This morning finds me enjoying a cup of coffee with pumpkin pie spice added(yum) while waiting on bread dough to do its first rise. In a minute or two I will leave my laptop and venture back into the kitchen to punch down the dough (though it won't need it too much)and set it for its second rising. I do two 30 minute risings before I shape it into loaves to do the final rise. The first rise doesn't really rise too much, but by the time the second thirty minutes is over it is nice and voluminous. This bread I'm making is for a customer. I love saying customer! Makes me feel all entrepreneury. While my little side business isn't going gang busters, I am getting some regular orders and it's enough to give us a little extra. Plus I'm doing what I love.
This past week has been a Hodgepodge of baking. I've made Bread, Granola, Chex mix, Sausage Cheese balls, Sausage Crescent rolls, German Chocolate cake layers (to be iced tomorrow night), and German Chocolate pie. Some stuff is for our Christmas Breakfast, some for DH birthday, some for normal family use, and some for orders. I still have a loooong list of things still to make for most of the above reasons: Gorilla Bread, Cinnamon Rolls, Dinner Rolls, Sugar Cookies, Coconut Pecan Icing, Blueberry Dump Cobbler, a Cheese Ball, Bread, and Granola, I know this sounds like a lot, and it is, but this is for multiple events. I will say this, come December 26th we are back to healthier eating. I guess that's why people have weight loss or healthy eating as a New Years resolution. After eating rich food for a month it's easier to make the switch. I know it is for me. By the time Christmas is here I'm having a hard time looking at rich food much less eating it. This is our last hurrah for the holiday.
I'm excited for this weekend though. I'm off today to go to my parents house for the newly traditional Buffington Family Christmas. It started last year and was such a hit we decided to try and do it every year. The rest of my family will join me tomorrow for the whole clan Christmas party. Tonight though, and tomorrow morning, will be just myself, my siblings, and our parents. I'm very excited about the gifts I made for everyone. I hope they like them. I'm pretty proud of them.
Well you didn't know it, but I have left you, punched down the dough, and returned. I'm sneaky like that. Today is the first day of a crazy busy week. It will be a whirlwind of events, family, gifts, eating bad, etc. Afterward I may just sit and stare at the wall for a bit. Crazy, Crazy, but I love it. I love it all. It can be hard getting in the spirit of Christmas. We are bombarded with Black Friday Brawls, Red Cup Controversies, Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas, etc. This year here in Georgia we've had a warmer winter ( an no that is not abnormal. Abnormal is the cold winters we have had the past three years). All these things can make it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. When those things happen, perform Christmas actions regardless. Give a gift expecting nothing in return; Surprise someone in the checkout line and pay for their groceries (if you can), Donate toys, coats, etc. Give of yourself. Once you start acting in the Christmas spirit, the rest will fall into place regardless of what is going on around you.
Almost 20 years ago, it doesn't seem like that long ago, the older of my two younger brothers was killed in a motorcycle accident the day before Easter. The following Christmas no one would have faulted my mother if she didn't celebrate. She put her decorations up and we celebrated Christmas because, she said she had hope. She was celebrating the hope she had because of Christmas that she would see my brother again. We have that hope because a loving God sent His son in the most humble fashion to save us from sin and grant us life. Eternal life. That alone is Christmas. The rest is just the icing on the cake. Focus on Him this Christmas.
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