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by Kristin Johnson John Grisham wrote a book called SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. Amazon.com reports: “John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that ‘for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home.’ “Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that ‘a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas,’ and have ‘precious little to show for it.’ So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that ‘we won't do Christmas.’ Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.” My friend Dessa Byrd Reed, author of the poetry books THE BUTTERFLY TOUCH and SEVEN BRIDGES, prefers nontraditional holidays. She wrote in THE DESERT WOMAN that as a widow she often spends time with friends over the holidays, take trips, or simply goes out to eat on Christmas (not necessarily turkey). It’s easy to see why, especially if you grew up with traditional Christmas expectations of warmth, family, and usually, expressions of faith. Christmas is under attack in this country. I think it was my high school AP Government class that asked us about cases involving removing Nativity scenes from public places. At the risk of revealing my ripe old age of 32, that was in 1990. First we had the trend of saying Xmas for Christmas. Then Christmas sales started way back before Halloween. Now, the holiday season is more about parties, overeating and drinking, and commercialism than expressing spirituality, in particular and especially the Christian faith. The secularists don’t much like church, whether because of parents who used religion as an excuse for too-strict disciplines (or hatred and prejudice), drug trips in the ‘60s, or the frequent systematic oppression of women and minorities (never mind that Christ welcomed everyone). This secularist attitude got wonderful treatment in a recent episode of "Jack & Bobby" co-created by Brad Meltzer, bestselling author and a friend. When we try to kick Christ out of a holiday named for Him, our society has a problem. What's been the result of using the euphemism “holiday” and banning the Nativity? Congress may not be making any law about the free expression of religion, but the elite brain trust is acting like the Church of England kicking out the Puritans. What’s the result? Clashes over religion. Holiday depression. Loneliness around the holidays, especially in nursing homes. Suicide. What's lost among the way? The spirit of giving. Warmth and compassion. Communion with family, friends and neighbors. And yes, that pesky expression of faith the secularists on the far left moan about. Ever notice that when it comes to their free expression of faith or lack thereof, they scream “racism” or “[fill in the blank] phobia” whenever Bill O’Reilly or anyone for that matter dares to pray or remind them that there is a God beyond their ideology? They accuse Christians of proselytizing but don’t hesitate to lecture on what is and what is not offensive today. President George Bush is mocked for his faith, and Senator John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, seems to have his usual difficulty sticking to a point on thorny social issues. No wonder the conventional wisdom was always not to discuss religion and politics, and for whatever God’s sake, don’t mix the two (even though it happens time and again), and let’s just all get along and sing carols at Christmas. It seems that people are rebelling. The success of "Passion of the Christ," the Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind Series, as well as “Joan of Arcadia,” “7th Heaven,” and “Touched by an Angel” indicates a movement in popular culture. Instead of skipping Christmas, let’s take back Christmas in our homes and families. Unless your family members and friends are Orthodox Jews or Muslims, you can celebrate Christmas with them. After all, Judaism and Islam recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet. Every religion celebrates the spirit of giving, from Kabbalah to Hinduism. We all agree we have too much stuff, too much food (as our overweight society proves), too much alcohol, too little kindness, patience and respect. We all want connection, love, belonging, and a place in the manger. Top ten tips for taking back Christmas:
We’ve taken back our streets. We’ve taken back the night. Let’s all take back Christmas, and we won’t have to skip it. But if you do feel like skipping Christmas to restore your faith, do it. The gift of one less stressed grumpy person around the holidays is priceless. Kristin Johnson is co-author of the book Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (see below). For more information visit ChristmasCookiesAreForGiving.com or your favorite online bookstore.
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| C O O K B O O K S P O T L I G H T |
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| E X C L U S I V E R E C I P E S |
Tri-Color Cookies
for
the filling: for
the topping: This recipe is cooked in three separate layers and then assembled. The bottom layer is green, the middle layer is yellow, and the top layer is pink. Preheat oven to 375°F. Use air-foam pan approximately 15 x 10 x 1 inches lined with parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in eggs one at a time. Add flour gradually, blending well. Add extract and orange zest, blend. Divide dough into thirds. Tint one third of dough with green food coloring, then transfer to prepared pan. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool on rack and carefully flip cake out of pan onto flat tray or into larger pan. Carefully remove the parchment paper and spread jam across entire surface, not too thick. Repeat cooking directions for next layer using yellow food coloring. After cooling, flip this layer on top of first layer, press, and spread with jam. Repeat last layer using pink food coloring. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips with oil. Spread evenly over top layer with a spatula. Let cool. Refrigerate until read to cut. Before cutting, bring back to room temperature and using a sharp knife cut into 2-inch by 1-inch cookies, discarding edges that are uneven. Yield: Approximately 70 - 75 cookies Recipe and photo by Scott at PMSI Affordable Web Design and Hosting
Making Authentic Molasses Cookies by Charlie Burke - Food Writer for The Heart of New England Molasses has been a popular ingredient in New England cooking since at least the nineteenth century. Clipper ships brought cane sugar to New England from Caribbean islands, and rum and molasses were manufactured here. A bizarre disaster occurred long ago in Boston's North End when a huge molasses storage tank ruptured resulting in many deaths. My wife was given this recipe and told it was quite old; the results are anything but a disaster! Wafer thin and crisp, these are like no other molasses cookie we've ever had. The dough stores well in the refrigerator and can be sliced and cooked in minutes. The best molasses we've ever had is sold at The Old Country Store at Moultonborough Corner in Moultonborough, New Hampshire which boasts of being a country store since 1781. 1
cup molasses Heat the molasses to a boil. Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted. Place the sugar in a deep bowl and add soda to the hot water; pour water into the molasses. Pour the molasses mixture into the bowl of sugar and thoroughly mix. Add spices, flour and salt and mix with molasses and sugar. Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper or waxed paper and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 325. Cut dough as thin as possible and bake on a non-stick surface or a greased sheet for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack as soon as done. They will be great for the holidays, and we're betting they'll be a family favorite. About
the author:
1 cup unsalted butter,
at room temperature In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar, lime juice, salt, and one half the lime zest (1-1/2 teaspoons) until light and fluffy. Stir in the rice flour, then all-purpose flour, beating only enough to incorporate. The dough will be very soft. Divide dough in thirds. Spoon each portion onto waxed paper or plastic wrap and form a log about 14 inches long and 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Fold the paper over the log, then roll with your palms until smooth. Twist ends of the paper and refrigerate or freeze until firm, 1 to 4 hours. To make the lime sugar, place sugar and remaining zest in a blender or coffee mill and whirl until zest is very finely minced and sugar is lightly colored, about three minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve, discarding any bits of peel that remain. Set aside. Preheat oven to 300 F. Slice chilled dough into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Lightly butter the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass and dip into the lime sugar. Press lightly onto tops of cookies, dipping the glass into the sugar mixture before pressing each cookie to prevent dough from sticking. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden. Cookies will be fragile: allow to cool five minutes on baking sheets before removing with a spatula to cool completely on wire racks. Makes about 60.
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| N O T O N E O U N C E |
| Not One Ounce. The 8-Week Campaign to Survive the Holidays by Will Clower, Ph.D., www.fatfallacy.com
What is the Not One Ounce Campaign? Our weight tracking software has been developed to show your progress over time. Log on. Track your weight each week. And you will see that you don’t have to gain those holiday pounds! Major dietary companies all pull back advertising during this period. But our two-month dietary surrender to weight gain is completely unnecessary. We really can make it from November to New Years without gaining weight. The “Not One Ounce” program helps us negotiate our way through this eating frenzy. And, when you make it to New Years Day (and you have not gained an ounce), you will be free to avoid the parade of New Years dieters. Everyone else will be starting the latest fad, but you will be living your new lifestyle without deprivation dieting.
Week 1: The Halloween Candy Storm Surge Even if you don’t have kids, you typically buy too much candy for the goblins and princesses passing by, and will have enough Twizzlers and fireballs to stain your lips violet for weeks. Your newfound candy windfall causes both short-term and long-term problems. Short-term
problem Long-term
problem Now
what do we do? When you find yourself in some momentary fit of clarity, look through your secret stashes and throw them in the trash with old coffee grounds and banana peals (so they won’t find their way back out again). Look through your desk and clear out the sweets. If you empty out all the candy, and find that your house echoes because there’s nothing left in it, replace them with snacks such as fruits, vegetables, and unsalted nuts. __________________________________ The
PATH: America’s weight solution. Dr. Clower can be reached on his
website
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