Town Crier December 8, 2011

Vol 9 Issue 12

HEADLINES

Updated December 8, 2011

Christmas

By Breezy Thomas
Staff Writer
     It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Some of the best things about Christmas time are cuddling up on the couch sipping some good ol’ hot chocolate.
     Christmas is known as the one holiday when people get together as a family and become one. Decorating the tree is a good way to spend this quality time together. Most people show love and generosity by exchanging gifts. Sharing a big meal with family and friends is also a great way to enjoy this holiday.
     After polling some of your fellow students and faculty members some of the following favorites have been mentioned. Cookies were one of the most popular foods, mashed potatoes, warm roasted almonds, ham, chocolate pretzels, and fudge. Many people have said that they enjoy making big breakfasts or brunches on Christmas morning. A personal favorite of mine would be egg-nog.
     After surveying Mr. King again, he did mention he would love a cheeseburger. But instead he explained he does enjoy strawberry pretzel salad. To make it you use pretzels, cream cheese, whipped topping, strawberry jell-o, and strawberries. Talk about delicious!
     For those of you who enjoy making breakfast on this day; here is a great recipe for breakfast casserole.
    Ingredients
    • 2 slices bread
    • 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
    • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
    Directions
    1. Remove the crust from the bread and cut into 1-in. cubes. Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle the sausage and cheese over bread cubes.
    2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over the sausage and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden.
    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/breakfast-casserole-2/detail.aspx
    Something new and trendy people might enjoy is cake pops. With cake pops you can design them however you’d like. A major variety of flavors are included in these delicious pops. Depending on what you like, you can use any candies to design these with. Children love them because they’re fun! Here’s a basic recipe for learning how to make them, but remember anything can be used!
    What you need

    1 batch Dark Chocolate Cake
    8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    2 cups confectioner's sugar
    4 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon milk (or more, as necessary)
    Bake the cake and let it cool completely on a rack. This is a very moist cake, which is ideal for this recipe. It's best to let it cool overnight at least. When it is completely cool, break the cake into a large bowl, crumble it with forks or your fingers until it is in fine crumbs.
    In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth. Pour into the cake crumbs and mix with a spoon. Then continue mixing with your fingers, kneading and mixing until fully incorporated into the cake. Check to see if it will roll into a ball. It should: this makes a very malleable, easy-to-handle cake mixture. But if it needs a little extra moisture, add milk a spoonful at a time.
    When the mix is completely done, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. You can leave the mix refrigerated for several days at this point.
    http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/how-to-make-cake-pops-078637

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