Happy Holidays from your MHA staff to you and yours!
Happy Holidaysfrom your MHA staff to you and yours!
Here are a few
of our favorite things!
Cherished holiday recipes, favorite Christmas traditions
and our favorite pictures from the past (and past year)…
Our holiday gift from your MHA staff
to you and yours!
Mix all together and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
~ Janice Moore
Wife of Tim Moore, MHA President/CEO
Strawberry Cake1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1 tbsp cake flour
¾ cup oil
½ cup water
½ cup frozen strawberries in juice (thawed)
1 pkg small strawberry Jell-O
Tim Moore, MHA President
and CEO, and his family
Cream sugar, butter, margarine and cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Add eggs, one
at a time, beating well after each. Gradually add flour, beating well. Add vanilla and
mix. Pour into well greased and lightly floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for
80-90 minutes until done. Cool for 10 minutes.
~ Janice Moore
Cream Cheese Pound Cake3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
1 stick margarine
1 tbsp vanilla
6 large eggs
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups cake flour
Max Jaeger
Weston & Jaeger
“We're looking forward to being with
these two guys this Christmas!
Christmas has always been a
special time, but now especially with
grandkids. Our son and his family
live in Scotland so being with them is
so precious.
From our family to yours, we wish
you a Merry Christmas! ”
~ Dawn Ard, Executive Assistant,
MHA
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in potato
chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased
baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes before
removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.
Julie McNeese’s Potato Chip Cookies2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups crushed potato chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
These taste like the best shortbread cookie you have ever had! And they keep very well –if they last that long!
~ Lily, the fur baby of
Pam O’Keefe, Receptionist
1 cup white Karo
3 tbsp. butter- melted
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 beaten eggs
1 cup pecans, coarsely broken
Boil Karo & sugar together 2 mins. Pour very
slowly over beaten eggs, stirring constantly.
Add butter, vanilla & nuts. Pour into unbaked
pie shell. Bake 350 degrees for 50 mins, or
until done. Pie will be puffed across the top.
Pecans rise to the top.
(Important, per Pam’s mother-in-law, was to
first cook the Karo & sugar together and not
just putting all ingredients in to the pie shell!)
Grace O’Keefe’s Pecan Pie
Marcella Mckay, MHA Foundation,
with her husband and grandkids
Preheat oven at 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In large mixing bowl, toss together oats, coconut, pecans, cinnamon & salt. Melt
coconut oil and add maple syrup & vanilla. Pour liquid over the dry mixture and
stir to coat evenly. Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes,
stirring every 10 minutes throughout the baking process. Cook until golden
brown. Allow to cool completely & store in airtight container.
Serve with your favorite yogurt & fresh berries or with milk.
Maple Pecan Granola4 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut,
shredded
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
~ Marcella McKay, President/CEO, MHA Foundation
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Morgan Stokes, Finance Department, and her family!
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until
smooth and fluffy. Add all of the remaining
ingredients and beat until well blended.
Great for sandwiches or with crackers!
Pimento Cheese1 (8 oz) cream cheese (room temp)
1 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 to 3 tbsp pimentos (smashed)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
~ Morgan Stokes, Finance Department
“Our family has begun a Thanksgiving tradition that we all look forward to each year.
Our immediate family (children & grandchildren) meet in Destin. The first year, we
went to the beach on the Saturday after Thanksgiving so Melodie and I prepared a
really big breakfast to help sustain us while we enjoyed the beach. The breakfast
included pumpkin waffles, eggs, grits, oatmeal, sausage, and, of course, BACON.
The pumpkin waffles were a big hit.
Now we have to make them each year!”
~ Curnis Upkins, MHA & MHA Solutions
In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. In a measuring cup whisk the eggs,
milk, maple syrup and melted butter well, then stir in the pumpkin purée. Add the
wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Bake the waffles
in your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Recipe via Savory
Nothings)
Pumpkin WafflesDry Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter melted
1 cup pumpkin purée
Combine all the ingredients except for the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Mix
well and cook on low 6-8 hours. Add the cream cheese and continue to cook for 30
minutes. Stir well until soup is smooth. Spoon into bowls and add shredded cheese to
the top if desired. Serve and enjoy!
~ Allison Hardy
Paula Deen’s Crockpot Potato Soup1 30oz bag of frozen southern style
hash-brown potatoes – squares
⅓ cup chopped onion
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 14.5-oz cans of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package Cream Cheese (softened)
Shredded cheese (optional)
Allison Hardy,
Finance Dept.,
and her family!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn
syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a full boil, and remove from heat. In a
large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in cooked syrup mixture. Stir in salt,
vanilla, and pecans. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50
minutes, or until filling is set.
Take your favorite bourbon and spread 1/4 cup of bourbon onto pie. (Add a little more
or less to suit your taste). Be judicious - a little can go a long way.
Serve and enjoy!
~ Richard Roberson
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
Bourbon Pecan Pie
Richard Roberson,
MHA, and his family!
Candy Brown, MHA Hospital Preparedness, and her family!
“The past year in my life… It was so spectacular to see my two beauties marry their
beaus just five months apart. This past year has been filled with wonderful life
markers and huge transitions for all of us in the Powell tribe - but in the best sort of
way. I am so blessed this Christmas to have two wonderful sons-n-love to shop
for. Very thankful. Now maybe next year, I’ll get to send some
baby pictures … one can only hope. Merry Christmas!”
~ Robin Powell, MHA Education Department
Shea Moody,
HPIC,
and his family!
The Moody’s Double Pecan Pie
Place a toothpick in the top of the strawberry and dip all the way to the top of the
berry leaving the green top showing. Place on parchment paper to dry. Before the
chocolate is set completely, place broken pretzels one on each side for antlers. Add
mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mini red M&Ms for the nose.
(Make sure strawberries are dry before dipping or the chocolate
won’t stick!)
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Reindeer
Crockpot CocoaBacon Cheese Pull-Apart BreadBuffalo Chicken DipGrape Salad & Pineapple CrunchCinnamon Roll Swirl Cake
Lea Ann Mitchell’s Favorite Holiday Recipes
Voted Most Likely to Be On the Naughty List for 50 Years and Counting…~ Allen Gill, Claims Manager,
HPIC
“Merry Christmas
everyone! Sure looking
forward to the first
Christmas with my new
grandbaby, Micah!”
~ Lisa Noble, HPIC
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
FOR TOPPING: 4 tbsp butter, melted and ¼ to ½ cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 or 1/2 cup
sugar with 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon mixed in. Start with 1/4 cup, but add up to 1/2 cup if
you prefer things spicy).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the pie crust onto a baking sheet. Or, if using a
refrigerated crust, lightly grease a 9″ pie pan, put the crust in, and set the pan on a baking
sheet. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until partially baked. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and sugar until blended. In a medium
saucepan, bring the cornstarch-sugar mixture, melted butter and heavy cream together
over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture is done when it’s thick and creamy. Stir
in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and smooth out the top. Drizzle on the melted
butter and evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Bake for approx. 25 minutes, then turn
on the broiler and broil for about 1 minute, watching carefully. Remove from oven and allow
to come to room temperature before refrigerating for at least
one hour to set. Store in fridge.
Lisa Noble’s Sugar Cream Pie1 deep dish pie crust (room temp)
4 tbsp. corn starch
¾ cup white sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla
Shawn Rossi, MHA, and her familyI have to make this
Hummingbird Cake
every Thanksgiving
and Christmas!
It’s my
family’s favorite.
“My son, Quentin, does not
think it’s Christmas until
these Chocolate Mice are
made – but at least now
that he’s older I can make
him unwrap all of the
Hershey’s kisses!”
~ Shawn Rossi, MHA
You will need cherries with
the stems, Hershey’s
kisses, almond slivers and
red gel. Dip cherries in
chocolate and immediately
connect with a kiss and
add the almond slivers for
ears. Use the gel for the
eyes and noses.
Shawn Rossi’s Grinch Grapes
You will need
strawberries, grapes,
miniature marshmallows
and toothpicks. Cut the
strawberries in half. Put
a grape, half a
strawberry and a
miniature marshmallow
on a toothpick.
Great for when you
want to bring a healthy
holiday snack!
The Reason for the Season…
MHA and HPIC staff collected teddy bears for local first
responders to hand out to children to calm them in emergency
situations.
Rinse cranberries and then drain. Boil water with sugar on high heat, stir to dissolve
sugar. Add cranberries to pot and return to boil then lower heat and simmer for 10
minutes cooking until they burst. Let cool to room temperature then transfer to a bowl
to chill in the refrigerator.
Debbie Logan’s Cranberry Sauce1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cups fresh cranberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix everything together and pour into an unbaked 9” pie
shell. Sprinkle top lightly with nutmeg. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees
and bake 45 minutes. Cool to allow the filling to set.
~ Robin Powell
Southern Buttermilk Pie½ cup buttermilk
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tbsp flour
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
~ Debbie Logan and her husband with their grandchildren
Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium
heat. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oats and cook over low heat
for 2 to 3 minutes or until well blended. Press half of the mixture evenly into the
bottom of the baking pan. Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low
heat (or microwave). Stir in peanut butter. Pour chocolate mixture over the oat
mixture in the baking pan. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (but overnight is better).
I like to add a cup of ground pecans or walnuts to the oat mixture if I use
creamy peanut butter. You can add shredded coconut and a little melted
caramel to the chocolate just for a different taste
~ Julie McNeese
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars1 cup of butter
½ cup of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 cups of uncooked quick oats
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup of crunchy or creamy
peanut butter
Merry Christmasto you and yoursfrom Chere, Eddie and Julie in MHA Solutions!
Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium
heat. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oats and cook over low heat
for 2 to 3 minutes or until well blended. Press half of the mixture evenly into the
bottom of the baking pan. Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low
heat (or microwave). Stir in peanut butter. Pour chocolate mixture over the oat
mixture in the baking pan. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (but overnight is better).
I like to add a cup of ground pecans or walnuts to the oat mixture if I use
creamy peanut butter. You can add shredded coconut and a little melted
caramel to the chocolate just for a different taste
~ Julie McNeese
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars1 cup of butter
½ cup of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 cups of uncooked quick oats
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup of crunchy or creamy
peanut butter
“These are old Christmas
pictures of all of us, but
these are still my
favorites!”
~ Anasthia Amos, MHA
Education Department
Lauren
Simmons,
daughter of
Ashley
Simmons, MHA
Education Department
Merry Christmasfrom our family
to Yours!
“Merry Christmas from my
fur baby, Blackie, and me!”
~ Cynthia Grinston, MHA
Education Department
Skewer three Oreos on each skewer so you have four skewers with three Oreos
each. Combine white chocolate and milk in a microwave safe cup and microwave on
medium heat for one minute. Remove from microwave and stir. If not completely
melted, microwave again for an additional 30 seconds and stir. Continue on 30
second intervals until the white chocolate is completely melted and combined with
milk. Hold Oreos and pour white chocolate ganache over one side of Oreos then flip
and cover the other side as well, making sure to cover them completely. Allow excess
white chocolate to slide off then place on a piece of parchment paper. While the
chocolate is still wet, make the snowman’s face using orange rock candy for the
nose, candy eyes for the eyes and mini chocolate chips for the mouth. Allow
snowmen to sit for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate is fully
hardened. Wrap Twizzler Pull N Peel around the “neck,” to create
a scarf. Keep chilled until ready to eat.
Oreo Snowman12 Oreo cookies
2 tbsp milk
Mini chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
Orange rock candy
Twizzlers
Candy eyes
Bamboo skewer
“Merry Christmas from my
grandkids and me!”
~ Robin Weltens, HPIC
Valarie Jackson, Hospital
Preparedness Program, her
family and pup, Milo!