Definitely! It's the one out of The Best Recipe. If you don't have it I'm happy to type it up. I've been looking for one for a long time that was chewy, but with a tiny bit of crisp, instead of the other way around. I rolled them pretty thickly and they came out tasting like shortbread. I realized that I can also use this as the base for tarts this summer! I'm totally stoked.
When it starts getting "late", and the holiday stuff is behind schedule, I just remind myself (and everyone else) that the tradition used to be to trim the tree/decorate/start celebrating on Christmas Eve and that the holiday festivities lasted until Twelfth Night.
Luckily, everyone in my house is a history fanatic and loves the idea of following the older traditions. Heh. They'll just be confused if I get stuff together early one year.
Don't fret the "obligations" or pressure of the holidays... it is all about pulling close with family and loved ones and making happy memories.
I hadn't known about 12th night until a few years ago, when a good friend of ours started hosting an Epiphany party. That got me reading into other traditions and boom! We had more time!
I refuse to get sucked into the hustle bustle oh my goodness craziness. It starts to creep in with the expectations and the desire for perfection that I still struggle with. And then I remind myself that this isn't about getting great stuff. It isn't about things being perfect and gorgeous. It's about love, and gifts of the heart, and those are somethings that I can't give when I'm harried about getting it all done.
Heh. My tree is up, but still bare, right now. There are salt dough ornaments laying around on pretty much every available surface, drying or awaiting a last coating. The paints and other supplies have taken over my dining room (having finally been moved out of the living room). There is wrapping paper and cardboard awaiting cutting and gluing. It's a *disaster*.
But so far, my daughter thinks it is the Best Christmas EVER, because we have a real tree ("That sheds pine needles and everything!" as I heard her telling her grandfather), she's been allowed to make mess after creative mess, sculpt thing and cut them with cookie cutter shapes, spend hours with a paint-brush in hand, and listen to Christmas Carols while she does it (not my favorite thing - I worked retail too much to have much tolerance left
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Not being Christian, and not being super traditional, yet being a bit of a nostalgic, I kind of pick and choose. One year cards go out, the next no. Or they become new year's cards. One year we do gifts, the next we choose to save for a trip. I do put up a tree, though, on thanksgiving weekend. I just enjoy it, having the pretties to counter the darkness. I take it down new year's day. Perhaps I'm more traditional than I'm admitting - anything else feels sad to me. Mind you, I have no children to keep me busy or whose feelings need be taken into consideration.
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Care to share this perfect cookie recipe?
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Luckily, everyone in my house is a history fanatic and loves the idea of following the older traditions. Heh. They'll just be confused if I get stuff together early one year.
Don't fret the "obligations" or pressure of the holidays... it is all about pulling close with family and loved ones and making happy memories.
Reply
I refuse to get sucked into the hustle bustle oh my goodness craziness. It starts to creep in with the expectations and the desire for perfection that I still struggle with. And then I remind myself that this isn't about getting great stuff. It isn't about things being perfect and gorgeous. It's about love, and gifts of the heart, and those are somethings that I can't give when I'm harried about getting it all done.
Reply
But so far, my daughter thinks it is the Best Christmas EVER, because we have a real tree ("That sheds pine needles and everything!" as I heard her telling her grandfather), she's been allowed to make mess after creative mess, sculpt thing and cut them with cookie cutter shapes, spend hours with a paint-brush in hand, and listen to Christmas Carols while she does it (not my favorite thing - I worked retail too much to have much tolerance left ( ... )
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