“That is not for you, Mr. Browning”
These are the words that I hear every year
when I go to take a cookie, tear off a piece of desert bread, or grab a
homemade candy. If I’m truthful, I
know that these goodies are not for me but it is hard to control yourself when
you have a plethora of Christmas treats all around you. This is the scene in our home every
Christmas. Starting in early December
our kitchen becomes a Christmas distribution center.
Admittedly, I am not the baker in our
home. I’m more like the kid at the
end of the old “Shake N Bake” commercials. I do my part and at the end announce – “And I Helped!” The head chef at the Browning residence
is none other than my wife Beth.
(I know… good looking and a brilliant cook?!? Some guys get all the luck!) At this time of year, our little family
gets baking so that we have a delicious treat for our neighbors, acquaintances,
and others.
Our little Christmas baking tradition serves
a couple of purposes…
First: Family Baking Bonding Time. If you don’t take yourselves too
seriously in the kitchen this can be a really fun time. You can talk, laugh, and enjoy some
dedicated family time to doing a project together. You don’t have to be an
expert baker. (The first year we
made sugar cookies. That is the
sources of the picture above.
Those were decorated by Beth… Somehow we lost the picture of the one’s I
decorated. Go figure.) Just download a free recipe and have
fun while you make it together.
Everybody can participate.
Beth oversees ingredients, I mix, Caleb pours in various ingredients,
and the dog takes care of anything we drop on the floor.
Second: Sending Christmas Cheer to Those Who
Are Near. We’ve tried to make it a
habit of dispersing our Christmas goodies to neighbors and acquaintances. When I worked for Chick-fil-A I would
bring in platters of cookies for my co-workers. We’ve trekked through the snow
to bring loaves of Chocolate Chip Bread to new neighbors. Bringing these treats to others is a
good way to opening the door to some Christmas cheer and maybe even sharing the
true meaning of Christmas with others.
WARNING: If you are going to give away
something you bake, make sure it tastes good first. In our home, I have the glorious burden of taste testing
what goes out the door and into the lives/mouths of others.
So carve out some time this Christmas season
to make some treats. Your family,
your neighbors, and your taste buds will be glad you did.
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