We took last Friday off in blogging in respect of, and to pray for those affected by the school shooting. While we are picking back up again today, we continue to pray and think about all touched by this tragedy.
One of the things that I love most about the Holidays is the sweet treats I make for my family. Gingerbread, hot chocolate, and fudge are some traditional ones we try to do every year. But the thing I hate about the Holidays can be the sweets too. Not that I am some Nazi about sweets, I just personally find that I don’t feel well if I eat too many, even naturally-sweetened homemade baked goods. And while I try to be a moderate about sweets with my kids, I notice when that fine line has been crossed into the “candy land” sugar load. I know that I have readers who avoid eating too much sugar too.
But the question I posed to myself is, why does “special food” have to always be sweet food? There are so many delicious foods that aren’t the least bit sweet. In fact, so many of our food traditions center not on the pie, but on the turkey, or chowder or other savory main dish. As adults, we can thoroughly enjoy a delicious meal without a cake (as wonderful as cakes are). As parents, we can also try to make food fun for our children, even if it doesn’t have sugar in it.
Here are some of my non-sweet Christmas ideas.
Grinch or Elf food: We have a handful of movies we like to watch each Christmas season, and last year we decided to add Elf to the list. But if you have a movie night that includes a green Grinch or green clothed elves, then making a platter of “green” food to be enjoyed while watching the movie can be fun!
…