Hopefully you have and continue to celebrate the holidays with your loved ones. It has been a difficult year to celebrate, being so close to the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary and the other in Beijing. My heart and prayers go out to those families. I hope that as wise people consider ways to lessen the chance of this occurring again, they will also consider whether the system for helping mentally ill needs fixing. Nonetheless, I hope that you have been able to celebrate and honor your own family despite any tragedies or personal circumstances that may hinder joy in this holiday season.
I am keenly aware this particular season of the various sensory components of celebrating. We watch the lights dancing on the Christmas tree. We feel the warmth from a crackling fire in the fireplace. We hear the old Christmas carols and the wonderful Christmas shows that we all have favorites of. We relish the taste of homemade treats that come out only this time of the year. And we especially hug a little tighter.
If you have been unable to enjoy the holidays, please somehow, some way, find help. Whether it's counseling or if you just need an extra push to connect with family or friend, I hope you will find your way home, to a place filled with love and hope. If what you consider "home" has been full of sadness or dysfunction, maybe it's time to build something new in its place. Who can you connect with in a positive way? What new traditions can you start? How will you begin to stir hope in yourself? Awaken your senses to a new beginning! Awaken your senses to love one another. That's what Christmas is for.
Maraschino Cherry Nut Bread
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cups butter, melted and
cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. juice from cherry jar
or vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
10 ounce jar (appprox. 1
cup) chopped maraschino cherries
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Grease and flour one 8 x 4 “
loaf pan. Combine flour, baking soda,
salt and sugar in large bowl, mixing well.
In smaller bowl, combine eggs, butter, buttermilk and juice or
extract. Add the wet ingredients to the
dry ingredients, mixing only till moist.
Stir in walnuts and cherries.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes. Cool in pan before cutting.
Optional glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk
Mix together till smooth and
drizzle over cooled bread before cutting.
