JAY AND ZEE TALK ABOUT THEIR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS...

Well this is going to be a very short Blog.  I was hoping you were tuning in to my ZMT podcast so you can hear all the different things that Jay and Zee talked about from their past Christmases.  Enjoy our Off the Beaten Path to the North Pole.

Jay had talked about the fun he had getting back at his sister when he was little.  He also talked about later on when he and his wife had made a Christmas traditions of doing the shopping together and then enjoying dinner just the two of them.  But then Jay told me that his Mom made an Oyster Stew for Christmas dinner.  I thought that was very interesting and asked where did that tradition come from and he did not know.   That's Jay...he is just a barrel full of information...

Well I promised Jay that I would look up a recipe for Oyster Stew..so here it is.  It says its easy to do..

 Yield: 4 

 Course Main Course, Soup

Oyster Stew Recipe

 Total Time 35 minutes

 Prep Time 5 minutes

 Cook Time 30 minutes

This Oyster Stew Recipe is full of delicious seafood flavor. Get this family favorite oyster stew recipe you are sure to love.

Ingredients

• 1 pint fresh oysters packed in their juice
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Drain juice from oysters into small bowl. Set aside.
2. Add butter to large saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until melted.
3. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add oyster liquor and cook until mostly reduced, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in milk and half-and-half and heat to simmer. Do not allow to boil as it will cause your milk to curdle. 
6. Add oysters and continue on simmer until outer edges of oysters curl, about 8 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, and add salt and black pepper, to taste.
8. Serve with mini saltines or oyster crackers.

Well Jay...it looks good...maybe you will have to make some.

Now that the Holidays are winding down...and Christmas has come and gone. I too had several traditions that I brought into my adult life.  When my daughter was younger we had lived in Upstate New York and every Christmas we would go out and actually cut down our own tree.  It is a lot of fun and they tree farms supply you with all you need to do the chopping.  They make it fun with fire pits and hot cocoa.  You should try it some time.

We also watched certain Holiday Flicks...My favorite was White Christmas. 


I still watch it to this day and now my daughter actually tunes it in as well.  However when my daughter was little and when I was little we would make my grandmothers butter cookie recipe.  This was my mother's mom.  She was from Germany so we called her Oma.  So here is Oma's Butter Cookies recipe.  Make sure you have a rolling pin and of course those Holiday Christmas Cookie Cutter.

Oma's Butter Cookies...

2 1/2 cups sifted Flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 lb butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Directions

Cream butter and add the sugar and egg mixing it thoroughly.  Now add the vanilla.  Then add the flour and salt.  I like to mix the salt when I sift the flour.  You should have a nice ball of dough if you mixed it correctly.  Now you get to roll out the dough onto a flat service with   a little flour sprinkled.  The dough ball is a little sticky. If you like you can put in the fridge for a little while.  Roll with a rolling pin so the dough is about 1/4 inch thick.  Now, once rolled out you can start with your cookie cutters and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly brown.  

Feel free to decorate with color sprinkles.  

Well I sure hope you are tuning into my ZMTpodcast.  You can subscribe to it for free.  You can find it real easy on I-tunes/Stitcher/Buzzsprout.  You can also visit my website at www.zeemichaelsontravel.com and you can let your imagination run wild.  If you want to visit any of these places that we talk about or something you see on my website, give me a call and I will help you Make Your Travel Dreams Come True