Post by Karen @ www.bakinginatornado.com
Being a Mom is stressful. Holiday time can add to that stress. I’ve been a Mom for a while, and I’m now the Mom of teenagers so I’ve had some time to work out some strategies for surviving the holidays. I want to share them because I kinda wish someone had shared with me, instead of letting me stumble my way through all those years without a plan.
After a long day, week, month of endless fighting for parking spaces, jostling through the crowds, standing in line to pay for something you don’t want to be seen with that’s for someone you don’t like, listening to “Jingle Bells” for the 795 time, and sitting in traffic through 6 light cycles just to head home to cranky kids determined not to like dinner, a survival plan is a necessity.
It starts right about the time school lets out. I’m sure it’s a coincidence, but that’s how it worked out. For those of you with young ones, that translates to right when afternoon nap ends. The kids get up from their nap or come home from school and the first thing they want is a snack and a drink. Perfect. Mom’s kinda thirsty too. Shove a cookie or two into the kids, then put a cup of Apple Cider into the microwave for a minute and a half. When it comes out, secretly add an ounce or two of Orange Liqueur (this is delish but whatever you have is fine, I’ve been known to resort to . . .well, that’s a story for another day). Now let me warn you that this will warm you from the inside out so you may have to act very nonchalant as you strip down to your bra, but we’re Moms, if we can explain where babies come from, we can explain anything.
For dinner, be sure to serve something that goes with Cranberry Sauce. It really goes with most anything; meat, poultry, fish, probably not spaghetti sauce, but again, we’re Moms, we can be creative.
There are 2 secrets to my Cranberry Sauce. One, I tell the kids there’s Spinach in it. Two, it’s made with – you guessed it - Orange Liqueur.
With dessert adults often have coffee. No explanation necessary. You’re welcome to have decaf, we’ll be adding combustibles from other sources (wink). . .
And with our coffee, Chocolate Almond Biscotti. You can find the recipe here: http://www.bakinginatornado.com/2012/09/doctor-orders.html
Don’t tell but I may replace some of the coffee in the biscotti recipe with Coffee Liqueur. Nobothy will notith . . . promishhhh (hiccup).
Cranberry Sauce
*NOTE: If certain people are watching, take out the spinach and put it conspicuously on the counter, but whatever you do, don’t add it to the cranberry sauce.
Ingredients:
¼ cup dried Apricots, chopped
3 TBSP Orange Liqueur
1 (12oz) package of fresh Cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 oz package of Pecan halves, toasted
Directions:
*Cover the bottom rack of the oven with foil just in case it bubbles over.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Mix cranberries and sugar in a glass 9 X 13 dish. Cover with foil.
*Bake for 20 minutes, stir, bake another 15 minutes or so until the cranberries burst.
*While they are cooking, toast the Pecans by placing them on a metal tray in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes, stir and return for 2 minute intervals till they just start to turn golden. Don’t overcook as they’ll continue to brown when they come out of the oven.
*Also while the cranberries are cooking, put the dried apricots Orange Liqueur into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool.
*Once the cranberries are done, mix well and when cool enough, move to serving dish. Add the apricots with the orange liqueur.
*Once it’s totally cooled, mix in the pecans. Store in the fridge.
*This can be made a few days in advance.
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