Mummy Dogs

These make a fun Halloween Treat, but my kids love them so much that

we make them all year round.

Ingredients:

16 hot dogs

1/2 batch of this basic dough

1 egg

Mustard, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375. Unwrap the hot dogs and have them ready on a plate.  Roll out the dough very thin, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut skinny strips of dough.

Holding the hot dog in one hand, use your other hand to begin wrapping it in one of the strips of dough.  Leave a little bit of open space around the "face" of the mummy.  Tuck the end piece underneath the mummy dog.  Repeat with all the hot dogs & lay them on a greased baking sheet.

Make a glaze by cracking an egg into a small bowl.  Whisk in 1 Tablespoon of water.  Lightly brush the glaze all over the top of each mummy dog. Bake them for 18-20 minutes, until the dough is nice and golden brown. 

Before serving, dot the mummy dogs with little mustard "eyes."  If you are making this for Halloween, serve them on a black platter or iron griddle.

Recipe Credit:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holiday's

Basic Dough

This dough is amazing !  You can use it for all sorts of things . . . cinnamon rolls, mummy dogs, hot cross buns, etc.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Milk

1 Cup of oil

1 Cup of Sugar

9 Cups of Flour

4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast

1 teaspoon of baking powder (High Altitude - 1/2 scant teaspoon of baking powder)

1 scant teaspoon of baking soda (High Altitude - 1/2 scant teaspoon  of baking soda)

1 tablespoon salt

Combine the milk and oil in a large pot.  Add the sugar and stir it around.  Heat it almost to a boil and then turn off the heat.  Let the mixture cool until it's warm.  Add 8 Cups of flour along with the yeast.  Stir it around until it is combined.  It will be sticky.  Cover the mixture with the lid of the pot or a dish towel and let it sit for an hour or so (I usually set it inside my oven - with the oven turned off - just to help it rise).  After it has risen, sprinkle in the remaining cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir gently to combine or use your hands to knead it until it is combined.  Now you can roll the dough out on a floured surface and use it for whatever you are using the dough for today.  I find that if I roll the dough out on a piece of foil or parchment paper it makes my clean up a LOT easier.

Recipe Credit:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holidays pg. 89

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

I have fallen in love with Mama's Cheddar Cheese.  It's hard to find, but when I find it I grab it up.  It's sooooo good.  It's really more velveeta like, but it is oh so good!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of butter

1 large onion, diced

1/3 Cups of flour

5 Cups of Milk

1 Cup of Cream

Salt and Pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

4 Cups of broccoli, cut into florets

1/2 Cup of chicken broth

3 Cups of Mama's Cheddar Cheese

Small round (kib) bread loaves for bowls (if you want to serve it in a bread bowl)

In a large pot, melt the butter and sautee the onions for 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour on top and whisk it around until it is combined.  Add the milk and cream and whisk it constantly until it is combined.  Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the broccoli florets.  Stir the soup well and then cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer the soup until it is thickened and the broccoli is tender, 20-25 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth & then throw in the cheese.  Stir it until the cheese is melted.  Add salt to taste.

Garnish with Avacado, Tomato, Cheese, Chips, etc.

If you want  to make a bread bowl, cut a circle at an angle out of the top of the round bread.  Remove the lid.  Press the remaining bread down on the bottom and around the sides & then it will be ready to fill with your favorite soup.

Recipe Credit:  Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holiday's

Deviled Eggs

This is another dish that is always on our Holiday Table.  It's also an easy dish to make in Ethiopia.

Ingredients:

8 Hard Boiled Eggs 

6 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional: Cayenne Pepper

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half.  Remove the yolk and put them in another bowl.  Mix it together with the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.  Mix well & then put the mixture in a plastic bag.  Cut the corner off the bag and then pipe the egg yolk mixture onto the eggs.  

Optional:  Sprinkle the tops with paprika, sprinkle with parsley, add an olive or pickle slice on top.

Veggie Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas!  We made a veggie Christmas Tree for our Christmas Eve Lunch.  I figured I'd get a few veggies in my kiddos before we had all kinds of non-healthy food for Christmas.  We served this with Hummus. 

I just happened to have pretzels on hand for the tree trunk.  You could use the stem of the broccoli or another type of vegetable to make the stem.

Green Bean Casserole

 

This is another meal that is always on our holiday table. It's really easy to make!

1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup - I make one batch of this Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup of Milk

2 cans of Green Beans or 3 1/2 Cups of cooked fresh green beans

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/3 Cups of French Fried Onions*

* I've found french fried onions in Ethiopia before, but they are not here on a regular basis.  I usually have somebody mail me some french fried onions.  You can make your own though.  Just cut up 1 1/3 Cups of Onions in small strips.  Dip them in raw egg & then cover them with flour and then fry them in a frying pan with a little oil.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is on our table at every Holiday meal.  We love sweet potato casserole!  My Mother-in-Law gave me this recipe when we first got married.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (or 3 cans of drained sweet potatoes) *

1 Cup of sugar

2 eggs beaten

1/2 Cup of Milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 Cup of melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Topping Ingredients:

 1 Cup of brown sugar

1/2 Cup of flour

1/3 Cup of melted butter

1 Cup of chopped pecans**

Combine all ingredients & pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Mix and crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

* Sweet Potatoes - You can buy sweet potatoes at most of the vegetable stands in November and December.  They are white sweet potatoes vs. the orange sweet potatoes that we get in the States.  They taste very similar, but I always add orange food coloring (or red and yellow mixed) to make it look more like American sweet potatoes. Remove the skin and then you can steam the potatoes or boil them in water to cook them & then mash them.

**I've seen pecans at Safeway and Shoa - I actually have someone mail or bring me pecans before the Holiday season begins.