Tag Archives: New Year’s Eve

Ring in the New Year with Family Traditions

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Have you made New Year’s traditions?

My boyfriend, Spenser Gruis, and I have a few traditions we enjoy each New Year. For the past 5 years, we have spent New Year’s Eve with his parents, Scott and Cheryl Gruis. The Gruis family works hard at their family-owned towing company. When we actually get the chance to sit down all together for a nice meal, we want to take full advantage of it!

That’s why, during the afternoon of each New Year’s Eve, Cheryl and I drive 30 minutes to Mason City where we wait about 3 hours outside the infamous Northwestern Steakhouse. Northwestern Steakhouse is one of Mason City’s hidden treasures. Established in 1920, it sits on the very most northern edge of Mason City nuzzled between the baseball fields where many citizens spend their summers playing ball. When the steakhouse opens at 5 p.m., it’s a mad rush to get a table.

New Year’s Day is another afternoon filled with fun, family, friends and food – of course! Spenser and I travel to the American Legion in St. Ansgar, Iowa, for Vegetable Beef Soup and pull tabs. Every year we sit in the exact same spot with the exact same people. Spenser has been doing this ever since he can remember, and I can’t help but call it a tradition myself.

The whole day is dedicated to help raise money for the American Legion. The St. Ansgar community comes together, young and old. We eat warm soup, pull some tabs and register for the annual drawing. Last year I won $25! I thought it was the greatest thing.

It’s become a tradition that none of us would miss for anything! What better way to ring in the New Year than with family? No matter who your family consists of, holiday traditions are important. Traditions give family a reason to stay close by spending time together. And, in my book, it doesn’t get much better than that!

Greek Steak & Pasta

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter (not margarine)
  • ¼ cup light olive oil
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes crushed
  • ¼ heaping teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (Cavender’s)
  • 2, (2-inch thick) beef tenderloin steaks
  • 8 ounces of spaghetti, (cooked & drained)
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat the butter, olive oil, bouillon cubes, garlic powder and seasoning in a sauce pan until the butter is melted, stirring frequently.
  2. Pour over steaks in a small baking pan. Turn the steaks to coat.
  3. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, then turn the steaks.
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer or to desired doneness.
  5. Remove the steaks to serving plate.
  6. Combine the hot pasta and pan juices in a bowl and toss to coat.
  7. Top generously with cheese and serve with steaks.
NOTE: This recipe makes steaks that taste very close to those at Northwestern Steakhouse, but I think their secret is the oven they cook it in – or at least that’s what the waitresses tell me. ;)

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless beef chuck roast (2-½ to 3 pounds)
  • 4 quarts water
  • 1 cup medium pearl barley
  • 1-½ cups chopped onion
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1½ cups chopped carrots
  • 1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
  • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

  1. Place roast in a large Dutch oven. Add the water, barley, onion, celery, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours or until meat is tender.
  2. Remove meat; cool. Cut into bite-size pieces. Skim fat from broth. Add beef and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

Yield: 18-20 servings (6 quarts).

Food & FamilyRing in the New Year with Fire Crackers and Iced Cranberries

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Lose weight. Exercise more. Stop smoking. Avoid red meat and alcohol. (This one is SO not going to make my list… bring on the steak and Béarnaise sauce!)

There’s a reason the same resolutions make American’s Top 10 List every year. With such lofty goals, it is any wonder that less than 50% of people who make resolutions are successful after six months?

There are a few, simple practices people can put into place that will increase the likelihood of achieving success. University of Scranton psychology Professor John Norcross, in a special story to CNN today, offers these evidence-based tips for making and keeping your New Year’s resolutions:

  • Make short, attainable goals;
  • Develop a specific action plan;
  • Establish confidence in your plan; and
  • Publicly declare your resolutions to hold yourself accountable.

To hold herself accountable, one of my friends creates a daily reminder of her resolutions. She prints her annual goals on an interesting piece of paper and places them in a cute frame beside her bathroom sink. Then each morning she reflects upon her list and decides what she needs to do to continue to work toward achieving her goals. She is truly one of the most productive and successful people I know.

Perhaps this year I should resolve to write down my goals and place them beside my bathroom sink! The number one goal on my 2012 list is “to write a book about the history of agriculture and 4-H in Franklin County, Iowa.” I’ve already publicity declared that I’m going to do this, so I have to make it happen. The second resolution I have is to raise $20,000 to endow the Franklin County 4-H Scholarship Fund. Since these two goals are dependent, failing to write the book really isn’t an option unless I win the lottery. (But you can’t win if you don’t play.) My third goal is to open a pumpkin patch this fall, and I’ll be blogging more about this in the coming months.

In the short term, my holiday weekend goals are to “Eat. Drink. Be Merry.” That’s why today I’m sharing with you two of my favorite recipes – straight from my mom’s recipe box! Cranberry Slush has been a holiday tradition for more than 20 years. We were laughing at Christmastime as family members entered the kitchen because the first words out of each one’s mouth – whether they were age 10 or 70 – was, “Where’s the slush?”

The Fire Hot Crackers is a recipe that my mom made for the first time this year, and it was a hit on Christmas Eve. Try topping these crackers with summer sausage and cheese. I’m looking forward to enjoying this snack again New Year’s Day. Thanks, Mom! :)

Fire Crackers

Ingredients:

  • 1¼ c. oil
  • 1 T. garlic powder
  • 16 oz. box of Keebler® Club Crackers
  • 1 T. red pepper flakes (double the flakes for a little more “fire”)
  • ½ T. onion powder
  • 1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Mix oil garlic and onion powder, crushed pepper, and dressing mix. Pour into a 2-gallon bag. Add crackers and carefully shake bag so that crackers get coated. Let the bag set for 15 minutes and then shake it again. Pour onto paper towels and let dry. (COOK’S TIP: Top with paper towels, as well, to remove excess oil.) Store in airtight container.

 

Cranberry Slush

Ingredients:

  • 2 large (12 oz.) cans of frozen cranberry juice
  • 2 large cans of frozen orange juice
  • 1 large can of frozen lemonade
  • 4 c. sugar
  • 9 c. water

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour them into freezer-ready containers. COOK’S TIP: I use one-gallon, ice cream pails. This recipe fills two pails.

NOTE: The original recipe calls for 18 cups of water mixed with 4 cups vodka. Since we make it non-alcoholic, we reduce the amount of water and add 7-Up before serving. My personal favorite is to fill a Red Solo® Cup three-fourths full with slush and mix in Cranberry Sierra Mist.