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~ Special Yam Casserole ~

4 cups hot mashed yams (use fresh or a good quality canned)
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup moist coconut
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 T flour
2 T melted butter

Combine hot yams, butter, eggs and milk in bowl and beat with
mixer until consistency of mashed potatoes. Spoon into baking dish.
Mix pecans, coconut, brown sugar and flour in small bowl. Stir in butter.
Sprinkle over yam mixture. Bake for 1 hour at 325º

My Special Yam Casserole recipe was published in "Pick of the Valley" cookbook.
I make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is always a huge hit! Try it- it's a
nice change from the standard marshmallow-topped recipe. It's all about the topping!

~ Auntie Joy's Zesty Carrots ~

8 medium carrots, sliced thin into strips
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons horseradish
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Steam the carrots and until crispy tender.
Combine all ingredients in a 1-1/2 qt. buttered casserole.
Sprinkle on the bread crumbs.
Bake about 15 minutes until top is toasted

This dish always gets raves! Even if you don't think you like horseradish,
the combination with sweet carrots is delicious! Another family must-have!

~ Christmas Rum Cake ~

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 18 1/2 oz yellow cake mix
1 3 3/4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Glaze:
1/4 lb butter (1 cube)
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.
Sprinke chopped nuts evenly over bottom of pan.
Mix all cake ingredients (including rum) together.
Pour batter over nuts and bake 45 min to 1 hour
(check at 45 min to see if toothpick comes out clean)
Cool, then invert on serving plate, and prick top with toothpick.
Slowly drizzle glaze over tops and sides allowing it to soak in.
(I often change plates several times to re-drizzle the glaze)
For glaze:
Melt butter in saucepan, stir in water and sugar.
Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly!
Remove from heat, wait a sec, then carefully stir in rum
Serving:
I always top individual slices with whipped cream

This recipe, you may have guessed, comes from the folks at Bacardi rum.
If you are not an alcohol-drinker, rest assured that the alcohol content burns off
in baking and boiling. Or, if you're like me, you can wait a little longer than a sec
in adding that rum to the glaze and then you'll have to check ID's before serving!

~ Our Christmas Breakfast ~

When Justin and Jessica were little they would always awaken at the
crack of dawn on Christmas morning. We would have the video camera
ready to take pictures as they walked hand in hand down the stairs with
their eyes sparkling and big smiles on their faces! We'd keep them busy
opening their stocking stuffers while we'd throw together this breakfast and
have some coffee and Mimosa's and try and wake up. The tradition continues.

Bagels- at least one per person, I prefer onion
8oz of Philadelphia cream cheese, regular or whipped
Lox- maybe 1/3-1/2 lb, depending on how much you like lox
1/2 lb or more thinly sliced Jarlsberg cheese
1 bermuda onion sliced very thin
2 or 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thinly

Arrange all the above ingredients, except bagels, on a big platter
Butter bagels and toast in broiler until lightly golden- place in basket to keep warm
Let everyone assemble their own open faced bagel breakfast
Here's my technique:
Take 2 bagel halves and spread each one with cream cheese
Next comes a thin layer of lox
Top the lox with a thin slice of onion
Then I like to add my sliced Jarlsberg cheese
and top it all off with a slice or two of tomato

Everyone in my family has their own special way of building theirs but
the combination of flavors is wonderful! Serve with hot coffee and a
Mimosa- equal parts fresh squeezed orange juice and champagne in a flute

            
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Music by Kenny G
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas