It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

(With apologies to every Christmas songwriter.)

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love said to me: forget the lords a-leaping. "Come," she told me, "pa rum pum pum pum."

And with Jack Frost nipping at my nose, we made our way to a place where treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.

The stars were brightly shining. A silent night, a holy night! All was calm, all was REALLY REALLY BRIGHT. A far cry from deck the halls with boughs of holly. But lots of fa-la-la and jolly, nonetheless.

Strings of street lights, Even stop lights, blinked a bright red and green. And when you walk down the street, you say "Hello" to friends you know, and everyone you meet.

Oh Ho the mistletoe, downloaded from the app store for free. Somebody waits for you; kiss her once for me.

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland. But, "watch out for the traffic!" This is where Grandma got run over by a reindeer, walking home from our house Christmas Eve.

Wait! Do you hear what I hear? Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow chanting: "bring us some figgy pudding, bring us some figgy pudding" (this part is true).

And then another child: "What child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?" Do you really need to ask?

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy.

May your days be merry and bright!

P.S. If you like these lights, get over to the Trinity Street Light Competition by January 2, 2010.

Christmas Biscotti

This is my holiday spin on our traditional Italian biscotti, or what we used to call "Auntie Inesse cookies." The dried cranberries and pistachios give the cookies a lovely holiday feel. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup chopped pistachios

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:

Cream butter and sugar until light.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until blended.

Divide the dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet, shape into two logs (1/2-inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide, about 14 inches long) and place two inches apart.

Bake at 325F for 25 minutes (until lightly browned).

Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack for cooling. After 10 minutes, move to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, slice diagonally about 1/2 inch thick.

Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and return to a 200F oven for one hour.

Once cooked, let cool o

n a rack. Store in a covered container.

Makes about three dozen.

Looking for other Christmas cookies?

Here are some of my past Christmas cookie postings:

• Scalille: traditional Calabrese honey cookies.
• Pizzelle: anise cookies.

Eat Christmas Cookies, Season 3!

I've submitted this recipe to Food Blogga's Eat Christmas Cookies, Season 3! event.

If you have awesome holiday cookies, find out how to participate.

Check out all the great cookies on the round-up page.