The food season starts October 31 and ends January 1 when resolutions and all diets began. This is no exception for us. There can be no dieting during these months for fear of insulting friends. You definitely can not go to some one's house and say "No thank you, I'm on a diet." Food is such a tricky thing. It seems to binds us together and enhance relationships. I guess because when we eat with friends we take time to talk, laugh, may be even cry. It can trigger memories. When reading the Little House books there is a chapter about Christmas. They received an orange in their stockings. What are your holiday foods?

John said that they always had nuts around to crack so he bought a LARGE bag of nuts and now I have nut shells all over the counters and floors, sometimes on the back of the dog too. My Grandmother always had nuts too. So I don't mind too much, it kind ties us to the past. My Grandmother in France would place a bowl of walnuts that she had gathered on the table after dinner and we would have dessert of fruit and nuts. Clementine oranges are a favorite in our house too. they are small, packed with juice and sweetness, easy to peel. Then there is the baking. My mother would always make cookies and fudge.

I have the cookie thing down but not the fudge, not yet at least.

This year I tried a couple of new cookie recipes thanks to Thepioneerwoman.com. She had a recipe for Cinnamon rolls, very good - must give away: 5 pans of Cinnamon rolls is too many to keep at home, Candy Cane Chocolate Cookies (best eaten when totally cooled) and a cookie dough and candy recipe.

We also made wreaths from green rice krispies and red hots. That is pure sugar with a crunch.

And then Marie, my good friend, posted about Gingerbread houses and chocolate covered pretzels. We had to try both of those. Then there are the sugary drinks, hot cocoa and hot spiced cider, with many variations for both.

Now for Christmas dinner. Every one does this differently. I think that most people cook a turkey or ham for dinner, but I had read about a family that had lasagna for Christmas dinner and decided that since Thanksgiving has turkey and Easter has rabbit oh I mean ham, Christmas would be lasagna. So I have to love Costco for their lasagna. It is already made, very good and all I have to do is pop it in the oven. A salad and maybe a roll or bread sticks and your good to go. Clean up is a breeze, throw the pan away. What do you do?