Post Thanksgiving Post

Thanksgiving is over, and now it’s time to refuel for the next round of holidays.  From a food perspective, Christmas has a broad range of food that people consider traditional. For years I spent Christmas with friends who always had a roasted strip loin with Yorkshire puddings.  Some people eat ham, others more turkey.  Then there is Christmas Eve, which for many people means the feast of the seven fishes.  When I was in college my family would have Christmas dinner because it was a day we would all be around.  One year I convinced my mother to make a roast goose; not one of my best ideas…  

I used to work with someone who made the best Christmas cookies ever, and I think I miss her cookies more than almost anything else about that job!  All the cookies were beautiful, and buttery, and so good!  Rose, if you are reading this, I am drooling thinking about your cookies!  I love making cookies, and though I am no Rose, this year I will be doing some holiday baking of my own.  It is still early enough in December for me to be in the planning stages, so this post won’t have any cookie recipes.  

And now it is time for the annual ‘war on Christmas’. Though becoming ubiquitous, this war really mystifies me; if I’m not celebrating it, does this constitute a declaration of war on Christmas?  There are a huge number of holidays I choose not to celebrate for a variety of reasons including they don’t pertain to me, they are not ‘my’ holidays, or even I’m not that interested.  Are my only two choices that I either celebrate Christmas, or I am waging war on it? Can someone explain to me who exactly is waging this war, and what victory will look like?  Regardless, I’m pretty sure it won’t look like a Jew baking Christmas cookies; just sayin’.

Now as I said, I am not Christian, but I do love Christmas!  It is fun, it is festive, it has great music, and involves lots if great food!  I love presents (who doesn’t?)  and shopping, cooking,visiting and the sheer celebratory nature of Christmas.  For me, though there is no faith based rite involved, I love Christmas, and that seems to be OK with everyone I know regardless of their personal faith.  If you’ll be baking cookies, I’d love to hear about your favorite recipes, and I’ll be sharing mine with you.  All I can say is it’s still early, pace yourself!