The Citizen, 2008-12-24, Page 25DIANNE JOSLINGProductionChristmas for me starts with myfamily getting together.Because we have such a largefamily we hold it at our house everyyear. We have room in our basement
to set up tables and chairs so
everyone can sit down together for
the meal.
When the date is set, I start with
decorating the tree with help from
my grandchildren.
As the day approaches Paul and I
work together getting things ready
for the meal.
When everyone arrives we start
dishing everything up and everyone
fills their plates and heads to the
basement to eat.
After dinner it has become sort of
a tradition that someone would write
a poem or story or make a funny
presentation to someone while we
all sit and listen. Then the house fills
with laughter as the children play,
some reminisce of previous
Christmases or funny happenings
while growing up, while others play
various games.
Slowly, one by one everyoneleaves, then I sit and reflect on whata wonderful family I have.Every other year we holdChristmas for Paul’s family. It is notquite as large a gathering. This yearwe go to his brother Neil’s in
Clinton.
Then Christmas Day I await the
arrival of my children, Joanne, Jeffand Shanann and grandchildrenKyle, Jacob and Emily. Nothing is asheart-warming as watching excitedgrandchildren open their gifts.I am truly blessed to have such awonderful family and to be able to
spend Christmas with them every
year.
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008. PAGE 25.
(NC)—Hosting Christmas dinner
can be overwhelming when trying to
think of activities to keep kids busy
at family gatherings.
Here are some tips to keep kids busy:
Combine holiday decorating
with expressions of the season.Use
construction paper to make holly
and snowmen. Have kids write on
each something they are thankful
for. Place one at each dinner table
setting for adults to read.
Christmas dinner time theatre.
Have some old clothes and costumes
on hand and have all the children
come up with a festive play they can
share with the family after dinner.
Create a blessing basket.Have
kids visit a website like
www.ccfcanada.ca where Christian
Children’s Fund of Canada, an
international children’s charity
offers a number of instant charitable
gift options for families in the
developing world.
Have kids print out pictures of the
gift they want to send to a child-in-
need and why it would be a
wonderful gift to send. Consider a
piglet? What about a goat? Adults
can ‘vote’ for their gift choice by
dropping change into the blessing
basket of their choice.
Tree trimmers
The task of decorating her Christmas tree has become
much more pleasant for Citizen staffer Dianne Josling since
the arrival of grandchildren. Helping out with the finishing
touches are, Kyle, left, Jacob and Emily. (Courtesy photo)
Christmas begins and ends with family
(MS) -- There’s a good reason
fitness club memberships tend to
spike come January. After a holiday
season spent party-hopping and
letting their diets fall by the wayside,
many people look to the gym as the
means to helping shed those
inevitable holiday pounds.
Perhaps no food is more popular
around the holidays than cookies.
Cookies are as much a part of the
holiday season as Christmas trees,
long lines at the mall and kids
searching the house for presents.
For those with guests to entertain
this holiday season, the following
recipe for Kitchen-Sink Chocolate
Chip Cookies from Elinor Klivans’
The Essential Chocolate Chip
Cookbook (Chronicle Books) is sure
to please.
KITCHEN-SINK
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes About 36 cookies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at
room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup walnut halves or large pieces
1 cup blanched whole almonds,
toasted and chopped roughly in half
Position a rack in the middle of the
oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line
two or three baking sheets with
parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt
into a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric
mixer on medium speed, beat the
butter, brown sugar and granulated
sugar until smoothly blended, about
1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape
the sides of the bowl as needed
during mixing. Add the egg and
vanilla and mix until blended, about
1 minute. The mixture may look
slightly curdled.
On low speed, add the flour
mixture, mixing just until it is
incorporated. Mix in the chocolate
chips, pecans, walnuts, and almonds
until evenly distributed.
Use a tablespoon to drop well-
rounded tablespoonsful of dough
(about 2 tablespoons each) onto the
prepared baking sheets, spacing the
cookies 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a
time until the edges are lightly
browned and the centres are slightly
coloured, about 14 minutes. Cool the
cookies on the baking sheets for 10
minutes, then use a wide metal
spatula to transfer the cookies to a
wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in a
tightly covered container at room
temperature for up to four days.
Choices:You can add 1 cup of
raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped
dried apricots to the dough with the
chips and nuts. White, bittersweet, or
milk chocolate chips, or a
combination, can be substituted for
the semi-sweet chips.
Keep kids busy
Greetings from the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry
Back row, from left: Bill Thompson, Paul Gowing, Mark Beaven, Lynn Hoy, Edna McLellan.
Front row: Clerk Nancy Michie, Mayor Dorothy Kelly, Deputy-Mayor Jim Nelemans.
TRI-COUNTY BRICK
1-800-265-7057•519-482-9622
279 BAYFIELD RD., CLINTON
Wishing you all the warmth of the holiday season,
with best wishes for the coming year!
Celebrating the Warmth of the HolidaysCelebrating the Warmth of the Holidays
Cookies that are sure to please