by Garnet WindDancer 
When I was a kid, winter seemed interminable to me. I was never much of a snow-bunny and would pine for a return of warmth and light. Now, as most children, I did love Christmas and the ensuing hubbub but other than that and my birthday at the end of January, I couldn't wait for winter be over. Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice, or the longest night of the year. The very next day, light begins to grow again as the days begin to lengthen! It's the return of the Sun! It made winter much more bearable for me. Now, my kids are much more comfortable in the snow than I was or am and they seem to love this time of year. One of our favourite activities for this time of year is feeding the wildlife. We decorate our indoor Yule tree so why not decorate the trees outside as well? Use whole apples and cover them in peanut butter and then roll them in birdseed. Hang them from the tree branches and watch the birds and squirrels feast! We also make popcorn and cranberry strands. These take time and patience and good quality popcorn! Depending upon the age of the child, use a short length of thread. It takes longer than expected to finish a strand and kids can get bored when they don't seem to be making visible progress. We make some for indoors and some for outdoors but we always transfer the ones we use inside after the holidays are over.  On the evening of Yule, we generally have a nice meal and then we bake cookies and have cocoa. It is a very simple, very heart-felt family time. We also exchange gifts on this night. The rest of the season is so fraught with activity that it's nice to just relax with the family. Sometimes we get so caught up in the rat race and what I call "mandatory fun time" that we forget the joys of just talking. Everyone has a turn to express their opinions and ideas, or to tell a story or joke. Generally, we end up recalling funny memories about when the kids were little or certain things they have done in the past year.
I love to tell the story of the Sun's rebirth, too. You can ask your child what the Sun does; why is it so important to us; why do we need the warmth and light. Believe me, throughout the years, we have gotten some hilarious, as well as thoughtful, responses! One year, Spike told us that the Sun was important because "Mama had to tan her boobies." And Scout, in her usual perceptive way told us once that the Sun caused the Earth to "have babies". Explain that Solstice is the longest night of the year but tomorrow, the days will start growing again! We still celebrate Christmas with our Christian families and we struggled long and hard to find a way to reconcile this with our beliefs. Granted, much of the symbolism is overtly Pagan and this has made it easier. We have begun to celebrate the Yule Season, kicking off with Solstice. Scout's birthday is December 23rd, and then we spend Christmas Eve with my family. New Years Day is the culmination of our festivities. This way, Yule is the official night of celebration and all the other celebrations are merely extensions of our Solstice night.
Garnet's Favorite Hot ChocolateSolstice Night is much too important to celebrate with hot chocolate from a packet! This recipe is definitely worth the time. Try it and see! Melt the chocolate in a double broiler. You can also use powdered, unsweetened cocoa. Boil the water and stir in the sugar, salt, and cornstarch until dissolved. Pour over the chocolate and stir thoroughly. Scald the milk, pour it into the mixture, and add the vanilla. Then reheat the mixture almost to boiling and whip it with an egg beater until frothy. I add ground cinnamon when I add the vanilla. Cinnamon is a fire herb and thus, is perfect to welcome the Sun. This recipe makes 4 cups but I always double the recipe.
No-Bake Orange or Lemon Coconut Balls2 C. finely crushed graham crackers 1 C. sweetened coconut flakes 1 C. powdered sugar 3/4 C. frozen OJ or lemonade, thawed and undiluted
Mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and coconut until well blended. Add OJ or lemonade and stir until the dough is stiff. Form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Store, covered, in fridge for at least 8 hours before serving
Pretzel CandiesThis is so simple, inexpensive, and delicious! Preheat oven to 325. Lay small pretzel twists on a cookie sheet. Place a Hershey's Kiss or Hug in the middle. Place cookie sheet in oven for just a few minutes. Ovens vary but no more than 5 minutes. I usually need about 3 minutes for mine. Remove from oven and immediately place a plain M&M on top of the Kiss, sort of squashing it down. Allow to cool completely. Everyone who tries these oohs and ahhs over them. They are also very easy for children to make.
Old Rotten PotatoesActually, a variation of au gratin potatoes but when Spike was small, he overheard us planning a meal and said "Ooooh, Mama, I don't want any Old Rotten Potatoes!" This is why we also eat Smashed Potatoes, Cotton Cheese, and Roast Beast. Unlike baking, I rarely measure anything when cooking but I'll try to be exact. About 6 potatoes, medium sized 1 lb. of bacon, fried & crumbled 1 onion, diced 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 C. shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese S&P to taste
Preheat oven to 375. Wash and slice potatoes into circles. Layer potatoes, sprinkle with S&P, add a few cloves of minced garlic, some onion, some bacon and some cheese. Continue to layer, topping with the cheese. I usually have two layers. Note of caution, if you are expecting guests, use a bigger baking dish and double the above recipe. Trust me! Cover loosely with aluminium foil so the top layer of cheese doesn't burn and place in oven for about 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove foil so the cheese can brown. Serve with sour cream. This is a great side dish with anything but is perfect for holiday ham. Adding chopped spinach to the layers is also very tasty. |
