Putting kids back into Christmas

The cards are rolling in.  The kids are home from school for another year.  It’s just a few days to Christmas and I haven’t finished writing out cards, let alone posted them. One card we recevied struck me by its beauty and simplicity.  It’s a Christmas star cut out of paper, coloured with crayons and sprinkled with glitter. Inside, a crooked message, hand-written by one of my neighbour’s little girls, sending us Christmas tidings. It set me thinking about the role of children at Christmas.  Too often, in our busy-ness and haste, we push the kids aside (Go and play outside!”; “Don’t make a mess in that room!”) whereas it would make a lot more sense to involve them. Here are a few ideas: 1. One mother I know helps her children clean their rooms in preparation for Chsristmas.  Why not tidy out your cupboards and throw out toys you no longer use?  Get mum to help you take them to the Salvation Army or the Smith Family. 2. Practising carols on the piano or violin helps add Christmas cheer to the household (and a good way to get practice out of the way). 3. Use your paintings and drawings to wrap gifts.  Or use butchers’ paper, paint, glue and odds and ends such as postcards, lace, ribbons, clean eggshells, glitter and stars to make your own wrapping paper – this way you can create collages for the special people in your life.  Family photos of events during the year can be worked in as well. 4. Help mum set the Christmas table – you could make and decorate the place cards by folding stiff white cardboard in half – or write names on biscuits with icing. 5. Older kids (from 7 up) can help with clearing away the wrapping paper, washing up  and sweeping up the leaves. 6. Make your own edible Christmas gifts.  Red Velvet Cupcakes can be decorated to look like Christmas, as in the photo. 7. Or make some short biscuit dough which you can roll out and stamp into angels, stars, trees, hearts – or whatever takes your fancy: the recipe is below.
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Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

The cards are rolling in.  The kids are home from school for another year.  It’s just a few days to Christmas and I haven’t finished writing out cards, let alone posted them. One card we recevied struck me by its beauty and simplicity.  It’s a Christmas star cut out of paper, coloured with crayons and sprinkled with glitter. Inside, a crooked message, hand-written by one of my neighbour’s little girls, sending us Christmas tidings. It set me thinking about the role of children at Christmas.  Too often, in our busy-ness and haste, we push the kids aside (Go and play outside!”; “Don’t make a mess in that room!”) whereas it would make a lot more sense to involve them. Here are a few ideas: 1. One mother I know helps her children clean their rooms in preparation for Chsristmas.  Why not tidy out your cupboards and throw out toys you no longer use?  Get mum to help you take them to the Salvation Army or the Smith Family. 2. Practising carols on the piano or violin helps add Christmas cheer to the household (and a good way to get practice out of the way). 3. Use your paintings and drawings to wrap gifts.  Or use butchers’ paper, paint, glue and odds and ends such as postcards, lace, ribbons, clean eggshells, glitter and stars to make your own wrapping paper – this way you can create collages for the special people in your life.  Family photos of events during the year can be worked in as well. 4. Help mum set the Christmas table – you could make and decorate the place cards by folding stiff white cardboard in half – or write names on biscuits with icing. 5. Older kids (from 7 up) can help with clearing away the wrapping paper, washing up  and sweeping up the leaves. 6. Make your own edible Christmas gifts.  Red Velvet Cupcakes can be decorated to look like Christmas, as in the photo. 7. Or make some short biscuit dough which you can roll out and stamp into angels, stars, trees, hearts – or whatever takes your fancy: the recipe is below.

Ingredients

  • softened unsalted butter 125g
  • caster sugar 1/2 cup
  • eggs 2, organic or free range, at room temperature
  • vanilla 1 teaspoon
  • plain flour 2 1/2 – 2 3/4 cups
  • baking powder 2 teaspoons
  • Icing:
  • egg white 1
  • lemon juice 2 teaspoons
  • water 3 tablespoons
  • pure icing sugar sifted

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time.  Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix well to combine.  Wrap in greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Remove from fridge and divide into four. Work with one piece at a time: roll it out on a floured bench top with a rolling pin.  Or you can roll it between two sheets of baking paper which helps to prevent sticking.  Cut into shapes with biscuit cutters and place on baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake in a moderate oven (180degC) for about 10 minutes.  Remove and cool shapes on a wire rack.  Decorate with royal icing, cachous, 100s&1000s, mini M&Ms and jelly beans. For the Icing: beat together the egg white, lemon juice and water until frothy. Add enough icing sugar to make a firm icing.  Add drops of food colouring to the icing: choose the colours you like, but be careful, add just a drop or two at a time!.