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The Citizen, 2006-12-21, Page 51Holiday Office Hours: December 18-22 Regular Hours, December 25 & 26 - Closed, December 27-29 Regular Hours, January 1 Closed Joy of Christmas be with our friends and customers all year. Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring... not even a mouse... — Clement Clarke Moore COUSINS CONSTRUCTION Ken, Sheila & family Wishing you tidings of comfort and joy, plus wall-to-wall happiness this holiday season. Merry Christmas & a Happy New-Year. Brian, -Brenda and all the staff at TENPAS DECOR CARPET ONE CAR PET 122 Main St. E., Listowel, Ontario N4W 2B6 ONE 519-2914440 PAGE B18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2006. The history behind Christmas stockings One of the most beloved symbols of generosity at holiday time is the Christmas stocking. From its origins in age-old legend to the present day, the stocking continues to have an important place in the tradition of gift giving. While no one can say for certain, many people believe that the custom of stuffing stockings for Christmas began with an act of Saint Nicholas, the original Santa Claus. A bishop in. Asia Minor in the fourth century AD, Saint Nicholas is credited with many acts of kindness and generosity — most of which were performed at night and in secret. Among these, was the provision of dowries to three sisters who, because of their poverty, were unable to wed. To help each of these young women, Saint Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of their home on three separate occasions. The bags fell into their stockings, which were hung out to dry — an accident of fate which was the start- ing point for a long-lasting custom. Centuries later, the custom of giv- ing gifts in the name of Saint (NC) — This simple, low fat recipe for Butternut Squash, made with an added tang from juices packaged in Tetra Pak cartons will be a wel- comed addition to any holiday feast. LOW FAT BUTTERNUT SQUASH (Serves 4 — 6) Ingredients: 1 4 lb. butternut squash (NC) — Want to add that ultimate personal touch to your holiday din- ner, but not add to your busy day? Now about a recipe for a savory cranberry sauce that can be made up to four days before you need it? The following recipe uses juice in a Tetra Pak package, which makes for fast clean up. Nicholas came into being when French nuns began giving presents to the children of poor families on Dec. 5, the Eve of Saint Nicholas' Day. These gifts, left secretly for the children to enjoy, were comprised of nuts and exotic fruits — treats that were too expensive to have during the rest of the year. From these early beginnings, the custom of giving presents on Saint Nicholas' Eve spread and took hold, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. In these countries, children tradi- tionally left out their wooden shoes, filled with carrots and hay for Saint Nicholas' horses, before they went to bed on Saint Nicholas' Eve. When they awoke in the morning, they hoped to find their shoes filled with small toys and sweets. Saint Nicholas was a traveller, too, for it was he who, by the early years of the 19th century,- had crossed the Atlantic to America, becoming Santa Claus along the way. Mention is made of Santa Claus in newspaper articles as early as 1773 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 200 mL of pineapple-orange juice in Tetra Pak packaging Directions: • Preheat oven to 350°F • • Peel, seed and cut the butternut squash into 1" cubes • Mix together the pineapple- orange juice and maple syrup • Line a 9" x 13" pan with parch- CRANBERRY SAUCE (Makes approx. 2 cups) Ingredients: 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup granulated sugar 1 250 mL of 100 per cent orange juice in a Tetra Pak package Directions: • Mix all the ingredients together and by 1801, when the New :York Historical Society organized a Celebration of the Festival of Saint Nicholas, not only Santa clans, but the stockings he filled had become commonplace. It must be remembered, of course, that New York, once known as New Amsterdam, boasts Dutch roots. However, it was not a Dutchmarr4 but a man of Scottish ancestry, Washington Irving, who really brought Santa Claus and stuffed Christmas stockings to the attention of the American public. In his "A History of New York," written under the pen name Dierich Knickerbocker, Irvin mentions not. only Santa's habit of "Drawing-forth magnificent presents and dropping them down the chimney of his favourites," but also how stockings hung on Christmas Eve are "found in the morning mysteriously filled." Today, Christmas stockings still are hung by the chimney, though they are more likely to be bought or homemade expressly for Christmas, rather than simply be one's every- day, homespun hose. ment paper (optional, but helps with clean-up) • Layer the squash into the pan and pour the pineapple/orange juice on top • Bake for one hour. Turn and bake for another hour. It is ready when squash is soft and liquid becomes a thick sauce - News Canada in a medium sauce pan • Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer • Simmer for 20 minutes or until the cranberries are tender • Remove from heat and cool • Store in a container in the refrig- erator for up to four days - News Canada Also, they usually are filled with a wide array of treats, in addition to the traditional nuts and fruits — or even lumps of coal, the customary reward for children who misbehaved throughout the year. And, it's not only the children who get stockings, but also mom, dad, grandma, grand- pa and even family pets are likely to have a stocking with their name on it, hanging from the chimney. This Christmas, be sure to hang your stocking by the chimney. Hopefully, Santa will be generous and leave the entire family stockings stuffed with wonderful treats. Low-fat butternut squash Homemade cranberry sauce Look to seafood for holiday meals Many religious families enjoy a meatless dinner on high religious holidays. On Christmas Eve, the same tradi- tion is employed and seafood or shellfish is usually the main course at the gathering. If you're inviting a vegetarian to your dinner table, a seafood dish would be the ideal menu option as well. A variety of dishes will appeal. to all of your- guests. For instance, those who are not fans of the cus- tomary lobster or shrimp may opt for delicious • roasted mussels. Seasoned with garlic and almonds, this one-pot meal is a cinch to pre- pare and makes an impressive pres- entation at your Christmas Eve soirée. Serve "Roasted Mussels With Almonds and Garlic" accompanied by crusty bread and green salad, courtesy of Gourmet Every Day (Conde Nast Books), by the editors of Gourmet. ROASTED MUSSELS WITH ALMONDS AND GARLIC Serves 2 2-1/2 pounds mussels cleaned and beards removed 4 garlic cloves, minced. 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 3/4 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons unsalted butter V4 cup natural whole almonds, finely chopped and toasted Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine mussels, garlic, parsley, wine and butter in an ovenproof pot (at least 10 inches wide) and season with pepper. Roast mussels, uncovered, in the middle of oven, stirring once halfway through roasting, 15 minutes, or until mussels have opened (Discard any unopened mus- sels). Add almonds, tossing t7 com- bine.