Kwitcher Bitchin'!

I am so sick of hearing about "The War on Christmas." Just because I believe in the separation of Church and State and respect that my Jewish friends are celebrating this season, too, doesn't mean I don't have Christ in my heart. When I say "Happy Holidays," all it means is that I hope your holidays are happy.

And I am so sick of hearing about how "commercial Christmas has become." Has become? Really? Miracle on 34th Street revolved around this very issue and it was made back in 1947. This is not news.

I guess I'm upset because so many of the people I hear complaining don't walk it like they talk (bitch) it. Beyond finding fault, these people are doing precious little to preserve and advance the Christmas spirit.

Well, today is GIVING TUESDAY. This movement encompasses all 50 states and its dedicated to celebrating "the season of giving." Remind the sanctimonious Grinches in your life (I can't be the only one who encounters them!) that, like Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, this day is set aside to kick off the holiday season. Suggest they make an appointment at the blood bank, or toss some coins into the Salvation Army kettle, or go to Walgreens and buy a toy and drop it in the Toys for Tots box on the way out, or if they're going to Mickey D's for lunch, they can stuff a dollar in the Ronald McDonald House collection box on the counter ... There are so many ways to give!

Spread the word! Let's turn the grumping into giving!

PS This is my 5,300th post. And it's a rant. How fitting is that!

Holidailies -- Day 3

Today's prompt: Share your favorite holiday recipe. Where / when did you first try it?

HA! This is criminally easy because I only have two recipes! There's this one and Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. I'm featuring this one because, while every batch of cookies always tasted good, it was rather hard for me to not scorch the bottoms. Whereas this Apple Banana Cake comes out right every time.


Oh yeah, where/when did I first try it? About a decade ago, when Martha Stewart was having her legal problems. I admired her for facing her fate like a brave soldier and supported her by going to KMart and buying her domestic stuffies things. Then I had to find an easy recipe so I could put the stuff to work. Voila!

Wet Ingredients
4 cups of peeled cored and grated apples (generous)
2 mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Dry Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all the wet ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
Add dry to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pour into an UNgreased 9"x13" pan.
Bake for 1 hour

Last time I made this recipe, it was cupcakes and I topped each with a dollop of French Vanilla frosting.

 

These are the good old days

I wasn't able to get to the health club over lunch yesterday because I had three (count 'em, 3!) live and active projects going on at once! Today another one kicks off. I'll probably be so busy that I have to take some work off my plate and put it back on my boss'.

It's like this because, year-end, clients want to spend their allotments so their budgets won't be cut next year. So I know this isn't necessarily an indication that the Recession is over in my industry.

But it's so nice to be able to put one project down and know there's another one waiting my attention.