Christmas is a time of indulgence!

It is not Christmas yet at our home, but it is approaching. The last of the outdoor lights were lit on Sunday. Santa has moved all the toys from his shop to new locations for moms, dads, and grammas to deliver for Christmas.
The season of taste temptations has begun.
Last weekend, I baked a Christmas cake that hasn’t been in the house for half a decade. It is now resting, in a small bath of brandy to cure for the holiday celebration. We spoke with my son who will be home fro Christmas and he let us know that he is looking forward to all the great baking that my wife has made each year.
On Sunday, my wife began mixing and baking the squares he likes so much. My job was to test them, to make sure that they tasted OK. Now being a diabetic and a little overweight, testing sweet bars and cookies is just leading me into temptation.
Marnie didn’t believe me when I told her that I needed more than a single piece to make a decision. And when I reached into the baking dish to retrieve a second piece, I was given that look that says, “You know better than to take another.”
She was right.
It must be true that Christmas is a time of indulgence.
The “Food Network” has begun its series of shows on how to produce the perfect Christmas meal. Turkeys, roasts, pies, cakes, cookies, vegetables are all being cooked up. An endless list of desserts follows. No temptation is too little.
And even the perfect Christmas cocktail is being offered up with new variations. The wine and alcohol reviewer from the Globe and Mail has suggested shopping early and splurging from Ontario’s liquor stores.
My dietician has told me that at Christmas I shouldn’t hesitate to sample peoples baking. Her advice was to just take a teeny little bite and evaluate it on a scale of 1-10. If it didn’t achieve a 10, then to quietly dispose of the piece of baking.
I guess I have never tasted a piece of Christmas baking that was offered to me that wasn’t a 10. I might be a poor judge of baking. But at Christmas time, I know good treats. Good hosts would never offer a Christmas treat that was less than perfect.
All the magazines at the grocery check out stands now promise on their covers that you can still lose 10 pounds before Christmas. The week before Christmas, those same newsstands will have magazines blaring headlines that you can lose those 10 pounds you gained at Christmas in a matter of weeks in January.
I guess the solution is to begin dieting immediately, eat heartily and often and hope you can break even on weight by the end of January. Enjoy the foods of this holiday season.

–Jim Cumming,
Publisher