Christmas Cookies

2 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon of cardamom
1/2 cup of finely chopped mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1 cup of corn syrup
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Stir in the candied fruits and nuts. In a separate bowl, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, lemon juice, grated rind, and egg, mix well. Add flour fruit mixture and mix well. Cut out circles of waxed paper, about 4 inches in diameter, grease them and arrange about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of dough on each paper circle, spread dough to within 1/4 inch of outer edge of paper circle. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to touch. Cool, then decorate as desired. Makes 2 dozen

The holidays are supposed to be such a wonderful time of year! They can truly bring out the best in each one of us. They are the few days every twelve months during which we seem to slow down, reflect upon all that is really important and spend much needed time with our families and friends.

But unfortunately, all of those same elements can also cause tremendous burdens with gift giving, party planning, traveling, cooking and baking. And so the holidays may bring out the very worst in us too. For some, they may mean nothing but additional stress.

They don't have to be that way. They can be celebrated and joyful. There are steps you can take to get through this holiday season better prepared and better organized so that this year is the best one yet.

PLANNING

1. Start holiday shopping now! Get a babysitter for the kids or trade babysitting services with a friend or neighbor.
2. Make a shopping list before you go. Include the recipients' names and any gift ideas you have. Shopping goes a lot more quickly when you know what you're going to buy. Need ideas? Go to http://www.amazon.com or http://www.presentpicker.com and get some help.
3. Can't decide what to wear to holiday events? Purchase your little black dress now. Dress it up or keep it casual with well-chosen accessories. Wear it to everything and stop agonizing.
4. Always have an extra, wrapped gift on hand for those moments when you'll need one.
5. Buy a few hostess gifts now. You'll have them when they're needed and you won't have to run out into the busy malls and stores at the last minute.
6. Line up babysitters just as soon as you find out the dates of your commitments.
7. Don't get stuck in long lines just for a stamp! Order postage online at http://www.usps.com.

GIFT IDEAS

8. Don't throw away those catalogs you receive in the mail. You might just find many gifts in them suitable for family and friends.
9. Don't forget to shop on the Internet.

http://www.amazon.com
http://www.target.com
http://www.walmart.com 

All of these websites have great gift selections and they ship. Perfect for those recipients who live far away!  Wine, popcorn, cookies, cheese baskets and holiday decorations make great "can't go wrong" presents.

LESS IS MORE

10. Keep holiday decorations down to a minimum. You'll have less to put up and less to take down. Sometimes, less is more.
11. Wisely choose the holiday functions you will attend. It's okay to say "no". If you won't derive any benefit from a party or event, why go?
12. Don't put a lot of time or effort into gift-wrapping. Make it nice but don't make it a masterpiece. It's ripped off in moments and besides, have you heard of anyone remembering how well a gift was wrapped?
13. Need baked goods for a holiday celebration? Buy them. It's okay---really.
14. Stop sending cards to people you haven't heard from in years! What's the point if the relationship doesn't go both ways?
15. This is NOT the time to have to plan meals each night. Stick with simple things like:

Macaroni and cheese
Tacos
Burritos
Sloppy Joes
Scrambled eggs
Spaghetti
Anything in a crock pot
Pizza
Soup
Shake and Bake

Serve with salad, rice or raw carrots and be done with it! You don't need the extra headache of meal planning this time of year.

ORGANIZATION

16. Wrap and tag gifts as you purchase them.
17. Write and address holiday cards while you're watching TV or waiting for your kids at dance, soccer, art ______ (you fill in the blank) etc.
18. If you're hosting a holiday dinner, ask everyone on the guest list to bring something. Chances are, they will be more than happy to help and it will cut down on the work for you.

SAVE YOUR SANITY

19. Hire a housecleaner---one time, two times or four times. You're probably already spending a lot of money on gifts and parties. Why not spend $60-$100 more on a housecleaner and save your sanity!
20. Take a hiatus from extracurricular activities. Give the kids 30 days off from sports/dance/art/theater/etc. (and if you save money in the process, apply it towards the housekeeper discussed above)
21. Be careful when shopping alone at night. Hold your purse close to your body; be aware of everything around you at all times and ask a security guard to walk you to your car.

Jacqueline McLaughlin Hale is a CPA and the editor of Between Friends: Resources for Mothers http://www.betweenfriends.org Between Friends contains household hints, time management tips, articles on organization, parenting, money management, career, self employment, self improvement and more! Subscribe to its FREE monthly ezine, The Balanced Woman. Visit today!

Please check back to this Entry OFTEN!

I will be adding MORE tips as I find them or learn them!!

There are many variables in making your food healthy. There are lots of little ways to trim cholesterol, fat, salt and calories without trimming taste There are also ways to enhance the flavors of your selected foods-and some special ways to handle food. The following tips may come in handy:

• Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking.
• After you roast meat or poultry, chill the drippings in the refrigerator. Once cooled, the fat will rise to the top and harden; you can remove it easily and save the stock to use in stews, sauces and soups.
• Buy only the leanest ground beef, pork and turkey (no more than 15 percent fat). After browning, put ground meat into a strainer or colander lined with paper towels. Allow fat to drain out. Ground meat is generally higher in fat than nonground meat. Instead of buying prepackaged ground beef, have your butcher grind a sirloin steak for you. Be sure to have him remove all visible fat and clean the grinder to remove any fat from previous grindings.
• When figuring serving sizes, remember that meat loses about 25 percent of its weight during cooking. For example, 4 ounces of raw meat will be about 3 ounces cooked.
• To make gravy without fat, blend a tbsp of cornstarch with a cup of room-temperature broth by shaking the two together in a tightly lidded jar. Then heat the rest of the broth in a saucepan and add the blended liquid. Simmer until thickened.
• Make a habit of skinning chickens before cooking and removing all visible fat below the skin. The skin will be easier to remove if you use paper towels or a clean cloth to take hold of it. Be certain to scrub the cutting surface and utensils well with hot sudsy water after preparing poultry for cooking.
• Fresh fish should be cooked for ten minutes per inch of thickness. Add five minutes if it is wrapped in foil. Frozen fish requires twenty minutes per inch of thickness, plus ten minutes if it is wrapped in foil. Cooking time may vary, depending on the cooking method used, but fish is done when the flesh is opaque and it flakes easily.
• Prepare scrambled eggs or omelettes so that only one egg yolk per portion is used. Add a few extra egg whithes to the mixing bowl to make more generous servings.
• To remove oils or salty liquids, drain canned salmon, tuna or sardines. Then add water to the can and drain again to rinse.
• Seal natural juice into foods by wrapping them in foil before cooking. Or try wrapping foods in edible pouches made of steamed lettuce or cabbage leaves.
• Cook vegetables just long enough to make them tender crisp. Overcooked vegetables lose both flavor and important nutrients.
• Clean mushrooms as you use them by wiping them with a damp cloth. A quick rinse in cold water is fine, but never soak them or they will get soggy.
• Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers or wash hands thoroughly after handling. Skin, especially around the eyes, is very sensitive to the oil from peppers.
• Cut down on cholesterol by using more vegetables and less poultry or meats in soups, stews and casseroles. Finely chopped vegetables are great for stretching ground poultry or meat, too.
• Cut down on fat in creamy salad dressing by mixing it with plain lowfat yogurt.
• Sweeten plain low fat or nonfat yogurt with pureed fruit or applesauce instead of buying prepared fruit yogurt.