Making a List, Making a Gift, Making a Dinner

A few years ago I read a very wonderful book “Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons.”  It was written by Tim Russert as a follow-up for another book he wrote “Big Russ & Me: Father & Son: Lessons of Life.”
Tim had received over 60,000 letters from readers about their dads, good and bad, and he chose to make a collection of those letters that sing praise to mostly ordinary men whom their children cherished and remembered.
One of the last such letters printed in the book involved a man turning 75 years old, whose six children each wrote their version of “75 things to love about dad.”
As I read it I was sparked with my own creativity and began doing these lists for family and friends and birthdays, bridal showers and retirements and to lock in my memories of these people and events.
Once you start a list the ideas flow out of you and the things you remember are great, and often recapture long lost memories. It also is a great lift and wonderful praise to the person you write it for, showing your feeling about them. It can be kind of a mini diary too.
So here is my newest list compiled from my memories of Christmases for the past 57 years. I do hope it sparks some people to make their own lists and share them with others.
25 Things to Love about Christmas
25. Going to bed on the 24th with the plain tree up in the living room and having it beautifully decorated by “Santa” and the “elves” on Christmas morning.
24. Hanging stockings and also seeing them full, hoping there is candy in the toe.
23. My mom would often stop and say “I think I hear the reindeer” and also convince us she saw their tracks in the snow.
22. Lots of amazing perfect homemade Christmas cookies.
21. Having Christmas gifts for the dogs, cats and horses, too.
20. The smell of pine, tangerines, and mint reminds me of Christmas.
19. Trains running under the tree at Granny and Pop Nichols house.
18. Sitting with the Sears Wish Book and making my very important Christmas list.
17. Gathering greens and holly from the woods to bring home and decorate the house.
16. Sitting around the tree and proudly showing the adults what Santa brought you.
15. Playing Christmas records of Robert Goulet, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby and my favorite Perry Como reading “The Night before Christmas”.
14. Going on a drive to see the Christmas lights on the houses.
13. Having jingle bells on the back door that rang when you opened the door.
12. Having roast beef sandwiches as Christmas Eve dinner and having roast pork on Christmas day with oven brown potatoes and gravy.
11. A choir singing “Oh Come All Ye Faithful- Joyful and Triumphant.” It is so powerful, with the meaning of Christmas.
10. Setting up the nativity with the handmade stable that my father John Brennan had made.  Counting the days until Baby Jesus was placed in the manger and the angel was placed on the roof to watch over all.
9. Putting out cookies and hot chocolate for Santa and carrots and oats for the reindeer on special plates with a napkin too. They always left a bit of a mess as they were in a hurry!
 8. Going to visit people and see their trees and decorations. Everyone in a happy and giving spirit.
7. Making Spritz cookies with the cookie press till your hand hurt then adding sprinkles and silver balls and baking them.
6. Being IN and then years later WATCHING the West Cape May Christmas Parade.
5. Granny’s stuffed dates with peanut butter and Mom’s famous fruit cake with walnuts.
4. Having kids come to your door and sing some Christmas carols. (that was a while ago.)
3. Going to Sears and Roebucks store in Vineland to see Santa Claus at Toy Town and give him “the list” and then having burgers for dinner in a diner way up there. I thought I was a million miles from home.
2. Having my mom Anna’s punch in a glass cup, so elegant, just ginger ale, Hawaiian punch and rainbow sherbet floating on top.
1. The Birth of Jesus Christ and the freedom of celebrating it with joy.
Gather around the table and make another Christmas memory to add to your list, by enjoying this great recipe!
Dinner the Cook Enjoys Too
If you’re “tired” of turkey and “had it” with ham, then plan on preparing this easily made Beef Roast and everyone will be joyful for the change. It is great for Christmas or New Years Eve dinner and to slice leftovers the next morning and serve with eggs.  And for those starting New Years Resolution “diets”, you will have something yummy to place on your salad the first day of 2016. 
 While the ovens off the cook can relax!
Over-Off Roast Beef Ingredients
1  beef roast, like top, eye or bottom round, approximately 3 pounds
1  tablespoon kosher salt
1  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1  tablespoon garlic powder
1   tablespoon olive oil
Red-pepper flakes to taste [optional.
PREPARATION
1. Remove roast from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and red-pepper flakes to create a kind of paste. Rub this all over the roast. Place beef in a roasting pan (NOT GLASS) or cast-iron skillet, fat-side up, and put in oven. 
Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes PER pound.
3. Turn off oven. Do NOT open oven door. Leave roast to continue cooking, undisturbed, for two hours.
4. After two hours, remove roast from oven. Slice and serve. Center will be medium rare and roast will have a lovely crust.
5. Chill pan juices, skim fat from top add ½ cup water, heat and thicken for gravy if desired, with some sautéed mushrooms added. 
Yield: 4 to 6 main courses, with leftovers for sandwiches get some horseradish and rye bread. 
Have a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Peaceful New Year.
Jargowski writes from South Dennis.