Holiday Tea Brunch

When the family and friends gather for holidays, most times it accompanies overnight guests and
the need to serve food. Who doesn’t love getting up on a holiday morning and enjoying a visit with food that can be done ahead of time or in only a few minutes from start to serve?

Here are two easy level ideas to serve for your family holiday get together brunch:

Tea and Bread

Let’s start with a simple tea recipe, which is seasonal and will help you get the morning off to a great start!
Spiced Tea (*this recipe will serve 6 8oz cups)
What you’ll need:

Ingredients:
6 8oz cups of water
1 “pc” of cinnamon stick (use a judgement on how much you’d like to use)
6 black tea bags (your favorite kind)
½ C of white granulated sugar (can substitute your favorite kind)
1 tsp of whole clove
¾ C of orange juice
¼ C of pineapple juice (yes you can use the stuff from a can of pineapple)
2 tbsp. of lemon juice
Needed utensils:

1 large saucepan
1 medium saucepan
spoon
6 mugs

Steps:
#1 Add water to large saucepan, then add clove and cinnamon stick. Boil. Remove from the heat and now add tea bags. *You will steep for at least 5-10 minutes.
#2 In medium saucepan now stir orange juice, the sugar, lemon juice and pineapple juice together. Bring to a boil while stirring. Dissolve sugar completely.
#3 After steep time remove cloves and cinnamon stick with a spoon. Also remove the tea bags.
#4 Add the juices/sugar mixture to the tea. And stir.
#5 ladle into holiday mugs
Enjoy!

A quick and easy festive holiday bread to make and you don’t have to be a baker!

CranOrange Bread

What you’ll need:

½ C granulated sugar
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
¼ C butter (can use margarine) Melt this.
1 C cinnamon flavored applesauce
¾ C dried cranberries
2 tsp grated orange peel (can substitute orange extract)
Needed utensils:
cup measure & tsp measure
1 large mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl
greased loaf pan (depending on size, smaller may use two)

Steps:

#1 preheat oven to 350 degrees (don’t forget to grease loaf pan)
#2 In large bowl, Combine all “dry” ingredients, baking powder, flour, sugar and the cranberries.
#3 In medium bowl combine “wet” ingredients: applesauce and melted butter and to this the orange peel or extract. Now, add this to the already combined dry mixture. and blend well.
#4 Spoon batter into the previously greased loaf pan.
#5 Bake for 45-50 minutes until your toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of loaf.

Cool completely before removing from loaf pan.

*This recipe can also be made days ahead. Wrap well with saran type wrap to keep fresh. This also makes a great gift or bake sale item.

Enjoy!