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Use H-O-L-L-Y
to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress
by Kristin Johnson
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
always chocolate.
About The Author
Kristin Johnson is
co-author of the "highly recommended" Midwest Book Review
pick, 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 at
info@tyrpublishing.com to receive a printed media kit and sample copy
of the book. More articles at www.bakingchristmascookies.com. Email: kristin@poemsforyou.com
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