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~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article Title: "Use H-O-L-L-Y to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress"
Author Name: Kristin Johnson
Contact E-mail Address:
kristin@...
Word Count: 880
Copyright Date: 2003
================== ARTICLE STARTS HERE ================
"Use H-O-L-L-Y to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress"
What does holly, that untidy traditional greenery you just have
to festoon your house with every year, have to do with not
tearing your hair out before it's even Thanksgiving? Plenty.
You can use H-O-L-L-Y to help you get organized.
1. H: Help
How many times have you tried to do the perfect turkey all by
yourself just so your mother-in-law would be impressed? Here's
a reality check: (a) If your mother-in-law is any kind of a real
woman, she remembers that her mother-in-law put the exact same
pressure on her, and (b) if she's the kind of person who
complains because the cranberries come from a can, she's the
kind of person who complains anyway and would be unhappy if she
couldn't try to make you look like an incompetent nitwit, and
how a woman like that could raise your wonderful husband is
beyond everyone.
If that husband is such a great guy, get him in the kitchen.
Sit down and plan what the two of you really want---he might not
want a six-course dinner, which is fine, because you don't
either. Get the kids involved. By now some of them are at that
stage where they want to show off what they can do "all by
myself," and you know that even though you hate your daughter's
taste in music, she did make killer stuffing last Thanksgiving.
And your son makes a great omelet for Christmas morning. Then
there's your sister who loves to chat, so put her to work while
you listen to her endless monologue.
Electronic help is great too---use a PDA or the family computer
to keep a list of recipes and ingredients. There are many
great, sometimes free, computer programs available.
2. O: Oh-No
Let's face it. You'll make mistakes. The sugar cookies will
burn. You can always "eat" your mistakes and try again---just
don't try a new recipe for the first time Christmas Day. In
fact, plan for your mistakes. That's right. Most of us spend
so much time agonizing over avoiding mistakes we forget that
they are going to happen anyway, and not necessarily at our
hands. So your best girlfriend Susan brought over deviled ham
instead of double chocolate cake...there's a reason we have
bakeries, right? Just cheerfully accept the mistake and move
on. People can get over a slightly too well-done roast, but
they will be downright uncomfortable if you spend the entire
dinner moaning about it.
3. L: Love
You know Christmas is the season of love, and you can have as
much fun with take-out pizza as you can with an elegant dinner
if the company is right. One sure way to recapture love is to
bake cookies together. There's nothing like the sight of kids
rolling dough and decorating their works of art.
4. L: Let It Be
Sorry for the Paul McCartney overtones, but once you have your
plan in place, stick to it---that doesn't mean you can't
compromise slightly. Agonizing over turkey versus tofu causes
you to lose your appetite, and is as harmful to your cooking as
disorganization. Sticking to a decision and keeping your plan,
no matter what everyone else thinks, gives you peace of mind.
5. Y: You
Remember that there will be stress around the holidays, but that
your mind can choose not to give in. You can choose to refuse
another beer because "I'm frazzled" or avoid inviting people you
really can't stand just because your mind thinks you have an
obligation to be popular and kill yourself feeding 25 people.
You can throw snowballs, or, if you live in California, go throw
some water on the wildfires...just take your mind off your
cooking. You'll rediscover just why it is you're cooking and
what you love about Christmas.
So that's your H-O-L-L-Y for a happy holiday. And when all else
fails, there's chocolate.
Kristin Johnson is co-author of Christmas Cookies Are For
Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts
(ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at
our Web site, www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail
the publisher (
info@...) to receive a printed
media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available
at
http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com
