Making Christmas Your Own

While for many Christmas is a time of great joy and excitement, for some it is a difficult time.  The picture that is presented to us on our televisions, radio and through advertising is that it's a time of plenty, bottomless wallets, abundance of food, and good cheer.  This is not the reality for many.  From those who feel the stress of financial burdens to those who have suffered a loss in their lives, the holidays can be a difficult time.  It is possible to make the season special in our own way, without getting caught up in the commercial hype that we are constantly bombarded with.  You can create your own family traditions to enjoy at this time that make the season special that do not revolve around parties, presents and elaborate spending. 

Simple decorations, homemade bows and items purchased in thrift shops can bring in the seasons cheer.  A poinsettia placed on the porch in memory of a loved one you miss.  A home cooked favorite dish modified to make it Christmasy will fill a child's heart.  The holiday season can be a time for reflection, family bonding, and a time to reach out to others less fortunate than ourselves, in fact all of these together.  Add a little candle light and some music to make your holiday a very special time.  

Nigella Lawson has a lovely recipe called Rudolph Pie that she makes for her children on Christmas Eve, it's basically shepherds pie, tweaked.  She uses ground venison and pork, but you could substitute this with meat loaf meat (beef, pork and veal). The mashed potato topping also includes mashed parsnips, which makes it sweeter and a little different.  The meat can be cooked in advance and frozen, leaving just the topping to make on Christmas Eve.  Top the pie with a cherry tomato when cooked and change the name to Rudolph Pie and your done.  

For Nigella's recipie click on the link.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/rudolph-pie-christmas-shepherds-pie-recipe.html

Mashed potatoes make great snowmen with peas for buttons, a baby carrot for a nose, parsley arms, and a carrot wheel for a hat. 









Here's a clever idea using mashed potato 

snowmen to top a beef stew ... Another inexpensive, hearty, low key meal with a festive touch.

The financial burden of gift buying can be reduced by introducing a "Yankee Swap". This is a lot of fun!

The most popular version of the White Elephant or Yankee Swap Rules say any number of people may participate, including children. However, the minimum number of participants should be at least six or else the game is not much fun. Each participant is asked to bring along a gift worth no more than a pre-agreed amount, generally around $25.

Participants draw numbers from a hat to determine their swap order from one up to the total number of participants. 

Each person gets a crack at choosing a gift. The person who picks the first gift opens it and shows it to the rest of the company. Then the number two participant picks a gift and chooses to either unwrap it or swap it for an unwrapped gift. If the gift is swapped, the person who had their gift taken from them gets to unwrap the chosen gift and the turn passes.

When all the gifts have been opened, the game is over. Afterward, some trading should be expected and is perfectly acceptable so that, as much as possible, everyone goes home with a gift they are happy with.

Since items can be stolen, the item in your possession is not yours until the game is over. However, this is often amended with a rule declaring a gift "dead" or "safe" after it has been stolen a certain number of times (usually three). This helps the process go more smoothly (avoiding, for example, the hypothetical scenario of the same gift being stolen by every successive participant) and limits the disadvantage of being among the first to choose gifts.

for more details and variations visit http://www.yankeeswap.com/

Maya Angelou once said “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”