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You are here: Home / Friday Five / Top Five Posts from 2015 + Christmas Kranz

Top Five Posts from 2015 + Christmas Kranz

December 24, 2015 by MCM Mama 13 Comments

It’s been a busy few weeks around here, but yesterday morning I finished my last work meeting until after Christmas, so Beer Geek and I headed out on a lunch “date”.

karben4 beer and chocolate

Now I’m relaxing with my family and enjoying way too many Christmas cookies and a lot of beer. Since I don’t plan to spend much time online for the next few days, I decided to do my Friday Five a day early and include one of my favorite holiday recipes/traditions. I’ll link it up to Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia eventually.

Top five posts from 2015…

  1. Night Owl’s Guide to Being a Morning Runner – Guide Morning RunnerJudging by the popularity of this post, I’m apparently not the only one who struggles to get up early to work out. Thankfully, my kids are back in school and it makes more sense for me to run right after school drop off than in the dark before they wake up. No more early morning runs until next summer!
  2. Tips for Running When It’s Below Freezing – Cold weather runningThis was a popular post last winter and it’s gaining steam again. Not that it’s actually below freezing in DC these days…
  3. Tips to Get Moving When Your Motivation Has Left the Building – Finding your workout motivationApparently I’m not the only one who has days/weeks/months when motivation takes a vacation.
  4. Hot Weather Running – Hot Weather Running TipsOn the flipside, some people (me) need help to get out there and run when the weather is hot out.
  5. Five Tips for Running When You Just Don’t Want To – Running Motivation TipsDo you sense a theme here? Apparently my blog comes in handy any time people are struggling to get out there and run or get their workout in.

And a little Christmas tradition to share. We’ve had kranz for breakfast nearly every Christmas morning my entire life. We fill it with dates or raisins, but you can add nuts or other dried fruits. We also add frosting after it cools because obviously you need as much sugar as possible in your children on Christmas morning. We use a cream cheese frosting, but regular white frosting works too.

Christmas Kranz

Christmas Kranz recipe

Christmas Kranz
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: MCM Mama
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb. butter
  • 1 1/4 cup warm milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 pkg yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups flour (add extra if dough is too sticky)
  • Filling:
  • 3/4 lb pitted dates, cut up
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • OR
  • raisins
  • sugar
  • cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Dissolve yeast in small amount of milk, then heat milk to melt butter.
  2. Stir in sugar and salt.
  3. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
  4. Beat in eggs.
  5. Stir in flour.
  6. Knead lightly.
  7. Allow to rise to double.
  8. Roll out and add filling (filling directions below)
  9. Roll up dough.
  10. Rise again.
  11. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes.
  12. Let cool and frost if desired.
  13. Date filling: Combine ingredients in saucepan and cook until slightly thickened. Spread over dough, leaving about an inch of bare dough around the perimeter.
  14. Raisin filling: Brush dough with melted butter, sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar and raisins. (I’ve never measured this – just eyeball it.)
3.5.3208

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

I’m linking up with Deb and Tina for Meatless Monday!

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Filed Under: Friday Five, motivation, running, year in review

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Comments

  1. Jen@jpabstfitness says

    December 24, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      December 28, 2015 at 11:19 am

      Thank you! Hope you had a Merry Christmas as well.

      Reply
  2. Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness says

    December 25, 2015 at 4:17 am

    Never herd of Christmas Kranz. Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      December 28, 2015 at 11:18 am

      It’s so yummy. We can only have it on Christmas or I’d eat an entire loaf by myself every time I make it.

      Reply
  3. Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says

    December 25, 2015 at 8:53 am

    Hoping we don’t need those cold weather running tips this year! I’m loving this mild winter.

    Merry Christmas Erika!
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…My Christmas WishMy Profile

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      December 28, 2015 at 11:18 am

      We are getting snow here today – I think it’s finally going to look like Wisconsin in the winter here.

      Reply
  4. Mar @ Mar on the Run says

    December 26, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Hoping it’s a long while before we need those cold weather running tips! Merry Christmas to you!
    Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Friday Five: Merry Christmas!My Profile

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      December 28, 2015 at 11:17 am

      It’s snowy and cold here in Wisconsin today – may have to pull out the warm running clothes to get out there.

      Reply
  5. courtney @ eat pray run dc says

    December 26, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Hope you had an awesome Christmas!!

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      December 28, 2015 at 11:16 am

      I did, thanks! It was nice to unplug a bit and spend time with family. Hope yours was lovely as well.

      Reply
  6. Deborah Brooks @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says

    December 28, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    ooh yum that looks like it would be yummy with a cup of coffee right about now! Thanks for joining us for Meatless Monday this week
    Deborah Brooks @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…The Best of Meatless Monday 2015My Profile

    Reply
  7. Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes says

    December 29, 2015 at 8:34 am

    Love your top posts! No surprise they are gaining steam again! I was surprised with my top posts! That Christmas Kranz looks yummy! I’ve never heard of it before!
    Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…Join me for the Zooma Run Love Challenge!My Profile

    Reply
  8. Cynthia @ You Signed Up For What?! says

    December 31, 2015 at 12:49 am

    I love the theme of motivation that runs through this! Great year for you!
    Cynthia @ You Signed Up For What?! recently posted…Ending the Year on the Right FeetMy Profile

    Reply
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Who is MCM Mama?
A slightly obnoxious mom and wife who loves good beer and running, who struggles a bit with depression especially in the winter and when running isn’t allowed, who’d rather go on a fun vacation than upgrade the kitchen or add a master bath, and has a minor addiction to the Marine Corps Marathon.

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