Favorite Recipe For The Holidays

Saying Goodbye To 2009

Merry Christmas Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We have been having some beautiful snowfalls here and everything has been blanketed in white. Snow mobilers are having a blast as they zip across the countryside. Downtown lights are beautiful and gleaming and everyone is getting their Christmas shopping done. Children are laughing, getting ready for Santa, and there is a chill in the air with everyone bundled up taking their annual sleigh ride. It is a time of year when everyone seems more at peace and smiles are abundant....OMG this sounds like a Christmas Carol.... I have even noticed more stores' sales staff are wishing Merry Christmas this year. You can't help but feel your heart be a bit lighter.

After a long and fruitful year, I debated how to close it out. As you all know I have written many articles that have sometimes been informative, educational, whimsical, fun and reminiscent of things I enjoy in my everyday life.

With the closing of 2009 and this being my last article for the year, I decided to keep it simple and share with you a holiday dish which was handed down to me by my beloved mother whom has since passed away from cancer in 1983. She made this every year as I was growing up, and it is a favorite recipe that I cherish for more than how delicious it is. I have neatly tucked away the very recipe card handwritten by her, and every time I read it or make the dish, I remember her fondly. She had such beautiful handwriting! (sigh)

I held tight to this little gem, not wanting to give away that tiny part we shared with each other, to anyone. It was ours, and it was special, and it is a memory of a happy time. She and my Gran always made the holidays so special, a tradition I continued by making new memories with my husband and our children. I was mom and grandma to my kids every Christmas and our home was steeped in all the tradition I could muster. She taught me so many things along with my Gran, my mom's mom, much of which was forgiveness, kindness and to see the good in people even when they are having a bad day!

This year after so many years before of holding onto the small things in life, has allowed me the opportunity to learn so many new things and to have met some wonderful new people. Sharing and growing with each day. Anyone who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks, is someone who doesn't want to learn anything new. I learn something new to this day, everyday! Some of which I have learned from you, my readers.

I have so enjoyed our time together, not only in what you have contributed as my readers through emails and the like, but also the closeness I feel with more than just some of you who write to me on a regular basis. In keeping with the Holiday spirit, I wanted to give a small piece of something I truly enjoy to everyone who supports me and my business and I hope this recipe will become a favorite for you and your family as it has for mine for the past 30 years. Some of you may have gotten a glimpse of it in my Thanksgiving Video with my Family. My daughter made it at her home.

I will rejoin all of you with my next article after the New Year! Cheers to all, and Live, Love, and Enjoy!

Let's Get To The Fixin's

Ingredients You'll Need

Crab (Krab) Dip Recipe

• 1 - 1b of Fresh Crab or Krab Flakes (substitute shrimp if you like)
  
• 1 - 8 oz packet of Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat)
  
• 2 - Packets Knox Gelatin (Unflavored)
  
• 3 - Tbs Water per packet(cold) 6 Tbs total
  
• 1 - Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
  
• 1/4 - Cup Mayonnaise
  
• 1 - Cup chopped Red or Yellow Onion ( I prefer Red for more flavor and zip)
  
• 1 - Cup Chopped Celery
  
• 2-3 Tbs Lemon Juice
  
• Optional (zing it up with some finely chopped tomato)

Add your water to the powdered gelatin and stir until dissolved.

Slightly warm your soup and cream cheese for easy blending into the mixture. (only warm if you are using full fat cream cheese) Reduced fat is already quite soft.

Now mix into the gelatin and then add all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice.

Blend well!

Kitchen Aid works very well for this recipe. It pulverizes Krab Flakes without having to chop them up.

Now add your lemon juice. Mix well!

Pour into your favorite mold if you wish for a pretty display at the table. Allow to set up in the refrigerator for a few hours. If you don't desire a mold, simply scoop into your favorite bowl and spoon from there after it sets up. You can tell it is ready when you can touch it and it feels firm just like traditional jellos.

If using a mold.....Fill sink with very hot water....now place bottom of your mold in the water for approximately 10-20 seconds and then invert onto plate. This may take several tries of redipping into the hot water with inverting it again. Kind of give it a tap to help it break the suction hold.

Voila! Beautifully displayed crab dip ready to serve with your favorite crackers, Wasa Bread or deli toast.

When I make this dip, I actually have a fish mold that I use and it looks so great. In fact I used that same mold for my Jello Mold I also featured in our Thanksgiving video during the ride over to my daughters home.

That's it everyone..... a recipe near and dear to my heart for all of you to enjoy this holiday season or any special occasion you may have in the future.

Seasons Greetings With Our Holiday Schedule

Signing off for the year, but you can find me on Twitter, or my FAN page or hopefully I'll produce a video over the holiday season....it all depends on how busy we stay. My staff is available for any assistance you may need. We will also be taking full 4 day holidays for both Christmas and New Years. So Christmas and New Years will be 3 day weeks only and we don't foresee any delays in getting orders out in a timely fashion.

Take care, and hoping all your wishes and dreams come true for 2010. Here is to a new year of love, laughter and prosperity.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

Hugs and Kisses!