Thanksgiving bingeing is over. Shopping is upon us. Oh boy. More stress.
Many people have particular foods that they habitually make during the holiday season. My mother made white chocolate covered Rice Chex, which she packaged in small bags and gave as a take-home gift to each family member.
Here’s the Recipe:
White Chocolate Covered Rice Chex:
I box (1 lb.) Rice Chex cereal
2 pkgs. (1 Lb. each) white chocolate
Melt half of chocolate and pour over half of cereal in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon and shake bowl until the cereal is well coated.
Set aside to cool. Stir periodically to keep cereal from clumping.
Repeat melting and coating process with remaining half of cereal and white chocolate.
Cool completely. Store in plastic bags. Can be frozen.
Too daunting? Here’s a few ideas for those of us who are culinary challenged:
Go to the liquor store and stock up. And utilize the employee’s knowledge. It’s deep and detailed. Here’s our recent holiday stash.
Capture those special, spontaneous moments for posterity. Gently prod each family member to keep their cell phone and camera ready to snap away. Then, grab the most tech savvy relative and cajole him or her into making an online collage and e mailing to all when completed.
Plan an outing or an activity during the holiday season. My neighbor arranged for a palmist to come and read each family member’s palm. How about Tarot card reading, handwriting analysis, or astrology charts? One friend organized a bowling outing and provided vintage bowling shirts to each family member to wear.
Start early. A college roommate of mine keeps a “Thankfulness” folder and all year collects quotes that have stirred her. Instead of a holiday letter, she compiles all of them into a small notebook, which she tucks inside a mason jar and passes out to each family member on her list. Her goal: to inspire and connect. And instill transparency. (Glass jar in case you missed that point.)
Visit art fairs, street markets, and owner-operated neighborhood boutiques and buy from local crafts people. I bought a half dozen Hamsa prints all denoting different values to bless a home.
Be ever on alert for gift buying ideas.
I caught the tail end of an NPR segment on “Pandemic Legacy” – a cutting-edge game for age 13 and above. Want to engender world awareness and global responsibility and stimulate your brain cells at the same time? This game will do it. Players must band together to save the world. Actions taken in one game will affect all future games and determine whether you can save humanity.
Delia Ephron, sister to the late Nora Ephron, was the featured guest a few years back on “CBS in the Morning.” She talked about picking up her 8 year-old nephew from the airport and the first thing out of his mouth was, “Take me to the baseball card store, Aunt Delia.” A demand. And not a subtle one. Ephron was appalled and began that day in the car to write a question and answer etiquette book for kids – to teach and instill kind, respectful and decent behavior. Do I Have to Say A Hello? deals with sticky questions such as “What happens when I get a present I don’t like?” BTW, not a bad stocking stuffer for adults too.
My opinion? The best gift is PRESENCE: Simply being together – with whoever loves you and you love back.
And keeping in mind the following recipe for joy in the holiday season: GIVE DYSFUNCTION ZERO OXYGEN.
Happy holidays to all and to all a good night.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
Iris Ruth Pastor
PS: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?