corn tortillas heated in a cast iron skillet covered with chopped sweet onion, cheddar cheese and hot tomato sauce. You'd go as high as you wanted with a stack of these, then put a fried egg on the very top !

The "enchiladas" were served like a stack of pancakes with Tabasco sauce. I know that DW was less than impressed so the kids must not have had much experience with them growing up but . . . How about that?!

Steve

Sounds yummy!

 

[Southern Gardener]

Sadly things do change. I miss our traditions we had in the past. Christmas Eve was always the big event; mom would have heaps of goodies and friends an family were coming and going til midnight. Sometimes we'd all go to midnight mass together and then have to be up early on Christmas Day - now everyone does their own thing. Some of us still do get together, but it's not the same.

 

[Jared77]

Sorry about that here ya go;

Baked French Toast

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.


The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

 

[Greenthumb18]

Sadly things do change. I miss our traditions we had in the past. Christmas Eve was always the big event; mom would have heaps of goodies and friends an family were coming and going til midnight. Sometimes we'd all go to midnight mass together and then have to be up early on Christmas Day - now everyone does their own thing. Some of us still do get together, but it's not the same.

Its the same in my family too, Southern Gardener. Life does change and it won't seem like it was in the past. We used to all get together in the past but now its as if everyone's on their own. Its a shame as that's what Christmas is about getting the family together. What I would do for those good old days.

 

[digitS']

Sorry about that here ya go;

Baked French Toast

. . .

O . . My . . Gosh!

Steve

 

[journey11]

Jared, those sound positively decadent! I'm afraid I could only get away with eating them once a year. Perfect for Christmas breakfast...or maybe I'll save that recipe for my birthday.

 

[desertcat]

That French toast sounds lethal...have to make it!

I'm in the middle of reinventing Christmas traditions this year. Lost Mom last year, MIL is in the unfun stages of Alzheimers and my sister doesn't want to travel for Christmas, so I kinda have a blank slate . Like others, I grew up with the holidays being all about family and lots of it. So this year, I've sent invitations to all the folks I know that don't have family that they are speaking to to join my hubby and I on Christmas Eve. It's a crazy mix of people, but I know we will have fun.

 

[digitS']

Oh, desertcat .

. . I think .

. . you've got the a very un-crazy idea!

Steve

 

[Jared77]

Yes its NOT good for you so its literally a once a year recipe. We have an agreement at our house we ONLY make it for Christmas morning. However as bad as it is for you, it tastes EVEN BETTER!!!! Its the one and ONLY time we just relax and don't think about what makes up the dish and how its waaaay out of proportion for what we should be eating. We pull out the wine glasses fill them with OJ, eat off the Christmas plates with the really nice silverware that her grandmother got us as wedding present and all sit down for breakfast Christmas morning with my MIL and my wife's stepfather then we open up gifts.

And in case your wondering its a Paula Dean recipe. My wife stumbled onto it while surfing Food Networks website (there are a LOT of great recipes on that site and many of them are not nearly as lethal lol) looking for something good that we could prep ahead of time and just toss in the oven when we got up Christmas morning. I won't lie its really nice to get up, turn the oven on, and be ready to eat in 40 minutes. No messy kitchen, no hours away from everybody else locked in the kitchen chained to the stove and oven preparing a meal, or forgetting something was on the stove and making a mess. The timer goes off, serve it up, and everybody eats.

 

[so lucky]

That sounds like a wonderful tradition. The good china and wine glasses make it even better.