A big birthday requires lots of great food
“Jingle Bells,” “O Holy Night,” “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer,” “Silent Night,” “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas,” the endless list of Christmas carols goes on while the number of days until Christmas Day arrives get shorter and shorter.
I am often a bottom line person. This Christmas season has been very challenging for my family. With many changes happening and a large kitchen renovation I feel like my life is turned upside down, backwards and inside out. There has been no chance to even consider decorating for Christmas and no kitchen to bake in.
With all the challenges in my life I started to get a bit discouraged about getting behind for Christmas. I was reminded in church a few weeks ago that Christmas is not my birthday. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, God’s only Son, the Messiah and my very favourite name — Emmanuel; It's Jesus’ birthday. It’s not about how much I get done or about all the extravagance related to the Christmas season. It’s all about celebrating the greatest gift of love ever given to us. That’s the original reason we celebrate. It’s the bottom line that I’m choosing to focus on.
Having said all that you would definitely celebrate an important birthday with lots of great food, right? Of course! And it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas cookies.
One of the best basic cookies that are a must to be made at Christmas is shortbread cookies, especially the ones with the little green and red candied cherries on the top.
Although I haven’t had a kitchen for a few weeks my friends Teresa, Barb and Christine graciously planned a bake day at one of their houses. We had so much fun making Christine’s mom’s amazing melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie recipe. (Mine are hiding in Barb’s freezer so my Cookie Monsters can’t eat them all before Christmas.) The recipe is the traditional whipped shortbread and it’s so delicious and very special because her mom passed away a few years ago so it’s a part of her love Christine’s family can have with them every Christmas. I’m sure many of you have similar recipes that are priceless and precious pieces of the past.
I’m also including my family’s favourite cookie recipe that is a spin off shortbread. I got it from Marilyn Roset many many moons ago when I was interviewing different families about their Christmas traditions for this column. It’s so popular I barely get it whipped up and I have spoons and fingers digging in the batter before I can even attempt to roll it out, cookie cutter it and get them baked.
I hope you love them both. Have a wonderful season of celebration and remember that bottom line reason for the season.
Joanne Smith is a registered dietitian.