  Spiritual
This week: Christmas Time is Here Edited by: Shannon  
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Christmas Time is Here
Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year
Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share
Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here
Families drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
~ Vince Guaraldi
I swear, the older I get the faster time flies. When I was a kid, one Christmas to the next seemed to take an eternity. Now I can hardly believe it's that time of year again. While setting out Christmas towels or draping the table with a plaid tablecloth may not seem like holiday traditions, they most definitely are. It's the little things--decorating the tree, baking cookies, wrapping presents, plugging in the multicolored outdoor lights--that ready us for the season.
Pagans celebrate Yule, Christians celebrate Christmas, Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah, but regardless of what religion you are this time of years means feasting, gift-giving, and goodwill. We are thankful for what we have and tend to share our good fortune with those we love in the form of presents, food, and time spent together.
When I was a kid, my brothers and I loved all the classic Christmas cartoons like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Year Without a Santa Claus, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, just to name a few. We'd scan our three TV channels until we found one, and we'd watch with rapt attention like it was the first time we'd ever seen it. Finally, on Christmas Eve, we were allowed to open one present. We never got to choose which present, and it usually turned out to be the least spectacular of gifts, but rather than quelling our appetites as our parents hoped it served to whet them instead. We hardly slept, tossing and turning, sneaking down the hall to catch a glimpse of Santa (or our parents, as it turned out) stacking box after box under the tree. We never caught them, or at least I didn't. They were too crafty, and I was too sleepy.
We rose early, opened our presents, and spent the rest of the morning in a surreal state of holiday bliss. Then the cooking began and the family arrived. Our boat of a table, which had seating for twelve people once the leaves were in place, was loaded stem to stern with mouthwatering delicacies. Dad said grace and we dove in. After the eating was done, the grown-ups visited, I'd brush and "style" my little cousin's hair (which drove my Aunt Tami bonkers), and we'd all talk about what we'd received for Christmas while the snow piled up outside our Alaska home. Many of those people are no longer living: Uncle Pat, Uncle Terry, Grandpa and Grandma Smith, Grandpa and Grandma Cramé (pronounced like macramé without the "ma"). It was a magical time. By my teens the magic had faded a little, was a little scuffed about the edges, and I didn't experience it again until I became a mother. Oh, sure. Christmas is wonderful and always has been, but there really is nothing quite like Christmas morning when you're a child.
Now my greatest joy comes from watching my grandchildren open their presents ... and the food. Boy, do I love food. Not the sweet stuff, not the pies and puddings, but the real food: potato latkes, quiche, prime rib, smoked salmon and Gorgonzola on a Triscuit, roast turkey and all the trimmings. Ah, yes. Food, glorious food!
My husband and I usually cook the same things every year for Christmas dinner, but over the years we've introduced "experimental" recipes just for something different. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you:
Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa 1
1 1/2 cups finely chopped Gala apples
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 finely chopped seeded serrano chile
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 cups shredded peeled butternut squash (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups shredded peeled baking potato (about 3/4 pound)
1 cup grated onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1. Combine apple and lime juice in a bowl; toss. Add onion, chile, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss. Cover and chill.
2. Combine squash, potato, and onion in a colander; drain 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, remaining 4 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; toss well.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat procedure 4 times to form 5 latkes. Sauté 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure twice with remaining oil and potato mixture to yield 14 latkes total. Serve with salsa.
Italian Butter 2
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Using a spice or coffee grinder, grind together red and black peppers, dried herbs, garlic powder, minced garlic, and salt.
2. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of herb mixture onto a small plate. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top and serve with warm french bread. Store remaining mixture in an air-tight container.
Chicken Florentine Crepes 3
Word to the wise here, I recommend making your own crepes. You can buy them in the store, but they are very expensive and not nearly as good as homemade, not to mention they don't hold together very well.
Chicken Florentine:
1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless, cubed)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
4 ounces cheddar cheese and 4 ounces swiss cheese
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1⁄2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Crepe:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1. Combine flour, milk, eggs, butter, and salt in a bowl. Beat mixture until all the flour lumps are gone. The consistency will be like thin pancake batter. Set aside.
2. Sauté chicken and garlic in butter until golden brown.
3. Pour in milk and cream of chicken soup. Simmer. Reduce to low-to-medium heat.
4. After simmer, add the spinach and cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese completely melts. Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure the bottom doesn't stick. Keep simmering until the sauce is reduced.
5. While the chicken is simmering, start cooking the crepes. In a lightly-greased skillet, pour about 3 tbsp of batter and spread it as thin as possible, rotating the pan if necessary. Do not flip. In about 1 minute, check the bottom-side of the crepe. When the bottom is light brown remove it from pan. Cook only one side of the crepe or else it will be crunchy.
6. By the time you're done with the crepes, chicken should be done, too. Pour 1/2 cup of chicken mixture onto center of each crepe and wrap to close. Top each crepe with an additional 1/4 cup chicken mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Regardless of how you celebrate this time I year, I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays, and may 2016 be everything you hope for and more. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
Thank you for reading.
In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
~ Christina Rossetti (published posthumously in Rossetti's Poetic Works in 1904)
Notes:
1. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-butternut-potato-latkes
2. https://www.ravenandcrone.com/catalog/a23/Yule-Food-Recipes/article_info.html
3. http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-florentine-crepe-ihops-copycat-311039 |
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The following is in response to "Planksgiving 2015" :
paeggan writes, "A thoughtful newsletter, as always, Shannon, for which thanks!  We celebrate a quiet Thanks Giving at home, through choice. We have the turkey and the trimmings, and we each take it in turn to go around the table and verbalize what we are thankful for. Happy Thanks Giving!" Simple, lovely, and meaningful. That's what it's all about! Thank you for sharing, and I hope you and yours had a blessed Thanksgiving as well, Paeggan. 
Slove  writes, "I truly enjoyed the poems presented here today, HAPPY THANKSGIVING from a grateful nose." Aw, thank you!  I hope you also had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 
amyjo-Keeping it real and fun! writes, "LOL...loved the Planksgiving picture...it is hilarious! With the holidays being so commercialized nowadays, it is nice to just 'unplug' and to be grateful for so many things. Even if we don't have what we want, having what we need is a very good reason to be thankful." Thanks! I think it's pretty funny, too. And I agree with you 100%. Having what we need is definitely something to be grateful for. Thank you. 
Quick-Quill  writes, "Thanksgiving dinner has changed over the years. On my side of the family we gather for the food. We pray before eating and sometimes go around the table verbally thanking God for something. It's a hit and miss activity as to whose house we are at and who's in charge of the festivities. It's still about the food. When it's over there is football for some, a puzzle for some, and then it's off to work for others. I'm not a fan of shopping on Thanksgiving and I bury a stick of turkey wishbone in the greedy idiots who want to open their doors on Thanksgiving night/afternoon/and all day. I appreciate some of the stores who are open for those emergency items we forgot, but if they weren't, life would go on. I had to be at the mall to open our store at 6:00 AM. There weren't all that many people there until 10:00 our normal opening." I'm not a fan of shopping in general, and I've never participated in Black Friday. There is nothing on the planet I want or need badly enough to stand in line, outside, in the freezing cold overnight for. Ridiculous! But I guess whatever floats your boat as long as you're kind and respectful of others. Thank you for sharing your holiday traditions with us. 
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Spiritual: December 23, 2015 Issue [#7365]
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