With the weather getting colder, comfort food is something we all crave.  With the immersive classroom environment, TWHS News has, we can inspire each other with new flavors and cuisines.  TWHS News has a special holiday gift for everybody.  Buckle in for the TWHS News 2023-2024 seasonable cookbook. 

          Starting strong, Vice President of the Student Body, Angelina Malivos’s mom makes s’mores bars.

“I help, it’s a good quick recipe, we listen to Christmas music while enjoying each other’s company”  “The bars are like enhanced rice crispy treats with the touch of cinnamon in the golden grams, and the decadent Hershey’s chocolates,” Milanov says.

Angelina’s Recipe- 

-6 tablespoons butter 

-21 ounces of mini marshmallows

 -8 ¼ cups golden graham cereal 

-3-4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 

-crushed peppermint, optional for the season 

     Another senior, Abby Dulgar makes peppermint cookies, Abby says “I always make them in December leading up to the holidays.  I like to pass them around to the neighbors to spread holiday cheer.” Abby says the cookies are a sweet minty treat, filled with the crunch of peppermint” 

Abby’s recipe- 

-1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 

-½ cup unsweetened butter (room temperature) 

-⅗ cup white chocolate chips

-½ cup crushed candy canes 

-1 pinch salt 

-¼ tsp baking soda 

-one pinch of baking powder 

-1 egg at room temperature

-½ cup sugar + one tablespoon 

-½ tsp vanilla extract

-¼ tsp peppermint extract

Senior Ryleigh Sharp has another delicious recipe.  A traditional Christmas cake.  Reighley uses a box mix to create a delicious carrot cake base, making a homemade cream cheese frosting to pipe on top.  Ryleigh says this is a refreshing cake to share with friends and family. 

Ryleighs recipe- 

• 1 box carrot cake of preference, cook according to directions on the box 

Frosting 

• 1 cup, (2 sticks) salted butter.  Room temperature
• 1 Stick cream cheese 
• I TBSP pure vanilla extract 
• Add ½ cup powdered sugar periodically until stiff peaks 

Junior Lily McAlister enjoys a more savory Christmas treat.  Her Garlic Roasted chicken is a classic centerpiece to the TWHS journalism Thanksgiving potluck.  “It’s super super garlicky.  I use paprika, fresh herbs from my garden, and a whole lot of love.” Lily said. 

Lily’s Recipe 

• Whatever size chicken you want, raw, and unseasoned
• Fresh minced garlic mixed with ½ cup melted butter
• Stuff chicken with lemons and other vegetables of your choice
• Sprinkle with paprika 
• Bake at 475 degrees for 2 hours, or until finished 

Jack Murphy makes a traditional Swedish meal every Christmas Eve.  Jack’s family enjoys Swedish meatballs on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes.  Jack tells us more about his meal “ It’s such a warm, filling Swedish dish that is a tradition in my family.  I look forward to this time of the year.” 

Jack’s Meatballs 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork 
• 1 large egg 
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp salt 
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 
• ½ tsp onion powder 
• ¼ teaspoon allspice 
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• Pepper to taste 
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for frying the meatballs) 

Jacks Sauce 

• ¼ cup butter 
• ⅓ cup flower 
• 3 cups beef broth 
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Jack’s meatball success tips  – The sear adds so much flavor and helps them hold together better and seal in the juices. You can bake them if you prefer, but they won’t be quite the same.  Browned bits from the frier make them even better. 

Even the TWHS journalism teacher, Emma Ruiz, herself has a holiday recipe she enjoys. 

“This is the perfect compliment to a holiday table”, Ruiz said. “The contrasting colors and bright greens and reds really bring out the holiday spirit of the dish.” 

This dish is a great compliment to the other heavy seasonal favorites and will balance out your table beautifully. 

Mrs. Ruiz’s Holiday salad

-1 container mixed greens, or picked from your backyard raised beds.

-pomegranate seeds, lovingly plucked from your freshly harvested pomegranate

-thinly sliced red onions.  Try not to cry…smudged mascara is not in this holiday season.

-feta cheese from your local goats

-candied, roasted pecans. Homemade is best but if you don’t have time to grow and candy your

own nuts, store-bought is fine.

Dressing

-1 part apple side vinegar 

-1 part oil 

-2 tbsp Dijon mustard 

-Salt 

-pepper

-garlic powder 

– 1 tsp paprika