A BEACON Holiday Guide By Praytell Agency

members of BEACON, Praytell’s Black Employee Resource Group

2020 has brought a roller coaster of emotions and events. From the global pandemic to polarizing politics, it can be hard to maintain a sense of happiness. Here at Praytell, BEACON has been a haven for Black employees to laugh, cry, and uplift one another both personally and professionally.

This holiday season we’re giving you a peek into our collective, and we invite you to learn more about us and celebrate our culture.

From signature recipes with secret ingredients you’ll never guess, a guide for family-friendly entertainment, and cocktails to get the party going — this is our love offering to one another for a guaranteed good time.

Recipes

NIGERIAN JOLLOF RICE

Submitted by Lola Kasali

Jollof rice is the staple dish that reigns in West Africa, cooked in a flavorful tomato and pepper puree. Due to the number of spicy peppers used, people can adjust the ratio based on what they can handle. Nigerian Jollof rice has officially become the must-have dish at every holiday celebration, wedding, birthday party, and dinner. The popularity of the rice has even caused an unofficial debate of who makes the best jollof rice between Nigeria and Ghana. This recipe was passed down to me by my mother and aunts and the bonding experience is something I would love to recreate with my future children. Hopefully, you can create your own version of Jollof rice with your loved ones.

Directions

Step 1. In a blender, combine tomatoes, red bell peppers, chopped onions and scotch bonnet peppers with 2 cups of water. Pour blended mixture into a large pot and place on the stove.

Step 2. Add canola oil, sliced onion, salt, bay leaves, curry powder, dried thyme, garlic powder and tomato paste to the puree mixture on the stove. Set the stove on medium heat for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. (This is the stew for your jollof rice)

Step 3. Add 4 cups of rice into a different pot with 2 cups of water. Add 2 maggi cubes to rice and stir. Set the stove on low heat for 15 minutes with the lid on.

Step 4. Add the stew mixture from Step 2 to the pot of rice when the rice is partially cooked. Use a wooden (silver) spoon to stir the rice every 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t get burned.

Step 5. After 20 minutes, your Nigerian Jollof rice is ready to be plated with a side (chicken, fish or meat).

GBADUN! (“enjoy” in Yoruba)

Ingredients

4 medium-sized fresh tomato plums, or 28 oz of canned crushed tomatoes puree
4 large red bell peppers
3 scotch bonnet peppers (you can use any amount)
1 medium-sized onion (any color); roughly chopped
1 whole can of tomato paste (6 oz)
½ cup of canola oil
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cups uncooked medium-grain rice
2 cups of water
2 Maggi cube (bouillon cube)

EASIEST MAC AND CHEESE

Submitted by Traci Brodnax

My favorite holiday food is baked mac and cheese! I love it because it’s so easy to make, cost-effective, and there always seems to be leftovers to enjoy days after. I’m lactose intolerant so there’s no milk or cream, but I do use a really unexpected ingredient that you either like in small doses, love, or absolutely hate. But I promise you won’t even know it’s there when you try it!

Directions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 450°

Step 2. Boil macaroni until al dente (approx. 7 minutes); drain noodles and place in a large bowl.

Step 3. Mix in butter, egg and mayonnaise (just start with a few spoonfuls until it has a consistency that feels right).

Step 4. Add almost all the cheese and mix, mix, mix. If needed, add more butter or mayo.

Step 5. Add all the spices and mix, mix, mix.

Step 6. Layer mixed cheese – be generous with it! Mix, mix, mix.

Step 7. Pour into an oven-safe dish and cover the top layer with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes and voila!

Ingredients

2 boxes of elbow macaroni
4 bags of shredded cheese (any kind you prefer – I love mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, monterrey jack and colby jack)
½ stick of butter (or more, whatever you prefer)
1 egg
Salt, pepper and any other spices you want (sometimes I do garlic and onion powder, cayenne if you want a kick)
The unexpected ingredient: mayonnaise (don’t freak out, I thought the same thing until I tried it and realized you can’t taste it AT ALL)

APPLE-PEAR CRISP

Submitted by Dele Odumosu

Apple-pear crisp has become my signature holiday dessert — it's delicious and makes plenty of servings to go around. People are so impressed that it's made from scratch, but what they don't know is that it's probably one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make. And you likely have most of the ingredients already in your kitchen. The longest part is peeling and slicing the fruit, otherwise it basically cooks itself.
I personally use the following recipe originally created by Baked By Rachel. It serves roughly 4-6 people. Be sure to serve warm with ice cream and sometimes I even add a few fresh berries.
Pro Tip You can mix the filling and fruit right in your baking pan instead of separate bowls to cut down on dishes (I usually use the disposable aluminum pan). I also double the measurements for the topping to give it extra texture. The crumble is the best part for me!

Directions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F

Step 2. Prepare oatmeal topping. In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until only small pieces remain. Set aside.

Step 3. Peel and slice apples and pears into 1/4-inch slices. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning while continuing to work.

Step 4. In a medium bowl, combine remaining flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla. Add to apples and pears, tossing to coat.

Step 5. Transfer to an 8x8 square baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until fruit is tender and oatmeal topping is crisp.

Step 6. Serve with optional vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or caramel sauce.

Ingredients

Topping:

1/4 C light brown sugar
1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C old fashioned oats
6 Tbsp cold butter

Filling:

4 C apples
2 C pears
2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

GAMES

Submitted by Hillary Wilson and Jana Shaw

My Aunt Pam hosts Christmas Eve every year. She insists, every year, that we play each of these games. Idk why because my family is extremely blunt and competitive so someone is going to leave the party early and mad. - Jana

If your family is like mine, UNO is a contentious game to play. I've started playing the Monopoly Card Game with my family recently — it's similar enough to UNO to keep everyone's interest, but different enough where nobody is making rules up on the fly (yet). - Hillary

The Night Right Before Christmas - Sit in a circle with one or two gifts. As you read the story, you pass the gift LEFT and RIGHT every time either word is read. Whoever holds the gift(s) at the end of the poem wins! ‍
The Saran Wrap Christmas Game - Putting the best gift in the middle, wrap a bunch of gifts into a saran wrap ball. The person with the ball starts unwrapping while the person on their right tries to roll doubles with a pair of dice. Once doubles are rolled, the ball is passed to the next player, and dice rolling and unwrapping begins again. The person with the ball does not stop unwrapping until the person to their right rolls doubles. As you unwrap you get to keep the gifts that fall out. The game ends once the ball is unraveled and the nicest gift is revealed.‍
Family Feud - Boardgame. Do not play if your family is as competitive as mine. Someone will be called out of their name.‍
Blavity - It’s the Black version of Ellen’s Heads Up so you may want to stick to Ellen’s heads up.‍
Uno - But Black people play it differently.‍
Impersonations - Similar to charades, but this time you’re choosing people from your family to impersonate.

COCKTAIL

HOT CRANBERRY SURPRISE

Submitted by Jana Shaw

Michael Shaw is not much of a cook so while the women of the family spend tireless hours preparing Christmas dinner, my dad spends hours frying a turkey and making his “famous” Christmas cocktail. I’m not one for hot drinks so I can do without but my family loves it.IngredientsCranberry juice Orange juice Cinnamon stickClovesFresh gingerHoneyRum or Gin DirectionsAdd ingredients to a pot or crockpot (on low for two hours) until boiled/hot. Once ready, remove from heat and mix in the liquor.

The holidays may look different this year, but remember that keeping those we love happy and healthy is the most important thing. The holidays are a time to see and make new memories with family, friends, and other loved ones, no matter if it’s through FaceTime or Zoom. With that being said, happy holidays to you and your family!

Cheers, Your BEACON Family