{"id":58688,"date":"2025-12-19T04:30:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T04:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/?p=58688"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:48:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:48:56","slug":"let-the-christmas-cooking-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/2025\/12\/let-the-christmas-cooking-begin.html","title":{"rendered":"Let the Christmas Cooking Begin!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Happy Frantic Friday!  I am in full “final countdown” mode so Let the Christmas Cooking Begin!<\/strong><\/p>\n

My Christmas Cooking is something I love and look forward to…it is also a part of the legacy I leave.<\/p>\n

However, I am not a trained chef…unless you count lessons on Food Network!  But, I do like to experiment with flavors.<\/p>\n

I repeat recipes that have worked for my Christmas cooking, and maybe I tweak them and maybe I do not.<\/p>\n

You can see in my little handwritten recipe book in this top picture that there are recipes I have made over and over again for years.<\/p>\n

One recipe that I have not<\/strong> tweaked, and that my family loves, is PIONEER WOMAN MONKEY BREAD.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It is simple and yummy.  Our 8 grandchildren are ages 12 to 1, so they do not like anything with many added ingredients to make it fancy.<\/p>\n

They do not want nuts or fruit or chocolates on their monkey bread…but this recipe will be gone Christmas morning.  I usually double it and make two.<\/p>\n

So, it is on the menu plan for my Christmas cooking and has been a very long time.<\/p>\n

Today, I am featuring a couple of my baking recipes from Christmas cooking, and Monday, I will share with you about my menu planning for Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n

Let the Christmas Cooking Begin with a Special Request from a grandson…..<\/p>\n

LET THE CHRISTMAS COOKING BEGIN:  FOR CLASS PARTIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

The fifth grade grandson who found this spatula for me…at at Buc-ee’s…is the one who requests specific<\/strong> cookies the most.<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago, he asked for these chocolate cookies for his end of year class party…of course, I said, Yes!<\/p>\n

I love that as a grandmother, I can still participate with class parties. …as I did this year with their athletic teams.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

These are delicious…especially if you love chocolate.<\/p>\n

They are SALLY’S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I made them last year for Thanksgiving, and he remembered and has not stopped asking for them.<\/p>\n

So, off they went yesterday to the class party!<\/p>\n

LET THE CHRISTMAS COOKING BEGIN:  FOR GIFTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

My Christmas cooking always includes delicious gifts.<\/p>\n

At Thanksgiving, I delivered my pumpkin bread all over town and it helped to open doors to building new friendships in our new comunity.<\/p>\n

I took pumpkin bread to neighbors, to my hair salon, to the dog groomer, and to my favorite boutique.<\/p>\n

It was so well received that my Christmas cooking needed to include another bread I make that is popular with recipients.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

This Strawberry Nut Bread<\/strong> is moist and delicious.<\/p>\n

I do use walnuts and I roast the walnuts before putting them in the bread…I use the food processor to chop them up.<\/p>\n

Here is my recipe:<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 cup butter ( I use European Butter) Slightly softened<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 1\/2 cups sugar<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 teaspoon vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla)<\/strong><\/p>\n

1\/4 teaspoon lemon extract<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 eggs (best room temperature)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 cups sifted flour<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 teaspoon salt<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 teaspoon cream of tartar<\/strong><\/p>\n

1\/2 teaspoon baking soda<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 cup strawberry jam  (I like Bonne Maman<\/a> Strawberry Preserves)<\/strong><\/p>\n

1\/2 cup dairy sour cream<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 cup broken walnuts. (I roast them)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<\/li>\n
  2. Whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and soda.  Set aside.<\/li>\n
  3. Whisk together in a separate bowl the strawberry preserves and sour cream.<\/li>\n
  4. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract until fluffy. <\/li>\n
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.<\/li>\n
  6. Then add alternately small amounts of the preserve mixture and the dry ingredients until well blended.<\/li>\n
  7. Stir int he nuts.<\/li>\n
  8. Divide into three standard greased and floured loaf pans….or five small pans.<\/li>\n
  9. Bake 50 to 55.  (My current oven cooks faster and this bread was ready at 45 minutes). <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    YUM!  (Note:  This bread is soooo good with cream cheese…but don’t put on the WW app!!)<\/p>\n

    LET THE CHRISTMAS COOKING BEGIN:  MY SPECIAL APRON<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Christmas<\/p>\n

    Yes, I have a special apron for my Christmas Cooking that has a happy, cute snowman on the front of it.<\/p>\n

    It is the only apron I embellish with Christmas pins.  Maybe I will decorate the apron I wear most during the year!  It’s fun!<\/p>\n

    Over the next week, I will be caught wearing this apron most of the time!<\/p>\n

    What are some of your favorite recipes to make and gift to others?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    I am so encouraged by the reception of the pumpkin bread and look forward to sharing the Strawberry.<\/p>\n

    Our new town feels more and more like home each day.  If you need to make friends or open doors, hit the kitchen!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Thanks for joining me today for my Christmas cooking…and I will share more of my Christmas Eve Dinner Menu on Monday.<\/p>\n

    I need to see how shopping these recipes goes tomorrow…especially talking with a butcher.<\/p>\n

    Hope to see you tomorrow…until then…..<\/p>\n

    CHOOSE JOY AND KEEP SMILING!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    By Pamela Lutrell<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    For all your shopping, please use the links on my SHOPPING PAGE<\/a>\u2026thank you, thank you to all who shop this way and show support for this blog.  It means the world.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Christmas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Happy Frantic Friday!  I am in full “final countdown” mode so Let the Christmas Cooking Begin! My Christmas Cooking is something I love and look forward to…it is also a part of the legacy I leave. However, I am not a trained chef…unless you count lessons on Food Network!  But, I do like to experiment…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":58689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7208],"tags":[13623,13622,13621,7341],"class_list":["post-58688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","tag-baking-gift-ideas","tag-christmas-cooking-ideas","tag-let-the-christmas-cooking-begin","tag-strawberry-walnut-bread-recipe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":7208,"label":"Recipes"}],"post_tag":[{"value":13623,"label":"Baking gift ideas"},{"value":13622,"label":"Christmas cooking ideas"},{"value":13621,"label":"Let the Christmas cooking begin"},{"value":7341,"label":"Strawberry-Walnut Bread Recipe"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Let-the-Christmas-Cooking-Begin-768x1024.jpg",768,1024,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Pamela Lutrell","author_link":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/author\/over50feeling40"},"comment_info":28,"category_info":[{"term_id":7208,"name":"Recipes","slug":"recipes","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7208,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":92,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":7208,"category_count":92,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Recipes","category_nicename":"recipes","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":13623,"name":"Baking gift ideas","slug":"baking-gift-ideas","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":13623,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":13622,"name":"Christmas cooking ideas","slug":"christmas-cooking-ideas","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":13622,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":13621,"name":"Let the Christmas cooking begin","slug":"let-the-christmas-cooking-begin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":13621,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7341,"name":"Strawberry-Walnut Bread Recipe","slug":"strawberry-walnut-bread-recipe","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7341,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58688"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58698,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58688\/revisions\/58698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/over50feeling40.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}