A couple years ago I self-published ”Val’s Friends & Family Cookbook”, primarily to get my family recipes in one place (instead of scattered through cookbooks on scraps of paper).   The book ended up to be 200 pages of my favorite recipes of all time.   It even has a 4 page spread on how to deep fry a turkey without burning down your neighborhood.  This, courtesy of my brother Bill, who is known for his wit, his cajun turkeys and his flatulence . . . in that order.

But I digress.

Here are a few holiday family recipes that we’ll be serving on Christmas day. 

Baked Brie with Cranberries

8 oz Brie

1/3 crushed cranberry sauce

2 T. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. rum or orange extract

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 T. sliced almonds

Peel off top of Brie.  Mix canberries, brown sugar, extrat and nutmeg and pour over Brie.  Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes.  Top with sliced almonds.  I serve this beautiful appetizer at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Everyone loves it.

Hot Mulled Cider

1 qt. (4 cups) cider

3 sticks cinnamon

6 whole cloves

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. rum extract

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves.  Remove cloves and cinnamon sticks.  Serve hot.  Makes 1 qt.  You can use red wine too.  I wonder if it would be good with white wine… hmmm. 

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

1/4 c. butter

1 c. celery

1/2 c. onion

1/2 c. green pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 lg pkg frozen broccoli, cooked slightly

2 c. cooked rice

1/2 c. milk

1 c. grated cheese

Melt butter; add celery, onion and peppers.  Saute until almost tener.  Blend in soups, broccoli, rice and milk.  Sprinle cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  This is a staple at all of our holidays, along with green bean casserole, sauerkraut & tomato casserole and sweet potato casserole.  We love us some casserole in the midwest.

Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

1 1/2 c. cubed wheat bread

3 3/4 c. cubed cornbread

1 lb. ground turkey sausage

1 c. chopped onion

3/4 c. chooped celery

2 1/2 tsp. dried sage

1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 Gold Delicious apple, corred and chopped

3/4 c. dried cranberries

1/3 c. minced fresh parsley

3/4 c. turkey stock

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

Makes 10 servings.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted.  Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.  In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned.  Add the celery, sage, rosemary and thyme;  cook, stirring for 2 minutes to blend flavors.  Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl.  Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries and parsley.  Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter and mix lightly.  Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

Fresh Cranberry Lemon Jello Salad

2 pkgs. fresh cranberries

5 lg. celery stalks

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained and mashed

2 c. sugar

3 pkgs. lemon Jell-O dissolved in 2 c. boiling water

Wash cranberries and celery.  Chop cranberries and celery in food processor with knife blade.  Let Jell-O mixture cool and add the rest of the ingredients and stir together.  This salad can be frozen to use at a later date.  It is one of my very favorite salad recipes.  There’s something about the lemon and the cranberry taste, followed by the crunch of the celery.

German Apple Cake with Go-Over

Cake

2 c. sugar

1 c. shortening

2 eggs

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. cinnamon

6 apples, finely chopped

1 c. raisins (ground)

1 c. chopped nuts

Go-Over

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. margarine

1 c. cream or half-and-half

Cream together sugar and shortening.  Add 2 eggs and beat well.  Use electric mixer.  Sift flour, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and add gradually to first mixture.  Add apples and blend. Add raisins and nuts.  dough will be VERY stiff.  Spread in a greased and floured 9×13 pan.  Bake for 75 minutes at 325 degrees (300 degrees if in a glass pan).  cut in squares and top with “go-over” sauce. 

Melt ingredients for go-over in a saucepan or microwave until hot.  Don’t overheat, as sauce will sugar.  If sugared, add a little coffee creamer and blend.   This dense moist cake is a staple at family gatherings.

I am so hungry right now.

Please share a recipe or two of your own!  I’d love to try some new ones including cultural ones and non-Christmas holiday fare.

Her experience has forced me to deal with the shock and pain associated with something that was completely unexpected. I can only imagine what this must be like for my wife or any other person dealing directly with this disease. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to any women or men dealing with breast cancer. I would also like to make a comment to the family, friends and support groups that are there for people with this disease – thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, compassion, and well wishes. You have no idea what it means to know that you are there for us as we fight our way through this tangle of questions and emotions.

It never occurred to me that my healthy wife would be dealing with something like this. She is young, physically fit, and has never smoked. I always thought of this as something that only happens to “other people”. My world has changed from the instant the first conversation occurred in which the dreaded “c-word” was mentioned. That moment on the phone with my wife is both a time that I will never forget and one that I will always try to forget. Questions and confusion instantly exploded in my mind – What does this mean? Why her? What’s next? Will she lose her hair? Does it hurt? Will it hurt? Is there more? Will I be strong enough to support her? What does she need from me right now? My mind was running while my mouth was trying to catch up and find the words to express the support her at that time.

I also discovered that in this journey I have gone from having very little knowledge about breast cancer to having knowing more than ever which can help, confuse, and be often times frightening. The Internet has a tremendous amount of information available but I still found it helpful to work closely with the doctors and ask them every question I could think of. These discussions have helped us focus our research efforts and stay on the topic. It is almost like looking at it on a step-by-step basis for us to help keep us from getting too far out and getting overwhelmed.

The encouraging news is that the efforts in early diagnosis and improved treatments have been advancing dramatically. Here is some information:

The good news published by the American Cancer Society regarding breast cancer is that deaths from breast cancer have been declining since 1990. These decreases are due to early detection through screening, increased awareness and improved treatment.

While Breast Cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment have improved tremendously over the last few years there are some facts that everyone should also be aware of as published by the American Cancer Society

• 1 in 8 women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime
• Estimated 178,480 new cases of breast cancer are expected in 2007
• Estimated 40,460 deaths are expected in 2007
• Breast cancer is the most frequent diagnosed cancer in women and ranks 2nd among cancer deaths in women

The numbers are a bit staggering even with the good news that treatment is getting better and the survival rate is growing. To put it in perspective you or somebody you care about deeply is likely to be affected by breast cancer in your lifetime. As I said earlier, I never thought I would be dealing with anything like this.

Here are some of the really helpful websites that we have been reading to find information. They all contain great information on many aspects of breast cancer. Many of the organizations listed below raise the money that supports research to find the cure. Others raise money to immediately help people with breast cancer. Please support them any way you can. Remember, every little bit helps.

The American Cancer Society is great for information on all types of cancer. They have specific categories so that you can find detailed information on breast cancer. This includes health information, statistics and research. They also include information on how to become involved in support groups. There is much more information on this site to assist you in the management of your experience.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s slogan is “help for today and hope for tomorrow”. They raise money for education and to provide mammograms for those who otherwise cannot afford these tests. The site also includes a great amount of innformation for coping with and understanding an initial diagnosis of breast cancer. This organization was founded by Janelle Hale who is a 26 year survivor.

The Susan G Komen for the Cure was founded on the promise by Nancy Brinker to her dying sister Susan Koman that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. This mission of this organization is simply “One vision – a world without breast cancer”. The site includes valuable breast cancer information, facts, detection and screening information, treatment information, post treatment information, support, therapies, research and resources.

Breastcancer.org slogan is “your lifeline for the best medical information about breast cancer”. This site contains lots of great information including details on symptoms and diagnosis, treatment and side effects, research news, recovery and renewal, support, and lowering your risk. This site was very informational while being easy to understand.

We can all help find the cure. It is easy to participate in breast cancer fund raising events that support detection, treatment, and research. Donations to these organizations are always appreciated. There are many fund raising events that take place locally that support the cause. There are even products that you purchase that result in a portion of the proceeds being donated to various organizations.

We at Allegro Medical have found some great products that are available which result in a portion of the proceeds being donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. These donations support breast cancer education and mammogram financial assistance for women that cannot otherwise afford this test.

• Allegro Medical has teamed up with Soothsoft to offer an exclusive limited time offer of the Soothsoft Cool Care System Chillow Pak which includes an original Chillow and a ChillowDeluxe w/ 2-way cooling. A $5 donation will be made for each pak that is sold.
• We also are happy to offer a pink and white shower chair which generates a $5 donation for each unit sold.
• Here is a unique pink rollator with an embroidered pink ribbon in the seat which results in a $10 donation per rollator sold.

Please consider any or all of these great products if this is something that you or someone that you know may need. We are going to continue to look for more manufacturers and suppliers to partner with to raise money that will support the fight against breast cancer.

Breast cancer and the treatments are unique as the people that are being treated. I have identified products that may be of benefit to those going though treatment. Some products are to help you heal and others are to help you be more comfortable. We will continue to add products to this category as we find new vendors and products. Please feel free to browse our Breast Cancer Awareness Month category on our website.

I would like to finish this with a personal wish for the very best if you or a loved one is dealing with breast cancer. Remember that you are not alone! My thoughts and prayers are with you all. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but unfortunately breast cancer doesn’t read the calendar. Remember to support the fight against breast cancer year round.

Sincerely,

David Williams,
Director of Product Management,
Allegro Medical