(12/2020) Anyone that has ever spent any amount of time with me around December will know that I love Christmas. I turn into a Pollyanna and wish that the month of December could last much longer than thirty-one days. One of my favorite Christmas "traditions" with you is attending a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert.

If you are not familiar with the group, they are what would happen if you took Christmas carols and classic rock and mixed them together (and add in some lasers and pyrotechnics). Now before that completely scares you, it is one of the most moving performances I have ever seen and each year I walk away joyful and full of Christmas spirit. The performance is just that – a performance. It is meant to be enjoyable and engaging and to lure you back year after year wondering what they will do next. But it also tells a story for those who listen and want to be a part of it.

During Christmas it is easy to operate based on autopilot and assumptions. We often assume that people already have plans for Christmas, when in truth, they may be facing a holiday season without friends and family. We may operate on autopilot while in the store to get what we need as fast as we can and get out of the store, so we walk past the person who is clearly needs help reaching that item on the top shelf or picking up their cans of soup that are rolling in the parking lot after their bag ripped.

This Christmas season, amidst all the bustle that usually comes, and all the strange and different COVID complications, find time to just ask. Make a habit of seeing how many times you can ask "Can I help you with that?" If you have children, make it game! Tally how many times you can ask and how many different people you can ask. See if, like the Grinch, your heart can grow 3 times bigger! As your heart grows, as you help others, this world can change and "this Christmas thing" can last.

Homemade Christmas Ornaments (NOT edible)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cup ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons craft glue, optional

Preparation Instructions: Mix the applesauce, cinnamon, and glue in a mixing bowl. You'll probably need to stir with your hands, as a spoon won't get the job gone. Add more applesauce or cinnamon if needed - you want the dough to be a touch dry, but it still needs to hold together when you roll it out. When the dough can be formed into a ball, you are done mixing. Wash your hands.

Place 1/3 of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and use the rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4" - 1/3" thick. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and use cookie cutters to cut out ornaments. Repeat with the remaining dough. Use the straw to poke holes for hanging in each ornament.

Pop the ornaments on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet in a 200E oven for about 2 1/2 hours until the ornaments are dry and hard. When the ornaments are completely dry and cooled, buff the edges with fine-grit sandpaper (optional). Decorate however you'd like, then string the ornaments on a ribbon. Write the year on the back with a Sharpie.

Homemade Simmering Spices (NOT edible)

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water
• 2 navel oranges, peeled
• 1 apple, sliced in half
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 1 teaspoon-sized knob of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel

Preparation Instructions: Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over low heat until simmering. You can keep this going for a few hours, adding additional water when needed. You can also throw everything in the crockpot and set it on low or high with the top off.

No Bake Coffee Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4-5 tablespoons brewed espresso or strong coffee
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation Instructions: Combine crushed cookies, the 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, nuts, cocoa, coffee crystals, and cinnamon. Add brewed coffee using just enough to moisten. Form mixture into 1 1/4¢ balls. Roll balls generously in the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Place balls on sheet of waxed paper and let stand until dry (about an hour). Before serving, roll balls again in powdered sugar if desired.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 & 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation Instructions: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until combined. Add egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix to combine. Add flour in slowly until fully incorporated, scraping the sides as needed. Place in fridge for one hour to rest. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

Roll dough into 1 inch sized balls, about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. Roll until coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until just set. Do not overbake, it is hard to tell when these cookies are ready, they will puff up but won't get golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

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