The post Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! appeared first on The World Is an Oyster.
]]>Magic
The First Memories of Christmas
When I was eleven, some kids in my class told me that Santa did not exist – I replied that it was the naughtiest thing to say. He very much exists and brings me presents every year!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you!
The kids started laughing, so I turned my back and left them basking in their small, magicless and emotionless bubble. I instantly knew they would be on Santa’s naughty list!
When we returned to school after the winter holidays, the same kids told me that their parents gave them Christmas presents. Well, at least somebody loved them enough to compensate for the lack of magic in their lives, I thought!
Adult Perception of Christmas And a Little Legend
Besides excessive capitalist consumerism and gluttony, there must be an original reason why almost every planet celebrates Christmas.
This is no time for historical, religious or political debate; therefore, I won’t even go there.
There is this little ancient Romanian legend regarding Christmas that I love and would like to share with you instead.
The story goes that on December 24th, two thousand years ago, a young woman named Mary was about to give birth. She asked Santa Eve to offer her lodging for the night. But Santa Eve was poor and had nothing to offer Mary, so he sent her to his younger and richer brother, Santa Claus.
Mrs Claus received Mary, but because she knew Mr Claus was a grumpy and nasty old man, she took Mary to the stable to give birth.
Helped by Mrs. Claus, Mary gave birth to a little boy she named Jesus. The animals in the stable who witnessed the birth compassionately provided heat through their breathing to the little boy shivering in the manger.
Somehow, Santa Claus heard about this and was angry that his wife allowed a stranger on his property to help deliver her baby. He was so upset that he cut off Mrs. Claus’ hands.
Mary immediately took pity on the poor woman and healed her hands right back as if nothing had happened.
On witnessing this miracle, Santa Claus repented for his wickedness and became the nicest man in history.
That same night, rich Santa decided to share all his fortune with the poor children. Ever since, on Christmas Eve at midnight, he celebrates the birth of Jesus by riding his sleigh full of gifts to each house where there is a nice child and leaves at least one gift under the Christmas tree.
Christmas Today
To all the children in the world, I want to say this: the fact that history repeats itself, and before Jesus, there were Mithras or Horus, or Krishna is not of massive importance right now. As you grow up and your knowledge horizon expands, you will read and understand more about human history and our actions on this planet.
Mind you, you won’t hear a thing about any of this in school, but there is a reason why there are books!
All you need is an interest to know more than what an educational system or another is imposing on you! Remember that what you read is what you are!
What matters now is that, hopefully, you’ve been nice, and Santa has read his list (and checked it twice!)
And know one thing: magic beats technology! No matter how many cameras you hide in the house to catch him sneaking in through the chimney and how many Santa traps you set, he has his magic ways.
As you wake up on Christmas morning, you will find your presents underneath the tree and will know that you are loved! Even if there might be nothing recorded on camera – blackouts often happen during the night!
Dear kids, it would be fantastic if none of you would ever lose innocence!
Life will happen, and it will try to take it away from you, but the illusion of magic and the joy of giving will keep it alive in your souls forever! Hopefully!
If you need to know, I’m now in my fourth decade in this life, and Santa keeps bringing me gifts every Christmas. My child asked me if he ever missed. Nope! Never!
I did not receive quite what I asked for two years ago, though, but that was not Santa’s fault. Bring Me The Horizon, my favourite rock band in the world, was a bit slow in releasing Amo, and Santa found himself in the difficult position of not fulfilling a wish out of billions.
I kindly asked BMTH to plan a new music release before the end of the year if possible, please! After all, the elves are only trained to make wooden toys.
In all honesty, even if they would record music, carols would probably sound a bit weird in alternative metal, not to mention that Oli Sykes shouting Silent Night would be something else, indeed! And he probably won’t even know how to go to Santa’s recording studio. I mean workshop! Who knows the address?!
Anyway, last year, around this time, Post Human was out, packed and tied with a red bow, in Santa’s sack! Do you see how wishes work?
Now, what would I like Santa to bring me this year? Hmm…
If the end of the pandemic can fit in your sack, then Santa, please shove it in there and spread it over the entire humankind from your flying sleigh! I wish I could say we learned the lesson, but I know better.
Still, I remain optimistic because I know the power of wishes!
Have the Merriest Christmas ever!
Magic
The post Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! appeared first on The World Is an Oyster.
]]>The post Perfect Bread Maker Panettone – Christmas Made Easy appeared first on The World Is an Oyster.
]]>The Bread of Toni
As is the case with everything Italian, the nation’s Christmas traditional dessert, Panettone, has its history that goes back to the fifteenth century.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information. Thank you!
A legend has it that one Christmas Eve, while the entire court and guests of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan were sat at the festive table, disaster stroke in the kitchen. The cook managed to burn the dessert accidentally!
Mamma mia, che dolore che faccio ora il duce mi va cortare il capo! (Oh, dear God, what a disaster, the duke will chop my head off!)
While the unfortunate cook was pulling his hair off, a kitchen helper, Toni, threw a few ingredients in a bowl and made a soft dough he baked and served to the potent rulers of Milan.
The sweetbread was so successful among the guests that the Sforzas called it Pan di Toni (The Bread of Toni), which remained in history as the rich people’s traditional Christmas bread. Today, it is the classic Italian dessert the entire world knows as Panettone.
The traditional recipe for Panettone has a lengthy preparation process that takes two days. Thanks to modern technology, many of us use bread makers to save time and bake easier. If you own one and read through the manual, you might find a Panettone recipe adjusted to the type of machine you have.
Just a quick word about everybody should use a breadmaker. To me, it became a vital kitchen appliance during my chemotherapy sessions, years ago when I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. I started using it during my brutal treatment and never went back to buying supermarket bread since!
I know what ingredients I am using (all the healthy ones, always!), I know what type of bread or cake I want, and this beautiful invention provides it to me, as simple as that! All I have to do is add the ingredients, choose the program and press the start button. Then I go on with my business and come back only when I hear the beep that tells me my bread/cake is ready.
A breadmaker is a fantastic time-saver, but the best thing about using one is the tremendous health benefit to you! Say adiós to refined sugars, GMO flours and all sorts of additives that come with a bag of sliced bread and start a healthier lifestyle; you owe it to yourself and your family!
This Panettone is an adapted recipe from my bread maker’s booklet. The original sounded a bit blunt, and I wanted to get all the flavours that scream Christmas; hence I added a few things, and the result was an absolute success.
My bread maker Panettone lived a very brief life on the kitchen table! But this was only a try. On Christmas Eve, I’ll be sure to throw all the ingredients in the machine, and while we make the last-minute preparation, my Panettone will be ready just in time for dinner.
I’m sure our kitchen hero Toni would not mind that I wanted to save time and prepare his delight using modern means. It does cut the time from two days to three and a half hours!
As a last note, the dough for Panettone is a soft one, completely different from bread dough and impossible to hand-knead. Even if you chose the traditional method, you would still need a food mixer, and why not leave it to the bread maker then?
Ingredients for bread-maker Panettone:
2 tsp dried yeast (make sure it is suitable for bread maker use)
400 g strong bread flour
5 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp sea/rock salt
1 tbsp coconut oil (at room temperature)
2 eggs (beaten)
200 ml (3/4 cup) almond/coconut milk
1 tbsp orange zest
Spices mix (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove)
Extras:
50 g butter
A handful of raisins
A handful of goji berries
A handful of dried cranberries
2 tbsp cacao nibs
Chocolate shreds (I picked some from a cereal box and spread them on top of my Panettone; improvisation is key!)
The programme for this bread is Brioche (13, on my device); crust option: light; total time: 3 hours 30 minutes.
My machine requires adding the dry ingredients first; the wet ingredients go over the flour, and the order in which I add them does not matter.
My bread maker would beep after 55 minutes when it was time to add the extras. Then I have to press the Start button again for the program to continue.
Each bread maker functions differently. The important thing is that the machine will do the job and will let you know when your beautiful, fluffy and aromatic Panettone is ready. Let it cool and use it within a week (if it lasts!)
Buon appetito and also Buon Natale for when you will serve it at your Christmas dinner!
Bread maker Panettone
Equipment
- Bread maker machine
- Spoon
- Small bowl+fork
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Basic ingredients
- 400 g organic strong bread flour
- 5 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 2 tsp dried yeast the suitable for bread makers type
- 1 tbsp organic coconut oil at room temperature
- 2 organic eggs beaten
- 1 tsp sea/rock salt
- 200 ml almond or coconut milk ¾ cup
- 1 tbsp organic orange zest
- 1 tbsp spice mix (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove)
Extras
- 50 g organic butter unsalted
- 1 handful raisins
- 1 handful goji berries organic, sundried
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs
- 1 handful chocolate shreds or dry fruits for decoration
Instructions
- The programme for this bread is Brioche (13, on my device); crust option: light; total time: 3 hours 30 minutes. Check the instruction booklet for your machine to choose the right programme.
- Each bread maker is different; my machine requires adding the dry ingredients first, then all the wet ones on top.
- After 55 minutes, the machine would beep and let me know that it was time to add the extras. Then I have to press the Start button again for the program to continue.
- When ready, carefully remove the pan from the bread maker using oven gloves.
- Remove the Panettone from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
- Each bread maker functions differently, but the end result will be a fluffy, flavourful Panettone ready in time for your Christmas dinner and a house filled with holidays aromas!
Notes
The Bread of Toni
The post Perfect Bread Maker Panettone – Christmas Made Easy appeared first on The World Is an Oyster.
]]>