Monday, December 20, 2010

The Morning after Candle Salad

Candle Salad has made a come..back.
Most people don't know that it was Minnesota's own Betty Crocker who started this holiday tradition, and she was reeling them in early. Candle salad was in the Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls, published in 1957. You can get your very own free copy of this cookbook here. If the link goes dead, email me and I'll send you a copy (it's a 10 mb pdf file).
This recipe might explain the peculiarities of the Jones Generation (people born between 1954 and 1965). 
Of course you can squirt some Reddi-Wip on the candle, if you are so inclined. Aldi has their own magic whipped cream, half the price, most likely canned at the same location.

I don't know what to do about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals. We had ham yesterday for an early celebration; we ate turkey for a week after Thanksgiving; and my mom is making prime rib for the grandchildren Christmas on Sunday. I'm thinking about Shepherd's Pie with a cornbread topping. Sounds fitting for Christmas and remembering why we celebrate the day.
As I sat here making a grocery shopping list, I also decided that I would make a Christmas breakfast. Thankfully, this recipe involves minimal morning effort..

Morning after Candle Salad
  • 1 loaf French bread 
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla) 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 ripe bananas, sliced
  • carmel sauce
  • canned whipped cream (for the table)
  • butter (for greasing dish and the table)
Slice bread into 1" slices. Arrange in a buttered 9 x 13" baking dish in two layers, overlapping slices. In a bowl, mix eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a whisk. Pour mixture over the bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 325°for about 40 minutes.
Heat carmel sauce in microwave, pour over casserole when removed from oven, top with sliced bananas and serve immediately. Individuals add butter and whipped cream.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for this post! Your Morning After recipe sounds delicious. I see Betty doesn't do mayo on her candle salad (hmmpff)

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  2. Betty probably left that out for the kids' version, but you can be sure it was spilling over onto the lettuce when she made it at home.

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