2021

holiday greetings

Thank you for trusting us as your valued business partner.   We’re grateful you’re part of our extended family.
So this holiday season, we want to share our favorite traditions and recipes – from our families to you and yours.

Huck and Julie

Julie’s Homemade Irish Cream

This stuff is AMAZING, but don’t take my word for it! Rich and buttery tasting, this recipe is excellent in coffee, on top of pancakes, over ice cream, or in hot chocolate. 

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Rebecca

Garbage Can Turkey

Not the conventional way of cooking a turkey, but the results are amazing and the bird tastes wonderful. Seasoning can be added, but is not necessary.

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Adam's Family Traditions
I am a Christmas fanatic. We start listening to Christmas music right after Halloween, decorate the house (think Clark Griswold), pick out our live tree from Wheeler Farms, make gingerbread houses, drink gallons of egg nog, take pictures with Santa, and hit up the Toledo Zoo lights…to name a few. During Christmas Eve the kids love to track Santa with NORAD and we always read Twas the Night Before Christmas before bed.

Rex

Banana Pudding Pie

Grandma’s dessert that’s a favorite of her kids and grandkids. It’s an easy addition to your holiday dessert menu!

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Jason

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Looking for an alternative to heavy holiday foods or need a vegetable to add to your holiday table? This salad is full of flavors that will compliment most holiday menus!

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Dominic's Family Traditions
My favorite Christmas traditions include setting up manger scenes both inside the house and on our front porch. Also, every year we save the bottom of the Christmas tree that was freshly cut off and put images on them to make a collage of events from that year. We display them each year as reminder of our blessings.

Adam

Christmas Ale Highball

From local favorite, Great Lakes Brewing Company, this twist on the classic highball combines GLBC Christmas Ale with bourbon whiskey, soda, and orange bitters to make Adam’s holiday favorite.

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Thomas

Western Omelette Casserole

Slow cook overnight so Christmas breakfast is ready when the kiddos are up before dawn.  Perfect when Santa has been up all night wrapping gifts!

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Chad's Family Traditions
One of the traditions I value most is cutting down a live Christmas tree. For as long as I can remember my family has gone to Matthes Tree Farm and cut down a fresh tree. It was something I always looked forward to growing up. Now my kids are creating their own memories as I take them to the same tree farm and they get to pick out their Christmas tree.

Laurie

Sauerkraut Pierogi

This recipe has its origins in Toledo’s Polish community. They are prepared with sauerkraut or potato and cheese for the Polish Christmas Eve celebration (wigilia) which is traditionally meatless.   

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Jack John

Puppy Chow

(Not for puppies! Humans only.) This is the real deal recipe for the holiday classic. Tired of cookies (me either!) or looking for a quick homemade gift idea? Give it a try.

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Julie's Homemade Irish Cream

Ingredients

 8 oz condensed sweetened milk

16 oz heavy whipping cream

8 oz whiskey

½ Tsp coconut extract

1 ½ Tbsp chocolate syrup 

Directions

Mix and bottle. Must be refrigerated.

Garbage Can Turkey

Ingredients

Aluminum foil
15 inch wooden stake
1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 new 15-gallon metal garbage can with lid

Directions

Step 1
Lay about 3 long sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil out on the grass to make a square about 3×3 feet. Pound the wooden stake into the ground in the center of the aluminum foil.

Step 2
Fill the lid of the garbage can with a large pile of charcoal, and light. Place the whole turkey (thawed of course) onto the stake, legs down. Turn the garbage can upside down, and place over the turkey. Place piles of lighted coals on the top, and around the sides of the can.

Step 3
Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or keep going until coals go out. Do not lift can during cooking. Brush the charcoal off of the can, and lift off carefully as some heat may rush out when you lift the can. The internal temperature of the turkey should be at least 180 degrees F (83 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh.

Banana Pudding Pie

Ingredients

1-2 banana(s); green, yellow or brown, depending on how squishy one likes the banana

1 graham cracker crust

1 3oz box cook and serve vanilla pudding

Optional: chocolate syrup, Reddi Whip

Directions

1. Cook pudding on stove.
2. Unwrap graham cracker crust (harder to eat if you skip this step).
3. Slice banana and layer in crust.
4. Pour pudding into crust.
5. Chill in refrigerator.
6. Slice as desired.
Optional: drizzle melted chocolate or chocolate syrup on top (add Reddi Whip if desired).


Eat and enjoy!

🥂

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
¼ red onion, sliced very thin
½ cup walnut pieces
½ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1 pomegranate, peeled and seeds separated
4 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with red onion, walnuts, feta, and sprouts. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top, and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Christmas Ale Highball

Ingredients

2 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz. Great Lakes Christmas Ale
1 dash orange bitters
1 splash diet caffeine free cola

Directions

In rocks glass, combine Whiskey and Christmas Ale over ice. Add bitters and top off with cola. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Western Omelet Casserole

Ingredients

32-oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 1b. cooked ham, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Layer one-third each of frozen potatoes, ham, onions, and cheese in bottom of slow cooker. Repeat 2 times.
2. Beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over mixture in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on low 8-9 hours.

Makes 8-10 servings. 

Pierogi (Sauerkraut Filling)

Ingredients

Dough

5 C. flour
1/4 lb. butter
1 c. sour cream
6 egg yolks
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
3/4 c. water

Sauerkraut Filling

2 c. sauerkraut (rinsed)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 tsp. butter
Salt, pepper (to taste)

Directions

Dough

1. Make mound out of flour, then make well in center.
2. Place egg yolks and eggs in center, cutting in the flour with a knife and adding water and salt. Knead until firm. Cut in three parts.
3. Roll dough out thinly; cut circles with a cup.
4. Place small amount of filling off center on each circle of dough.
5. Fold over, seal by moistening edge with water.
6. Put pressure on edges for firm seal.
7. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add salt.
8. Drop pierogi into boiling water.
9. Cook 5 minutes.
10. Brown in butter or margarine in frying pan.

Serve with sour cream.

Sauerkraut Filling

1. Cook sauerkraut in little bit of water; drain. Let cool and chop.
2. Sauté onion in butter; add sauerkraut and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Let cool and fill dough.

Puppy Chow (Humans Only!)

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9 cups Crispix/Chex cereal
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
3. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
4. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl.
5. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly.
6. Coat with powdered sugar, sprinkling over the cereal and tossing as you sprinkle to cover each piece well.