'CHRISTMAS EVE ... A NIGHT OF SONG' ~ CHRISTMAS BRUNCH: CRANBERRY WASSAIL / CRANBERRY APPLE FRENCH TOAST / CITRUS AMBROSIA

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart ... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever."

~ Bess Streeter Aldrich

~ Well-deserved rest

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CRANBERRY WASSAIL

~ A treat for the whole family

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1 tsp. whole cloves

3 broken cinnamon sticks

1 (48-oz) bottle cranberry juice

1 (48-oz) bottle apple juice

1 (6-oz) can thawed frozen lemonade

2/3 cup water

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 (33.8 oz.) bottle ginger ale

Apple wedges

cranberries

• Tie cloves and cinnamon in cheesecloth bag or use tea ball.
• Combine cranberry juice and next 6 ingredients and spice bag/ball in large pot; bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 20 minutes. Discard spice bag/ball. Add ginger ale and warm until hot.
• Serve in mug with apple wedge and a few cranberries.

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CRANBERRY APPLE FRENCH TOAST

~ Make ahead Christmas Brunch favorite loosely (adding way more fat and tweaks) adapted from Cooking Light 2007

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4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 diced tart apples

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1 loaf challah or French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

cooking spray

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 cups whole milk or half & half

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (preferable homemade)

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

6 lightly beaten organic eggs

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

• Preheat oven to 250-degrees.
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add apples, cinnamon and cloves; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 Tbsp. brown sugar; cook 2 minutes or until sugar melts. Remove from heat.
• Place bread cubes on jelly-roll pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Arrange bread cubes in buttered casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, sprinkle cranberries evenly over and top with apple mixture.
• Combine milk/half &half, cranberry sauce, lemon rind, nutmeg and lightly beaten eggs with whisk. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove casserole from refrigerate and preheat oven to 350-degrees. Sprinkle with almonds and bake for about 55 minutes or until golden. (12 servings)

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CITRUS AMBROSIA

~ Christmas pretty ... mix & match favorites as desired

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4 sliced bananas

1/4 cup orange juice

2 cups favorite seasonal citrus

(oranges, tangerines, or clementine sections)

1 cup halved fresh strawberries

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup whipped whipping cream

2 Tbsp. toasted flaked coconut

fresh mint sprigs

• Toss bananas in orange juice; drain and reserve juice. Layer orange sections, bananas, and strawberries in serving dish (either deep or in rows). Cover and chill.
• Combine mayonnaise, sugar and reserved orange juice; fold in whipped cream. Spoon mixture over fruits and sprinkle with toasted coconut and sprigs of fresh mint. (6-8 servings)
  

~ Many faces of 'Bloomfield Village' Santa