Let every heart sing...

"One time on Hollywood Boulevard I saw a young girl with a baby. It was a crisp winter morning & her hair shone dark purple in the sun. She was panhandling outside the Holiday Inn & the door clerk came out & told her to be on her way & I wondered if anyone would recognize the Christ child if they happened to meet. I remember thinking it's not like there are any published pictures & purple seemed like a good color for a Madonna so I gave her a dollar just in case."
-StoryPeople

Christmas is such a joyful time of year for so many people. This year, it took me an especially long period of time to get into the Christmas spirit. Just the thought of the worried faces of my customers at the Employment Securities Commission and I'm stuck thinking, "Why do I get to celebrate Christmas while others are met with a bad economy and the inability to provide the gifts their children desire." Or I think of my friend, who will spend this Christmas alone in his apartment, reading his bible and trying to remember what Christmas is all about.

On Tuesday night, however, I went on a run to my favorite Christmas corner in Raleigh. At the intersection of Iredell Drive and Jarvis Street, beautiful bright snowflakes reached high into the trees in one yard and a perfectly lit house decorated another corner. To top it off, the 3rd corner had every blow up Christmas decoration imaginable. Standing in the middle of all the lights, I sent a prayer up to the universe that my heart would find peace in this season and that my customers would see beauty beyond all the stress and anxiety. Since that night, I have kept Christmas on my mind. After all, the best parts of Christmas are family, faith, and the spirit of giving (not only of presents, but of love).


My favorite tradition is Christmas Brunch. I fill my belly every year with sweet, fresh ambrosia and eggs Benedict...not to mention a mimosa, of course. My presents to you, my dear friends, are two recipes that I look forward to, year around. Enjoy them!

Ambrosia
2/3 ratio of grapefruit sections to orange sections
1 small can of maraschino cherries
1 1/4 cup sweet coconut (optional)

Combine all ingredients.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. hot water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 stick hot, melted butter
Salt, pepper

Combine yolks, water, lemon juice in a blender. Blend for 1 minute. With blender running, add butter. Season with salt and pepper.

**Store Hollandaise Sauce in a thermos while poaching eggs, heating Canadian bacon, and toasting English Muffins.**