Top Chef

Last night, I was enjoying a moment loafing on the sofa with a really good book when Eden came up to me and said "Come on Mom, you have to take me to the store, I want to make Manicotti!" In my head I heaved a big sigh. What brought on this sudden impulse? I'm pretty certain that Eden's never eaten this particular dish! In fact, I know I've never made Manicotti -- I don't like stuffing noodles! Why Manicotti ? Why now?

Eden is like that. He gets an idea in his head and he will not rest until he is able to accomplish his quest. Usually he's begging for glue and Borax so he can make up some strange flubber concoction in the laundry room. Or, on a Sunday evening at 10:00 p.m he just absolutely has to have a certain kind of lead for a mechanical pencil -- a standard No. 2 pencil just will not do. Sometimes these out of the blue "quests" drive me crazy -- like now. The problem at this particular moment is that it's 9:45 p.m. on a Saturday night, and the last thing I want to do is get in the car and go shopping. I've had enough thank you very much. Didn't I just spent the last month cooking extravagant meals, making cookies, canning jelly, and shopping for gifts and standing in line at the post office!!!! I'm on hiatus for at least 2 more days! Before I could react, Matt said "Come on Eden, if you are willing to make Manicotti for Sunday dinner, then I'm willing to take you to the store." Whew, crisis averted. I love that Matt and I are able to tag team when one of us is running on empty. I'm sure his compassion was motivated by the thought of a delicious Italian dinner, but I didn't care; I was just thankful I didn't have to go to the grocery store. I resumed my reading while Eden took his shopping list and headed out the door with his dad. A while later, they returned with a bag full of ingredients and smiles on their faces.

Today, we spent the morning in church. As we sat through our first meeting, Eden leaned over and said "Mom, are you just so excited that we are having Manicotti today, and that you don't have to make it??" I smiled and nodded my head in the affirmative. As much as I hate the crazy shopping requests that come at odd hours of the day, love it when my children are passionate about something, and today Eden is passionate about making pasta. When we got home, he went straight to the kitchen and began pulling out pots and pans. I was impressed as I watched him multi task -- water boiling on the stove, sauce being created, cheese being grated. Pretty soon, Matt and Claire showed up to help. It was a three ring circus, and Eden was the ring master. I played the part of the audience and happily took my place on the sofa with my delicious dark beverage bubbling in a glass of ice, and resumed reading my novel. As time went by, I became so engrossed in a story about a a nunnery in the 1400's, I became oblivious to the magic that was taking place just a feet away. Before I knew it, a timer went off. I put my book down and walked over to the oven just as Eden was pulling out a huge pan. I could not believe my eyes. In his oven-mitted hands was a incredible dish covered in a layer of melted cheese. It smelled delicious. "Mom, you serve it, and by the way, you have to clean all the pots and pans." said Eden. I accepted my assignment. It's a rule in our house, whoever cooks doesn't have to clean up. I pulled out 4 plates and gave everyone a serving of Manicotti al a Eden. We all took a bite and then ..... silence. The Beutlers have high expectations when it comes to good food. I hate to admit it, but I was expecting to choke down something that tasted like Chef-Boy-R-Eden, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. This dish deserved 5 forks, and I'm not just saying that because the chef is my son. It was really, really good. The best Manicotti I've ever eaten. Eden, I said: "Where did you get this recipe, it's amazing!" "Oh, I got it from one of my friends -- she's Italian and she made a movie about how to make Manicotti on the Internet, so I just watched her movie and did what she did." he replied.

Eden and his projects. I love that he is resourceful, marches to the beat of his own drum and that he manages to surprise us with the things that he knows. Mario Botalli, you have been dethroned.

Photo courtesy of Blue Lily.

Lo How a Rose Er Blooming

One of the great things about living in Southern California in December ........ White Roses.

Thief

Today while I was with Eden visiting the San Diego temple, we had a break-in at home. I was unaware that anything had happened until I walked into my office and saw that one of my bags full of See's Candy had been tampered with. A box of chocolate truffles was missing. "Who in the world would steal one box of candy, and leave all these other bags full of presents?" I wondered to myself. The only two people I could accuse had not been at home: one was with me at the temple, and the other one was at work. Just then Matt walked into the room. He had a solemn look on his face and he said "There's been an incident and the culprit is right here!" I thought he was going to confess to the crime until I noticed what he held in his hands -- Elfie. While we were gone, she managed to open a box that probably weighed a little more than she does. She took each individual piece of candy and hid it somewhere in the house. Matt discovered the deed when he noticed that Elfie would leave the room every 10 minutes and return with a piece of chocolate. Sadly, she was denied eating every piece she was brave enough to expose. Matt spent the evening trying to think like a dog to uncover all the hidden treasure. I think his self taught Eukanuba skills came in handy for this task. I just hope he found all the candy and that I don't find a melted suprise covered with ants this summer.

I think I'm going to have to start hiding my spare keys. Who knows when Elfie might decide to steal them and take a joy ride!

Post script: Guess what I found in my blankets tonight as I climed into bed.......a lemon truffle. At least Elfie was kind enough to leave me my favorite flavor!

Christmas Tags

Boy did I get a lot of emails and questions about about the "tags" and what we are doing to Keep Christmas. It's not over yet, but I have to say, that we have had a lot of fun doing meaningful things. So far, what stands out the most is delivering bags of food to the homeless in downtown San Diego. We went with the Morel family -- the owners of Temecula Dance Company, and members of their "dance family." They help the homeless on a regular basis. We assembled over 150 bags of food and walked the streets handing them out to the people we found there. We also pulled a wagon with hot water and gave out instant soup. It was humbling -- especially when we came upon a fragile old women in her 80's huddled next to her son in a parking lot. It was a warm night but I found myself thinking "What is going to happen to her when it starts to rain?" Sometimes reaching out to those in need is hard. It hurt my heart to walk away. But I know one thing for sure, I will be back, and I will not wait until next Christmas.

One thing about the Morel family. They keep Christmas in their hearts all year long. In fact, one year with the Morels were on vacation in Mexico, they happened upon a bunch of stray dogs scavenging for food on the beach. Lani Morel is a dog lover and she just couldn't bare the thought of those poor dogs starving to death. She went to a store and bought bags and bags of dog food, and took it back to the beach. Who does that -- feeds stray mutts while on vacation???? Lani Morel. Like I said she keeps Christmas in her heart all year long. I love her for it. She and the rest of her family have inspired me on many occasions to be a better person.

If you are interested in reading more about what I put on my Christmas tags, click here.


My sweet friend Lyndsay Johnson emailed me right after my post about Keeping Christmas with a great article full of ideas. It was another little Christmas miracle that she found this and sent it to me. It had everything I was looking for: quotes, scriptures and activities to make Christmas more meaningful. I modified the activities a bit to fit our needs, and so can you.



(Thanks Lyndsay J. and Kristy K. My desire to Keep Christmas never would have happened if not for you two.)

12 Days of Christmas and Two Friends

Two amazing things happened to me today that I have to share. Both have to do with the 12 Days of Christmas.

I was working in my office the other day frantically trying to get jewelry made for an open house I'm hosting in a few weeks. Christmas music was blaring from my computer -- one of the things I LOVE about this season. Eden walked by as The 12 Days of Christmas was being sung in full force by Mitch Miller and the Gang. Eden said "This song is so weird. What in the world does a Partridge in a Pair Tree have to do with Christmas?" I have absolutely no idea" I replied and continued belting out -- "Five Golden Rings!!!!!!!!" Eden rolled his eyes.

Eden is not alone. That question has plagued me for many years .... "What in the heck does that song have to do with Christmas??" I worry about it every year. Today, I received the answer in an email from my wise friend Cheri. I can now put my worry to rest. And, because I'm just sure that Eden and I are not the only ones who are bothered by this, I'm putting your minds to rest too!

Here you go, a little history lesson ... 12 Days of Christmas in a Nutshell.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Who knew there was such meaning in this ancient song. I'll never sing it the same way again. Thanks Cheri

But that's not all..... the second thing that happened is a little Christmas miracle. Ever since I posted about making an advent calendar to help my family Keep Christmas, I've been stressed. The days have been ticking by and I've been so busy, I haven't made a thing. We've been doing meaningful things, however, so that's been good. But still, I really wanted to have the Calendar up and running by now so I've been feeling bad. This morning I finally decided I better compromise and do "The 12 Days of Christmas" this year and make the Calendar over the summer when I have more time. I rationalized since today is the 10th, I would have 3 days to get something made. Plenty of time (hah). That being decided, I went off to a class and then to lunch.

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When I got home, my friend Kristy knocked on my door holding a beautiful bag. As I let her in, she said "I had to drop this gift off early, it has a deadline." I peered into the bag as I said: " Wow, you are getting stuff done super early this year, did you make me something delicious??" Kristy is an amazing cook. "Nope" she said, just as I had pulled the gift out of the bag. I let out an overly enthusiastic yell "Oh my gosh, how did you know??" In my hand I held 12 beautiful tags with a card that said "The 12 Days of Christmas." Each tag had a scripture, and an idea for something you could do to make Christmas more meaningful. I just couldn't believe it. "Kristy" I exclaimed, "You must have read my recent blog post about keeping Christmas!" Nope Again," she said. "Then your gift is an answer to a prayer." I replied as I tried to hold back the tears; "You gave me the thing I wanted most." She looked a little confused. I told her she had to read my blog and it would explain everything.

Christmas Miracles. They come in unexpected forms -- emails, handmade gifts, friendship, Christmas songs I finally understand. I am thankful for them, great or small.

Keeping Christmas

When I was young, one of the things I loved most about December in Utah was visiting Temple Square. My parents weren't religious -- we went to see the lights. I loved the lights too -- but all that changed in 1971. Temple Square at Christmas became much more. I was twelve that year and two days before Christmas, my dad passed away. He had been in a coma two weeks prior to that, so I didn't get to see him at all before he died. Children weren't allowed in hospitals. It was hard. Hard to lose my father, even harder that it happened at Christmastime. We made our usual pilgrimage to Temple Square that year, but when I looked at around at the lights, they didn't bring the usual excitement. I remember feeling so sad, and so alone. I remember getting cold so we went into the North Visitor's Center. I climbed the ramp to the upstairs level where a replica of Thorvaldsen's Christus is located. I don't think I had ever been in that room before. The Christus filled the room. Opposite the statute, the wall is all windows and outside, I could see the brightly lit trees and a Nativity with the baby Jesus lying in a manger. I sat down on a bench and stared at the Christus. I could hear the faint sound of Handel's Messiah playing outside on the grounds. The music was piped through speakers from a live from a performance taking place inside the Tabernacle, also located on the square. That moment brought me peace at a time I truly needed it. I felt the Savior's love, which is what Christmastime is all about. I couldn't tell you one thing I got for Christmas that year, but I do remember Temple Square, the Christus and being with my family. Moments and feelings like that are more important than any tangible thing we could possibly receive. They never wear out, they are ours to keep. They are precious.

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My last visit to see the lights was over 25 years ago, before I moved to California. The world has changed quite a bit since then, and so have my feelings about December. I LOVE that it's a month when people focus on serving others, I love listening to Christmas music and singing Christmas songs in a choir. I love the way my house feels -- it's decorated, and it smells like pine. I love thinking of the Savior's birth and his life on Earth. I love making gifts and letting people know I'm thankful that they are in my life. But .... I don't like the Worldly influence that has invaded my mind and my home. It's harder now to feel the Spirit of the season.

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I don't like that we have turned December into a commercial shopping palozza. I don't like that most stores put up Christmas displays in August, nor do I like like being bombarded with "holiday" toy commercials, and store ads from July until December. (Is it just me, or does it bother you to walk into Costco or JoAnn's during the summer when it's 120 degrees outside to see a huge area with Christmas tress on display with Christmas candy and gift wrap?) I don't like running around like a crazy person to get deals on "Black Friday." I don't like all the Hollywood movies that have absolutely no message about Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men. Christmas has become all about "stuff" and making a profit.

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I also don't like that we can't celebrate "Christmas" in school; or Hanuka for that matter. It's now "the Holidays." We can sing about reindeer and snow, and make snow men out of cotton balls, but forget about anything that has to do with God, or the birth of his Son.

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All this makes me wonder .... do my children keep Christmas in their hearts? Do they feel the way they should feel about a sacred holiday, or are they just counting the days until they can unwrap presents under the tree? Do we spend more time worrying about what we are getting, and not enough time giving?? I think I need to do more to create experiences that my family carry with them throughout their lives. Sometimes my children think they lack, and I have to admit.... so do I. We have so much. We have the gospel in our lives, a home, food, cloths, running water, wonderful friends, and freedom. But, there are a few things we do really need. More compassion, more kindness, more patience (especially when I'm driving), more humility, and more love. We need things money cannot buy.

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This year, I'm going to try hard to shut out the world and "Keep Christmas" in the real sense of the phrase. I want to do things with my family that will help them have that feeling I experienced at Temple Square. I want them to focus on Christ and what he would want us to give as we celebrate His birth.

So I'd like some advise from you if you please..... What do you do to Keep Christmas???? What brings meaning into your life this time of year?

Post Script: An amazing thing just happened. Right after I posted this entry I went upstairs to take a shower and an answer to my dilemma came to my mind. I'm making an advent calendar. Every pocket will have a tag that has something our family will do that day to make a difference in the world. Most of the tasks will be simple things, but they will have meaning. I'll tell you more about it in a few days after I get it made. Really excited about this one, hope it works. I still want to know what you do to keep Christmas..... maybe your ideas will end up in our advent calendar!!