REST - Not Stress!

Rest? You've got to be kidding.

There is no such thing as REST this time of year. There are presents to buy. There are candies and cookies to make. There are programs to attend. There are Christmas cards to mail. Those ornaments won't hang themselves on the Christmas tree, and the house must be adorned with twinkling lights so everyone will see we have the holiday spirit at our house.

REST? You must be joking. But maybe you can find rest. Today, please check out my December post on the Lovely Branches Ministries website.

And while you're there, read what the other writers have to say about Advent on the Vine Press newsletter portion of the website.

"Berry" Good!

You could serve this butter sauce on cardboard and you'd think you were having a gourmet dessert.

But it'll be even better with the cranberry cake.

Cranberries say "holidays" to me. The beautiful red color and the tangy burst of flavor are a great alternative to pumpkin desserts this time of year.

I personally love pumpkin, but one of my sisters doesn't. From November through December, she often goes to meetings where the dessert of choice prominently features pumpkin. That's a great weight-loss plan at this time of year when the temptations are as plentiful as the proverbial "sugar plums dancing in your head."

When it's my turn to bring dessert to a gathering during the holiday season, I figure there may be one or two other people who join Lisa in the anti-pumpkin campaign. This is one of those desserts that still says "Merry Christmas."

Enjoy!

Cranberry Cake

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 cups raw cranberries

Cream together sugar and butter. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix well. Fold in cranberries. Put in greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with butter sauce.

Note: This doesn't have eggs. In other words, it's not a misprint.

Butter Sauce

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring butter, sugar and whipping cream to boil. Let is boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm over cake. Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator and rewarm.

This dessert is great "as is," just the cake and the butter sauce. For a special treat, serve with a dollop of ice cream (For my Nu Lambda meeting, I used a caramel swirl ice cream.)

Deck the Halls

Nestled there in the bubble wrap were years of memories. And I didn't even have to have a series of nightmares like poor Ebenezer Scrooge to unwrap them.

Once I got the six tubs of Christmas decorations toted upstairs, it was like Christmas came early as I opened the ornament boxes and hung each one on the tree for another year.

I know the household organization gurus all say you don't need "things" to have the memories. And while I agree, it's kind of like visual "Post It" notes, a way to jog memories from a lifetime.

That's why my Christmas tree is not like the designer trees on HGTV this time of year ... no matching balls, no coordinated ornaments, no color theme.

Instead, it's filled with a haphazard jumble of memories.

This is the oldest ornament on the tree. My Grandma Leonard made them for each of us, and they used to hang on our tree at home.

When she died, each of us chose one of these bejeweled balls that she made. I inherited her lefthandedness, but I certainly didn't inherit the craft gene.

My parents began a tradition when their grandchildren were born. Until the kids graduated from high school, they received a new ornament to hang on the tree each year.

After Christmas two years ago, I packed Jill's ornaments up in a plastic tub and later packed them in a trailer for her move to Omaha. It was my parents' intention for the grandkids to have a start on their own holiday trees and traditions.

Last year, as I unwrapped the ornaments, I kind of grieved that I was no longer seeing Jill's ornaments. I know they were hers, but they were such a central part of our tree, too. I missed the ornaments that were hers - the girl talking on the phone and the girl with the shopping bags and all the others.

When I pulled Brent's K-State football player from the plastic wrap again this year, it took me a minute to remember that the K-State cheerleader now lives in Omaha.

Someday, Brent's Teenage Mutant Ninja shell and his golfing Santa and Santa's pickup truck and the Crayola crayon sled and all the others will all be decorating a different tree.

But for now, until he's ready, they still find a place on the County Line.

It's not as though my tree will be bare. I have collected my fair share of ornaments over the years, too.

Some of my favorites are the photo ornaments, the ones that reveal the stages of Jill and Brent's lives as surely as the height marker in the dining room.


When we go on vacation, we always bring home an ornament to hang on the tree. There's a new one from our visit to Mount Rushmore this year, along with a memory from our 26th wedding anniversary trip to San Francisco.

And there are reminders all around of my mother-in-law. From the Santa who guards the fireplace ...

to the ceramic nativity scene on the dining room buffet ...

to angels on the Christmas tree ...

to the Santas that decorate the tabletops ...

to the stockings she made with the kids ...

her love of crafts and sharing them is reflected in pretty much every corner.

No, I don't need the "stuff" to remember. But I do appreciate finding memories in the twinkling lights around every corner this time of year.

Just Look Around

Last week, I was fretting about getting my Christmas decorations up. I host PEO tomorrow, and I didn't think the PEO ladies would want to see my Thanksgiving decorations on December 7.

I've been in the midst of three newsletter deadlines and all my normal "stuff." Then Brent graduates from K-State next Saturday, and, of course, that's a great reason for a party, complete with lots of food from the County Line kitchen.

I'm ashamed to admit my Christmas spirit was more "Bah Humbug" than "Joy to the World," even after a great start to Advent.

And then I got an email last week. It was from one of my favorite Christian singers, Matthew West.

Yes, I know it wasn't typed out especially to me. But, then again ... maybe it was, in a way.

Because it radically changed how I was looking at my week and my voluminous to-do list.

It's easy to get preoccupied with the little bumps and road blocks that come our way. The one line I remember from my high school play was "Oh woe is me! Oh lack-a-day!"

Why do I remember that stupid line when I don't even remember the name of the play? Maybe it's because, too often, I get tripped up with that "Oh woe is me!" feeling, despite my best efforts to be a positive light of Christ in this world.

And then I look around. And I meet a boy named Dax through a Matthew West song. And I think about how blessed I am ... each and every day. Even when I'm tired. Even when I'm discouraged. Even when I'm struggling.

And a little boy named Dax and his family and his community and even the world help me remember what Christmas is truly about.

Matthew West writes:

Like all the songs on The Story of Your Life, this song has a story. But the way the story came to me was unique. I received three different stories from three different people all in this small town in Illinois whose lives have been impacted by the life of a 2-year-old boy named Dax. At just 13 months old, little Dax was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. He was given two bone marrow transplants as a part of emergency treatment; one from each of his parents. The doctors then told his parents that Dax would most likely not make it to see Christmas.

Well, this song is inspired by the true story of the love of a family, and the coming together of an entire community to make sure that this little boy could have one last Christmas. His dad, determined that his son would see Christmas, put up the decorations early. The neighborhood caught on, and did the same. The whole town soon followed suit. A website was built telling his story. Soon, pictures were sent from all over the world of Christmas decorations that had been put up in his honor. Incredible!

Dax did lose his battle with leukemia, but not before he got to see one last Christmas. Today, this little boy’s legacy lives on, and his parents are making sure it does. They were so touched by the care they received from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, that they now have a desire to raise enough money to run the entire hospital for one day in honor of their son, Dax. The total cost to run St. Jude’s for one day is $1.6 million dollars. Already, they have raised a quarter of a million dollars.

So, just look around, Kim. Yes, the Christmas spirit is alive and well. You just need to open your eyes ... and your ears ... and your heart.

(By the way, I truly do love it when the house is dressed up for Christmas. I'm not a Scrooge ... really! I love the lights on the tree and the sparkle of favorite ornaments. It's looking quite festive around here. More on that later ...)

But, for now, I hope you'll take time to listen to "One Last Christmas." I pray that the song and story touch your heart, too, and that you'll find the true Spirit of Christmas found in a little boy named Dax and a baby named Jesus - no matter the length of your to-do list or the busyness of life.

Butterscotch Poppy Seed Bread

I enjoy giving gifts from the kitchen. Who doesn't like homemade goodies? And, unlike knickknacks, you don't even have to dust them!

Even if your gift recipients don't want to eat the goodies themselves, they can share with family or friends during the holidays.

Back when my grandparents were alive, I often made mini loaves of quick breads to give as Christmas gifts (along with individual casseroles and other food items). They could stick them in the freezer and pull them out for a sweet treat.

I started working on the project early in December, so I could have lots of variety and lots of little treats to give them.

One of my Grandpa Neelly's favorites was a Butter Brickle Bread. Because it starts with a cake mix, it's quick and easy to do. But when you add all the extras, it doesn't taste like a cake mix.

It's always good to have some gifts on hand to reciprocate when you receive an unexpected present. If you have several different varieties stashed in the freezer, you can offer several different quick breads in a decorative basket or other container.

Decorate a bag with holiday stickers for a festive touch. Or you can even bake them in disposable foil pans with a lid. Tie with holiday ribbon and you have a ready-made gift - extra special because it's from your kitchen!

Randy would also tell you it's good for breakfast - whether it's the holidays or not. Enjoy!

Butter Brickle Bread

1 box butter brickle cake mix
1 pkg. instant coconut pudding mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Mix dry ingredients, then oil, eggs and hot water. Lastly, add poppy seeds, nuts and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes with mixer. Pour into greased loaf pans (2 large or about 4 small). For large pans, bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce heat to 300 and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Adjust cooking times accordingly when using smaller pans. Bake until pick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

It is sometimes hard to find a butter brickle cake mix. I have also used a butter pecan mix. I have also substituted butterscotch pudding instead of the coconut pudding if that's what I have on hand.

Walkin' On Sunshine

I was Walkin' On Sunshine to be able to walk with my girl over the weekend. The scenery was a little different than I'm used to. We walked around their suburban neighborhood, where the "growing" that's going on is more about house construction than crop production and dirt roads.

I was happy to have a walking companion. Usually, my walks in my own "neighborhood" are solitary. And I enjoy that, too, as a time to think and pray.

But it was great to have a walking and talking companion. For a woman of a certain age, I can hold my own. But she pushed me pretty hard. I'm not sure I could always pass the "talk" test the fitness experts advocate. In my defense, I'm used to the flatlands of Central Kansas. Those hills in the suburbs of Omaha had me huffin' and puffin' a bit.

Of course, I slowed her down. If I hadn't been there, she would have been running, since she and Eric are training for a half marathon next spring with their church. No half marathons for me, thank you!

After we did our walking for exercise, we also did a little retail therapy walking. Jill got a lot of her Christmas list crossed off. I gave her moral support and carried hangers to the dressing room, just like old times.

What a fun weekend! I truly was "Walkin' On Sunshine" to be with my girl ... even in a brisk, north wind in Nebraska!

Dinner Guest

I've never been much of a mathematician, so I'll not even venture a guess on how many meals I've put on the table over the years.

The majority of those meals, of course, served my family. We live 15 minutes from the closest town. We don't eat out much.

So it was quite a treat to be the guest and not the cook when we visited Jill and Eric last weekend. Jill is a fan of Kraft Foods recipe website. For one of our meals, she served Bruschetta 'n' Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts from that website.

Man, I'm glad I taught that girl to cook ... Yummy!

Here's the recipe:

Bruschetta 'n' Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix for chicken
8 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 lbs.)
1/3 cup Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place 2 chicken breasts in freezer-weight plastic bag; pound to 1/4-inch thickness.

Remove from bag; place, top sides down, on cutting board. Repeat.

Spread chicken with stuffing mixture.

Roll chicken breasts up.

Place, seam side down, on 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

Drizzle with dressing.

Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes or until melted.

Serves 8.

Prep time: 15 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour

Recipe Notes:

Jill didn't have whole chicken breasts. They used chicken tenderloins because that's what they had. They used the same procedure; it just made more roll-ups, and it didn't take quite as long to bake.

Eric is the chief "pounder" at their house, mainly because they need a meat mallet. Yes, it's on their Christmas list, but for now, Eric has been pounding the chicken breasts with a big metal spoon. He's kind of handy to have around that way.

They also had some pork loin in the fridge. Eric also flattened some of the pork loin and Jill made roll-ups with that meat as well. Both meats were yummy!

Jill has also made a variation of the original recipe.

For South-of-the-Border Chicken, make these substitutions, also from the Kraft website: Use diced tomatoes with bell or jalapeno peppers, Mexican-style shredded cheese instead of mozzarella cheese and chopped cilantro instead of basil.

Enjoy ... even if you don't have someone else to make it for you!