Mother Earth packs a Christmas punch

Some holiday traditions are inherited, some are established with intention, and others are stumbled into. Our Christmas punch was a lucky stumble.

When my babies were small, the world was a gentler place. Michael Landon was no longer the shoot-'em-up hothead brother of the Cartwright clan, but the tender-hearted Pa on "Little House." On "Happy Days," even tough-guy Fonzi had moments of teary-sensitivity, almost like Alan Alda in a leather jacket. The king of TV-talk was not the crass Jerry Springer, but the fatherly-wise Phil Donahue.

On Phil's show, expert after expert preached the gospel of whole, natural foods. Instead of Jiffy or Peter Pan, kids should be given natural peanut butter with no added sugar. Moms should make their own yogurt, with live cultures of beneficial bacteria. Thirsty kids should drink juice instead of powdered mixes with unnatural dyes and artificial flavors.

It was upon the Gospel of Phil that I entered my Earth Mother incarnation. I used wheat flour and honey to make zucchini and banana bread. I made my own baby food from fresh veggies with a steamer and blender. I made popsicles from juice instead of flavored sugar-water.

I now realize my time would have been far better spent in reading to the kids, considering the sugar content of juices and honey, but at the time it seemed like the thing to do.

At some meeting or another, probably Mothers Club or Newcomers (sorry, much of the sleepless time of my children's younger days has blurred), I had a cup of punch that was truly wonderful. The recipe included apple juice and cranberry juice, a natural foods bonanza, and I decided to make some over the holidays. After all, the traditional wassail included hard cider, the traditional syllabub included brandy--and neither of those seemed like a great idea for kids under six.

On Christmas Eve I poured the juices into a large urn and placed cinnamon sticks, a can of sliced pineapple and a jar of spiced apple rings in the percolator basket.

The addition of the spiced apple rings (with red-dye whatever) probably negated the whole-natural food plan of the punch, and the heating of the juices probably killed whatever vitamins were left alive after processing and freezing--but at the time that didn't occur to me. I felt pleased as punch about the whole-food punch that percolated on the kitchen counter.

The kids' punch was served in hot cups with ice, and the grown-ups had to blow a bit, but a good cup'a was enjoyed by all.

Bonus points? The house smelled like Christmas heaven.

Over the years I tried adding cloves, and I liked the extra whisper of bitterness, but the kids did not.

On Christmas Eve, the urn can be unplugged and and left on the counter, to be plugged in again on Christmas morning.

The fruit in the percolator basket can be refrigerated and used in spiced fruit. Arrange the fruit slices in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish with an additional cinnamon stick or two, then pour in drained cans of peach halves and pear halves. Place cherries on top and dot with butter. Stir together 1 C. white wine and 1 C. brown sugar, pour over fruit, bake at 350 degrees for maybe half an hour.

Given the butter and sugar and wine, this spiced fruit is an Earth Mother's nightmare, nutritionally speaking--but it tastes like a sweet dream with country ham and cheese grits.

Yes, with the punch and the spiced fruit, my Earth Mother incarnation stumbled badly.

But there is forgiveness in the world.

Last year for Christmas, Buffy gave me a wooden plaque that read, "When you stumble, make it part of the dance."

I never learned to dance well, but stumbling is familiar territory. Sometimes, it all works out.

This holiday season, may you and yours enjoy every minute of the dance--every whirling, sweet moment together.

Blessings, from our house to yours. Sue

Christmas Punch

2 cans frozen cranberry juice

2 cans frozen apple juice

(or equal parts cranberry and apple, whatever fits in your urn)

1 can pineapple rings

1 jar spiced apple rings

3 cinnamon sticks (optional, cloves)

Prepare juice according to directions, pour into urn. Put pineapple and apples into basket with cinnamon sticks. Perk and serve.

Baked Fruit

1 can pineapple rings, drained

1 can spiced apple rings, drained

2 cans pear halves, drained

2 cans peach halves, drained

1 jar maraschino cherries, drained

1 C. wine (white)

1 C. brown sugar

1 stick butter

2 cinnamon sticks, broken

Layer fruit in greased casserole. Mix wine, sugar, pour over fruit. Dot with butter. Cover and bake. Note: Arranging the fruit is a performance art. Enjoy the contrast of colors in the Monet-moment.