What Do You Love About Christmas?

What do you love about Christmas?  As we hustle around with our to do lists, (check, check, check) we can find ourselves mumbling and complaining of the many things that fill our days and our nights this time of year.  Let’s take a moment to reflect on what makes our heart sing at Christmas.  One of the joys I have is arriving home each day and looking in the mailbox to spot any envelopes addressed by hand.  I love Christmas cards!  It is the one time of year to connect with those who have moved away or family that no longer lives close by.  As a child who grew up in 4 states and went to 5 schools before moving to another state to go to college and yet another state to get married and start a family and two more states after that to raise a family, I have friends and family scattered all over.  Let me reiterate, I love Christmas cards!  I love the ones with the pictures and the notes that give me a snapshot into their lives.  I know with Facebook, we can stay connected all the time, but there is something magical about everyone stopping for a moment to wish the ones near and dear to them blessings of health and peace and prosperity.

My Mother used to sell Christmas cards and there were huge binders full of samples that filled our kitchen table.  She did it to raise money for Easter Seals.  She must have raised a lot of money because she spent a lot of time on the phone pitching the cards. After school I would find her sitting at the kitchen table with a neighbor, books open, glittering angel wings or red shiny Christmas balls catching my eye, only adding to the anticipation of Christmas morning.  When the day came for her to address, stamps and seal her personal cards, it was a production.  She would line us up with a sponge and a small water bowl with instructions to dab just the right amount of moisture on the envelope so it would close, but not ruin the card.  It was a mini cottage industry for a day.  Watching the stack of cards signed and sealed grow taller gave an amazing sense of accomplishment.  Family traditions are the things that make each Christmas touch your soul in places that make all the check lists worth it.

I am offering a recipe that is not part of a family tradition.  We get so overwhelmed with sugar, sugar, and more sugar at Christmas, I decided to offer a delicious dessert that is sweetened naturally without sugar.  Maybe you can start a new tradition in your family. 

Blessings of Health and Peace and Joy to you and all your loved ones!

Polynesian Pineapple Date Bars

Filling:

2 cups chopped dates ( I get fresh Medjool and chop myself)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

21/2 cups crushed pineapple with juice

Base:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup cold pressed canola oil

Cook filling over low heat until thickened

MIx dry base ingredients

Mix wet base ingredients in a separate bowl and add cooked dates

Combine both mixtures

oil a 9x12 glass pan

Press 1/2 of the base mixture into glass pan

spread date filling over top

Top with remaining base mixture

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes

Bon Appetite!