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'Tis the Season to be Jolly! - Page 2

© Heike Boehnke

GET CREATIVE

The magic of Christmas makes everyone creative! I saw a neat idea in Woman's Day Magazine to substitute the Adventcalender. Cut out 25 strips out of construction paper, half red, half green. On each strip, make a little surprise-coupon; exchange the strip for a movie, an hour play with dad, a special treat, etc., little things that your children will love! Glue the ends of one strip together forming a circle, insert the next strip, and glue the ends, forming links of a chain. Hang this decorative chain and let your child tear off a link each day, counting down the days till Christmas!

This year I bought plain white note-cards and envelopes to design as Christmas cards. I will cover my dining room table, undress my daughter, put her hands in red and green paint, and let her go at it! After her handprints are dry, I will write a message over them with a thick black marker, and mount the Christmas family portrait on the other side with photo mounts and our signatures. This is an inexpensive, fun and very personal way to send your Christmas wishes!

Last but not least, what would the holidays be without home-baked cookies? I try to stick to German recipes. This way I can give them away as little "foreign" tokens of my well wishes! Here is a recipe for "Lebkuchen" a typical German holiday treat.

LEBKUCHEN

2/3 cup honey
4 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 tsp cloves
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup chopped nuts
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped citron

Boil honey, sugar, and butter together for 5 minutes. Cool. Beat egg and add to water. Mix and sift the flour, soda, salt, and spices. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients to honey mixture. Add nuts and citron last. Chill. If the dough is allowed to ripen for several days before rolling out, the flavor and texture of the cookies are improved. Roll out to about ¼-inch thickness and cut with fancy cookie cutters of stars, animals, etc. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 15 to 20 minutes. Ice with colored icing or with a sugar or chocolate glaze. To make a sugar glaze, dilute confectioners' sugar with water to make it the consistency of thin cream. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

ENJOY! I WISH YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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