A Few of Our Favorite Holiday Recipes

*Fair Warning: This is THE longest post of all time, but I promise you it’s worth it. Read it in segments if that helps!

Every year around the holidays I get the pleasure of listening to my coworkers discuss their signature recipes for their own family gatherings. I’m continually put to shame because, let’s be real, yours truly doesn’t cook.

(Actually, it’s not that I don’t like cooking, it’s just that I haven’t had many occasion to cook for. Cooking for one is pretty lame and as a single girl, I’m fairly content with a bowl of cereal each night. Don’t be fooled though, when my time comes, I will have no problem asking for the cooking anointing.)

About a week ago Beth came up with this brilliant idea to collect recipes from our co-workers to share with you, our beloved Siestas. While you won’t see one from me (Lindsee) on here, you will get a taste (pun intended) of some of our favorite holiday recipes. Eleven of our fourteen coworkers, including Beth, submitted their favorite family recipes and we are so delighted to share them all with you. (I’m also going to attempt to briefly explain to you what each of them do at LPM, which you may or may not find interesting, because sometimes it’s fun to picture who is serving you.) They are not necessarily all “Christmas Day” recipes, but more so holiday recipes, some you can use all year long, some are fun for New Years Eve, and a few are meant to be eaten on Christmas morning.

They also range from side dishes, to appetizers, to drinks and desserts! What’s not to love? To make it a bit more reader friendly and easy on the eyes, I’ve written out each recipe on a virtual recipe card and if you click on it, you can print out the card itself instead of having to always refer to this blog post. However, now that we all live in the land of smart phones, it is just as easy to bookmark this page in your websites for quick and easy access.

(But seriously, is the card not adorable? I printed them each at a fun website called Skip To My Lou. You should check it out. Adorable.)

The ONLY recipe you won’t find in a card is our Siesta Mama’s. Naturally, she wanted to bless you all with her dressing recipe and unfortunately, it won’t fit on the card. But that’s okay because she even has a visual for you all. If you want to print hers out (at the bottom), simply copy and paste her portion into a word document and you’re good to go!

You’ll see that some recipes have two cards because it requires the main dish and an icing or topping.

Here is a list of categories and titles of our favorite dishes:

Appetizers:
Blue Cheese Balls or Spread

Side Dishes:
Cornbread Muffins
Sweet potato Soufflé (Two recipe cards)
(Roughly) My Nanny’s Cornbread Dressing (This is the only recipe out of order and you’ll see it at the end of this post.)

Main Course:
Christmas Brunch Casserole

Dessert:
Chocolate Drops
Flaky Peanut Butter Brittle
Missy B’s Canadian Sugar Cookies (Two recipe cards)
Best Friend Cookies

Drinks:
Egg Nog

Snacks:
Christmas Mix

Susan is our resident chef at LPM. But aside from being our resident chef, she works in our correspondence department doing general email correspondence. Also, Susan is our resident counselor. Everyone here wants a piece of her wisdom. Grin.

Our beloved Diane heads up our resource department. If you’ve had an issue with a Bible study order, a scratched DVD or just had a general question about a product, you may very likely have spoken to her on the phone. She also loves animals more than anyone I know. We love her!

Sabrina directs what we refer to as Living Proof Ministries. She runs our ministry with godly business sense she gained from her time in the corporate world and keeps things in order. Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you everything she does because I simply do not know, but I know she works hard! We’re grateful for her leadership in so many areas.

Sherry has one of the sweetest hearts and gentle souls you’ll ever meet and we only get to see her two days a week since she’s a busy young mama of two boys. You’re going to laugh when I tell you I THINK she works and helps out in our resource/accounting department. (But I’m going to double check on that. I’d hate to lead you astray.)

If you’ve ever written and sent a letter to our dear Beth at LPM, you’ve most likely heard from the encouraging Nancy Mattingly. She works in our snail mail correspondence department. To know Nancy is to love her. I bet you’d agree if you’ve ever received a letter from her! Not to mention she gives the world’s best back scratches and massages. It’s truly a ministry.

I’m lucky because I get to share an office with Jennifer Hamm twice a week. I’m far from being a mama, but when I grow up I want to parent just like her and Sherry. They bless me so! Jennifer heads up all of our events, not the least of which is Tuesday Night Bible study. No small feat. And she rocks it. She is also the woman behind all things SSMT Celebration, which might bless you!

Oh, KMac. We have two Kimberly’s on staff, which is how this Kimberly adopted the name KMac. KMac is Beth’s personal assistant and the best of the best. One of the most efficient and humble people I’ve ever had the chance to meet. Plus, her laugh is loud and contagious. (And not the obnoxious loud, but the good loud.)

You may have heard a few Johnnie stories in the past because she and Beth raised their children together. Also, she is hilarious! Johnnie also works in our correspondence department, but more specifically, she answers your questions about certain books or Bible studies and she also would be the one to send you replies or the commissioning from the LPL conferences. For this recipe card, instead of listing the ingredients in one section and the process in another section, it is listed out by steps (Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3), so your best bet is to follow the steps. I hope it’s not too confusing!

You see Evangeline, but we refer to her as Vangie, or, our resident diva. And we’ve never loved anybody more than we’ve love Vangie. Not to mention she can pray the house down, and I mean it when I say it. She is a gift and a warrior! Vangie works in our resource department heading up our volunteers and packaging. So if you’ve ever received a product from LPM wrapped in pink tissue paper, you have Vangie to thank!

Kimberly Meyer is everyone’s best friend. You may be grinning, but I’m not kidding. She could talk to a tree (and I mean that in the most endearing way possible), which is why she is our LPM admin and properties manager. Kimberly answers our phones and speaks to every single person that calls…all day long. She is also our prayer chaplain. My favorite thing about Kimberly is that after talking with a lady for a solid 20 minutes and praying over them, she’ll explain to them that we really can’t give counseling here at LPM but she’s so happy to give them a number of another ministry that they could call for further assistance. Oh, and if LPM needed a cheerleader, she’s our girl. Most likely, if you’ve ever called LPM, you’ve heard sweet Kimberly’s voice. We’re grateful for her joyful spirit! It’s contagious.

And lastly but certainly not least, a recipe and a note from Beth herself, which is far better than any introduction I could give you. But just in case you’re unaware, Beth is our resident Bible study teacher, fearless leader, brilliant author and amazing boss. Needless to say, we love her so, so much.

(Roughly) My Nanny’s Cornbread Dressing

I say roughly, Sisters, because none of the women in my family have ever wanted anyone else in the kitchen. My sisters and I were not taught to cook at our mother or grandmother’s knee like some of you were. We were told to play outside or someone was “gonna to cut a switch.” I write these words with delight, not spite. If I’d had five children under one roof, I would have threatened the same thing. My brothers and sisters and I have each figured out our cornbread dressing recipes based on taste. Below is the closest I’ve come in my kitchen to my mother, Aletha’s, and grandmother, Minnie Ola’s, recipes. The only reason I’m braving this recipe is because young cooks ask constantly for dressing recipes and hardly anyone coughs one up because no one has it written down. So, please, at least give me an “B+” for effort here because your blog mama loves you and she’s willing to give it a happy shot. I don’t stuff my turkey with this. I bake it separately but you can certainly use this for stuffing. Just Google the variance in preparation. This recipe will make far more than you can stuff into a turkey. If you have a smaller family, half it and you’ll have plenty.

Ingredients:
4 pieces of bacon, fried crispy for the bacon grease alone. Eat the bacon while no one is looking and save the fat for this recipe.

Two batches of baked cornbread

4 baked biscuits. I do not know why. Because my grandmother used them and so did my mom. That’s why. The cheap Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits in the can work great. That’s what I use every time.

3 pieces of plain white toast

1 cup of butter

2 chopped onions

½ cup or so of chopped celery (To your taste. I use a bit more because I like celery.)

Salt, pepper, and sage to taste

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 eggs

Instructions:
*Fry bacon in an iron skillet if you have one and remove the bacon. If you fry them in a regular pan, just pour the drippings into your baking dish.

*Mix up a double batch of cornbread according to the recipe on the back of any bag of cornmeal. (I always substitute the vegetable oil in a cornbread recipe for an equal amount of Crisco shortening because the shortening makes it so much lighter and fluffier.) We want it light and fluffy!!

*Pour the batter into a nice, hot skillet with the bacon grease in it and bake until it is done all the way in the middle. (I’m feeling compulsive like I need to say stuff like, “Don’t let your grease catch on fire!” But I am going to assume many of you have some basic kitchen experience.) You’ll know it’s done when a sharp knife should come out clean from the center. (Don’t cut yourself on the knife. Stop it, Beth.)

*Bake about 4 biscuits according to directions. The cheap Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits in the can are perfect. (I do not know why. Because my Nanny did and my mother did, that’s why.) It’s awkward to just bake 4 so go ahead and bake the whole can and eat what’s left with your bacon.

*Toast about 3 pieces of white bread.

(A friend of mine uses the equivalent of crumbled white French bread instead of biscuits and toast. It’s the same general idea: cornbread dressing usually includes some regular bread.)

*Crumble up the cooled cornbread, baked biscuits, and toast together.

Note: I do all the above on the evening before if I’m doing a noon meal or too many dishes are competing for oven space.

If you are roasting a turkey (which is optimum for great dressing), reserve a cup of the drippings for the dressing and the rest, of course, for your gravy. (Make sure the turkey is completely done before you remove drippings.) I put my drippings in a gravy separator cup like this so that the drippings will separate from the fat.

If you can’t find a measuring cup with a low spout like this, put a regular measuring cup of drippings in the refrigerator and the top layer of fat will congeal as it gets cold. You can then spoon it or scrape it off. Keep all turkey drippings in the refrigerator if you are not using them right away.

*Saute 2 chopped onions and a ½ cup (or more, to taste) chopped celery in a cup of butter. (This is not the recipe for heart health. You can eat the rest of your celery for the rest of the week if you have to.) Pour the mixture into a very large bowl with all the crumbled breads in it.

This is where you start doing it by feel and taste:
*Add salt and pepper and sage. Remember that the sage is the primary flavor that makes cornbread dressing distinct but it can certainly be overdone. Start with a tablespoon, taste the mixture and add from there to suit your taste. Add 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Add 4 cups of canned chicken broth and the cup of reserved turkey drippings. If needed, keep adding more chicken broth little by little until the mixture is just a bit wetter than you like your dressing. It will dry out some as it bakes but, if you get it too soupy, the dressing will turn out too wet. You want the consistency to be fairly dense without being dry.

*After the above mixture suits your taste, stir in 2 beaten raw eggs. (Don’t taste it after the raw eggs are added unless you are really brave.)

*Put in a large greased baking dish and bake for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. After an hour, I start touching the top of mine with my fingertips and when it’s pretty solid, I consider it done. Don’t let it get too brown on top or it will be too brickish.

I like to put a tablespoonful of baked dressing into my gravy as I make it but that’s just me. I’m not a giblet person so I give the gravy a little added texture with this little addition.

Serve with lots of cranberry sauce and, if it’s good, talk about it a lot during the meal because you earned the affirmation even if you have to give it to yourself.

Good grief, I love y’all.

And with that, we’ll call it a post and hit publish.

Be filled and be blessed!

P.S. I meant to say earlier, but by all means, if there is a recipe you’re dying to share, feel free to do so in the comments!

Share

44 Responses to “A Few of Our Favorite Holiday Recipes”

If you'd like your own pic by your comment, go to Gravatar.com. Click the first button "Get your gravatar today ->", and it will walk you through a simple process to select a picture.

Comments:

  1. 1
    Fran says:

    This is fun and brilliant and the cards are too cute!! Thanks to everyone! Merry Christmas! 🙂

  2. 2
    Sandy smith says:

    Loved the recipes…. My dressing is basically the same minus the bacon drippings and add canned of cream of mushroom soup. Delish!
    Thanks for sharing all your favs! Love y’all!
    Merry Christmas!

  3. 3
    Nancy says:

    Gee, I felt for sure we would see Peggy and my SPAM turkey recipe on this post. 🙂 Thanks for doing this! Merry Christmas!

  4. 4
    Melody says:

    Loved this post today. Not only do the recipes all sound delicious, I feel like I know the LPM staff!

  5. 5
    Joni says:

    Thank you for all the recipes. Love the cards, too. Merry Christmas to all and praying for a blessed New Year, too.
    🙂

  6. 6
    Lynne Amos says:

    “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
    Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

  7. 7
    Julie Bauguess says:

    Oh thank you….such a wonderful gift! You ALL are loved so very much! I love “be filled and be blessed”! Such a neat way to “share” the holiday’s together 🙂

  8. 8
    Susan S. says:

    Lindee,

    For Diane’s recipe card the name of the dish and her name are switched.

    You can delete this post if you like.

    • 8.1
      Lindsee says:

      Susan, thank you so much for pointing that out. I redid hers once already for a different reason, and I’ve looked at this post so much my eyes are blurry. But I will switch that as soon as I get a chance. Thanks again!

      • Linda says:

        When you make the switch for Diane’s recipe, check Nancy’s Chocolate Drops as well. Thanks so much for sharing the recipes and the personality profiles. Sounds like you work with such wonderful people. What a blessing (and all the delicious recipes are an added bonus).

  9. 9
    Susan S. says:

    And I can’t spell! Sorry: LindSee

  10. 10
    Karen says:

    I have tried to give a friend my (moms) cornbread dressing recipe. It’s very difficult since so much is by taste and feel. I watched my mom make it for years and I’ve added a chopped granny smith apple and crumbled sage sausage. Mom hardly remembers her recipes anymore, and didn’t record many of them. Glad I spent many a day in the kitchen with her!

  11. 11
    Carolyn says:

    Love how some of the recipes “names” are the participants names and some are the actual name of the recipe! Cannot wait to try the recipe “Johnnie Haines”. lol.

    Have a very memorable and awe-some Christmas as we take time to realize the INCREDIBLE gift of our Savior. INCREDIBLE.

  12. 12
    Cherie Redden says:

    Love this blog today!! It’s fun to feel like we know you all there in the office. Will use the recipes. Loved the length of Beth’s. No surprise there!!! Thank you all for all you work on our behalf.

  13. 13
    theHarborMom says:

    I may have to try the one recipe simply because I have to mix it in a trash bag. Someone made salad for 20 at my house this way and I was somewhere between amazed, inspired and weirded out. The clean up way awesome!

    Merry Christmas, Lindsee and LPM staff!

  14. 14
    christina says:

    Thank you. Fun post! I enjoyed getting the scoop on the names I’ve seen along the way. We make the same sweet potato dish as Sabrina, but I never thought to call it a souffle. Sounds fancier than plain casserole. {Wink.} I printed out a couple for sooner (cute cards, indeed!) and bookmarked the whole for later. Happy eating!

  15. 15
    Shaci says:

    I feel so blessed to have met you, vangie, KMac, Kimberly, and mrs beth almost a year ago!!! You all are sooooo sweet!!! Love you guys! 🙂

  16. 16
    Allison Lee says:

    This is SUCH a treat! Thank you girls so much!!! Woohoo!!!

  17. 17
    Diana A. says:

    That Canadian Recipe is the Bomb! Of course this Canadian would say so!;)

    Funny I’ve made those cookies for Years! and did not know it was a Country Pride thing… just enjoyed the good taste 🙂 PS you can also add other flavours to the icing like almond instead of vanilla.

    Thanks for sharing your kitchens with us…it’s more joyful when you bring offerings of good food!

    Merry Christmas & A Blessed New Year!

  18. 18
    Delinda says:

    Thank you for the post! I love visualizing the woman that you work alongside. A small part of me wants to call and chat with each one individually to get to know them more and more and more! Merry Christmas to you all.
    In Christ our RISEN King

  19. 19
    Amy says:

    Oh my goodness, this was just like reading a cute little book of stories and recipes. Thanks for sharing the LPM family with us.

  20. 20
    Judy from Clarks Hill says:

    Thanks for sharing a little bit of yourselves. I have bookmarked the page for future reference. You do make the day a bit brighter.

  21. 21
    MILLIE KAYE says:

    I chuckled when I read Beth’s recipe regarding tasting the stuffing BEFORE adding the eggs. I too do this because it’s all about how it tastes in the end, not what extra of this and that it took to get it there. I do the same thing for homemade pumpkin pie filling – tasting it as well before those eggs go in.
    May everyone at Living Proof have a blessed Christmas.

  22. 22
    Grace says:

    My favorites were the ones with the name of the recipe and the contributing cook were reversed. Hilarious! And Beth, I still remind my grown daughter to be CAREFUL carving the turkey. She always replies, “I don’t know how I make it through surgery without you.” Well, me either!

  23. 23
    Wendy Hood says:

    I make stuffing the same way as Beth, but instead of cooking as one big batch, I form it into balls and bake them on a cookie sheet. I like the crust around each one

  24. 24
    Carol says:

    Love these! And Lindsee, thank you for the cute recipe cards. You went to a lot of trouble for us. 🙂

  25. 25
    Teri says:

    What a delight! Love that you shared a bit of each of the contributors and a shared family recipe is really giving a gift of self. Merry Christmas!

  26. 26
    Nena says:

    Oh my goodnes! You ladies are incredible! Thank you so much! I am so grateful to be connected!

    God bless you all….May the light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ fill your hearts and minds forever more. Merry Christmas!!!!!!

    🙂

  27. 27
    Barbara Head says:

    I love these receipes! I printed them out. I always have good intentions but I promise to use most of them. I did not print out Beth’s cornbread dressing receipe because it is almost idential to my receipe which I also got from my mother. (Only difference is the biscuits). Maybe I missed something along the way so I may try this “mystery” ingredient. This was a wonderful idea so I thank all the staff for their efforts to share.

  28. 28
    Hannah says:

    Love the style of the recipe cards, so pretty! I think the recipes we use at this time of year are the most special.

  29. 29
    Sally H. in Sturgis, MI says:

    Thank you so much for including so many of us; I am keeping these on file. Merry Christmas to the Living Proof Family.

  30. 30
    Pamela McDonald says:

    What a wonderful idea!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us a little piece of yourselves.
    Merry Christmas to the whole Living Proof Family!

  31. 31
    Terry Bobbitt says:

    “…I am convinced that on the eighth day God created Index Cards!” – Beth Moore, “My Determined Purpose” 2003 🙂
    What a wonderful idea and I just love these adorable cards! Merry Christmas to the whole Living Proof Family!

  32. 32
    Valerie says:

    Thank you for the delicious recipes! Merry Christmas to you all & thank you for all you do.
    Love,
    Valerie

  33. 33
    Kim Huitt says:

    Thank you. Could you all come up to Alaska to cook all this for us? I’ll clean up.

  34. 34
    Avayd Ann Lacy says:

    Love, love, love the picture of you and Queen Esther, Beth. Christmas Blessings and love to you and all of yours from Kansas City.

  35. 35
    katiegfromtennessee says:

    The recipes sound great:) I want to try some of them including the dressing recipe, sounds very tasty:) My recipe is for a super simple hot tea drink: brew a cup of fine black tea and then add about a tsp of honey. Next add a little bit of half and half. Stir all together and enjoy! This stuff is soo good! I’ve drank a lot of this lately:) Blessings to you all today:)

  36. 36
    kathy blevins says:

    Thanks for the fun blog.
    My favorite recipe for the busy holidays is my M&M Casserole. It was printed in a Virginia paper years ago by a local food columnist as the easiest to take in a jiffy when invited or just too busy to cook.
    Choose a pretty covered casserole dish. Mix one package of plain M&Ms and one package of peanut M&Ms in the dish, cover and take. Everyone loves it, it is easy to prepare, and there are hardly ever any left overs.
    Merry Christmas

  37. 37
    Shirley Tait says:

    Good grief where do I start . . . that picture of you and Queen Esther is just more than adorable! ; ) Wow those recipes sure sound delightful and very yummy! Will definitely be trying them out.

    Merry Christmas and may the Lord fill your hearts with His abundant joy, and wrap you all up in His amazing love!

    Merry Christmas from Pennsylvania!

  38. 38
    Lynn says:

    Thanks for sharing all these delicious recipes.

  39. 39
    Deborah says:

    Wow, how convenient and blessed to have these! I went on web to find recipes for CHRISTMAS BRUNCH and checked out LP Blog. Excited that found this! Was looking to have some special and new things as our son is back from the Navy after 4 years in Japan. We are thrilled to have him home and all of us together for the first Christmas in 4 years. Unusual circumstances… but rejoicing in GOD’s goodness to bring us together to celebrate the greatest gift ever: JESUS! I have taken down the ingredients of many of the recipes so I am thankful you all took the time to share your treasured ones! Thanks again. Merry Christmas!

  40. 40
    Jessa says:

    So glad you shared these recipes…I used the following:
    Christmas Brunch Casserole (big hit for the family…yummy…I think sitting 12 hours in the refrigerator did it, as it soaked in all the flavor).
    For dinner, I made pot roast complimented with: sweet potato soufflé & the corn muffins. I also made a roasted grape & pear salad.
    The family LOVED it all. We had a couple who are Bible school students here from Finland and they enjoyed having a bit of American food mixed into their first Christmas in the states :).
    Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing!

  41. 41
    Holly says:

    Forgive me if this is a duplicate (internet is acting up today):

    Thank you all so much for sharing these treasures! And Lindsee, I love the website for the index cards. That will go on my list of things to do with all those loose recipes I keep acquiring. They need to be made cute!

    Merry Christmas (late) and Happy New Year to each of you!

    With Love and Prayers for your whole LPM team,
    Holly

Leave a Reply

To receive a daily digest of comments on this post, enter your email address below: