Pancit

1 package dried rice noodles

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion finely diced

3 cloves garlic

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 lemons cut into wedges – garnish

 Put rice noodles into a large bowl and cover with warm water. When they are soft, drain and set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Sauteé onion and garlic until soft. Stir in cabbage and soy sauce. Cook until cabbage is softened. Toss in with the noodles and cook until heated through, stir constantly. Put into service dishes and garnish with lemon.

 “My family is from the Philippines and after adopting the American culture, it’s good to remember where you come from especially around the holidays. I like this dish because the rice noodles are light and not too heavy to eat with other holiday dishes.”

 Katie Gebauer, Head Visual Editor

 

Favorite Hot Cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa

Dash salt

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups of milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

 Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat. Do not boil. Remove from heat; add vanilla. 

 “It’s tradition in my family to have hot chocolate on Christmas morning, even before opening presents. That’s the trickiest part: trying to drain a cup of really steamy hot chocolate in an effort to get to the presents quicker. It’s not Christmas in my house until you thoroughly burn your tongue.”

 Sara Bertsch, Editor-in-Chief

 

Dill soup

1 cup rice

10 potatos approximately

Some onions

Dill – couple pieces of dill

Salt and pepper

 After potatoes are soft, add a can of french style green beans, pint of half and half or ½ pint of milk with cream. Serve with white vinegar if desired.

 “I’m not sure if my great grandma started the tradition or if it’s been in the family for more than just a few generations, but the tradition of serving dill soup on Christmas Eve before going to the midnight service has been in my family at least since my grandma was a kid. Usually it’s all the women at the house who make the soup while my dad tries to help out but ends up cutting his finger on the potato slicer. But all the kids and the guys play cards while the women prepare the soup. It’s a delicious soup that warms the soul, and I can’t imagine Christmas without it.”

 Makenzie Huber, News Editor

 

Eggless Cookie Dough

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

 Mix in the butter, brown sugar and sugar together. Then mix in the milk and vanilla. Gradually put in flour. Add chocolate chips.

 “This recipe came from my older brother’s eighth grade home economics class, and it is a super easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth without having to do too much work. Also, without any raw eggs within the cookie dough, you do not have to worry about getting sick! Unless you eat too much of course.”

 Jordan Bierbrauer, Opinion Editor

 

Shchi (Cabbage soup)

6 tablespoons butter

4 cups shredded cabbage 

2-3 cups sauerkraut (not canned) squeezed dry 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

12 cups beef, chicken or vegetable bouillon 

1 carrot, peeled and cut into a julienne 

1 cup onions, chopped 

1 celery stalk, diced 

1 large turnip, peeled and diced 

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped 

salt and pepper 

1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed 

Method:

In a large Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat, then toss in the cabbage and sauerkraut and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the tomato paste and 1 cup or so of bouillon, cover, and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Melt the other 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and sauté the carrots, onions, celery and turnips until soft and slightly brown – about 15 minutes. Seed and chop the tomatoes, set them aside.

When the sauerkraut and cabbage are nicely stewed, stir in the sautéed vegetables, tomatoes and the bouillon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat. 

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook 5 more minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes. When ready to serve, reheat slowly. Ladle into bowls and garnish with spoonfuls of dilled sour cream. 

 “This recipe was really important to me and my family because it symbolized a lot of cultural heritage from Russia. We usually served it with sour cream and green onions around the holidays. Yum!”

 Ian Lack, Reporter

 

Pepper nuts 

1 cup of butter

4 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup warm water

1 teaspoon anise

6 cups flour

Mixed with 1 tbsp baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ground cloves, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg

 

Work by hand. Mix in order given. May add more water if needed.

Roll into a rope, ½ inch in diameter

Cut into quarter inch slices

Bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes

 “We like this recipe because my Grandma Koeller used to make these pepper nuts every year when our whole family stayed at my grandparents’ house in Wisconsin for Christmas. No matter how many she made, the jar was always empty.”

 Hannah Koeller, News Editor

 

Peanut Butter 

Blossoms

Sift together:

1 ¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

 

Cream together: 

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup brown sugar

Add one egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Roll in balls then roll in sugar. Bake for 8 minutes. Put Hershey kisses or M&M’s on the cookie and bake for an additional 2 to 5 minutes. 

 “They are made every year because they are easy to make and fun to eat. You can eat all the way around the cookie and then eat the middle whether it be a kiss or an M&M.”

 Drew Carroll, Managing Editor

 

Rolled sugar cookies

½ pound butter (2 sticks)

1 cup butter flavored Crisco

2 cups sugar

1/8 cup water

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder 

 

Dusting mixture

1 cup sugar

3 cups flour

Cut out cookies with cookie cutters of your choosing. Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost if desired.

Cream together wet ingredients; beat well. Mix flour and baking powder into wet ingredients. Chill dough at least one hour. Put dusting mixture on table and on sugar cookie dough. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on dusted counter.

 “Every year my grandmother and I bake and one of our baking staples are sugar cookies. We make different shapes for the sugar cookies: Christmas trees, candy canes, and gingerbread. To me, sugar cookies are an essential part of Christmas. Plus, if you didn’t know, Santa’s favorite cookies are sugar cookies.”

 Katherine Clayton, Lifestyles Editor

 

Carrot Souffle

2 cups canned, mashed carrots

2 eggs separated

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons salt

½ cup grated cheese

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons flour

Add egg yolks to carrots. Add sugar, salt, flour, then butter and cream. Fold in beaten egg whites. Add ½ cup grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until puffy and browned.

“We have always had this at our holiday family parties.”

 Austin Hamm, Sports Editor