I WISH I could experience Christmas morning as a child again. There’s no better day for a child than Christmas day. The anticipation is excruciating. The time goes by so slowly; it seems like it will NEVER be here. Then it happens, the sleepless night on Christmas Eve, waking early to the delight of parents everywhere (NOT!), sitting on the stairs waiting to see what Santa stuffed in our stockings. Ripping up presents as fast as our parents can hand them to us. Then the euphoria afterward, sitting in an ocean of presents, wrapping paper, boxes and ribbons. Bliss.

If Santa had known you were making this, he might've stayed!

Finally, we realize we’re hungry. For my family, we didn’t have a big Christmas dinner. Instead, we had a large breakfast. Cheesy scrambled eggs, mandarin oranges, sausage links and butterhorns loaded with frosting and nuts. Bliss, round two.

The only thing better than being a child at Christmas is experiencing it through your own children. As a child, you don’t realize how much effort it takes for parents to pull off a perfect Christmas morning. The preparation it takes is exhausting sometimes, but so worth it. The look in their eyes is priceless. The smiles of surprise, the joy and squeals of delight that can’t be captured in a photograph, but are forever etched in your heart.

To make Christmas morning easier, I’m offering a French toast casserole. French toast has always been my favorite breakfast, but it’s time consuming to make. I don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen on Christmas morning. I don’t want to miss a moment. This casserole can be prepared the night before and placed in the oven the following morning. An added bonus; it has the wonderful surprise of apples on the bottom.

I recommend using challah bread. You could make if from scratch if you’re so inclined, but it’s available in most grocery stores this time of year. I purchased mine at Fire Island Bakery, which I highly recommend. My children love going there with me and nibbling on their tasty samples. The staff is so friendly and helpful. If you don’t have challah, use your favorite bread. I think the cinnamon chip bread at Great Harvest would be incredible also.

Make-Ahead Cinnamon-Apple French Toast Casserole

1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 tsp. cinnamon, divided
3 apples, cored and sliced thin (if not organic, peel the apples)
1 loaf of challah, about 1 ½ pounds
8 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 (unless baking it the following day). Mix together melted butter and ½ cup brown sugar. Spread the mixture in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. As you slice the apples, place them in a bowl with ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Mix well, and place an even layer of apples on top of the melted butter mixture. Slice the challah into 1-inch slices, then into cubes. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Add challah and let soak in the milk mixture before adding entire mixture to the pan on top of the apples. Sprinkle pecans on top, if using. Bake right away, or cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before placing in a 350 oven for about 50 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy it through the eyes of a child!
 

THE MOMENTS LEFT before Christmas are speeding by. The time to think about giving a thoughtful gift is now!

My parents always told me that "it's the thought that counts" which never made me happier to receive socks or underwear for Christmas but it is a valuable lesson I learned with warm feet. I am passing this lesson on to our offspring, hopefully. In the hopes of inspiring your last minute gift purchases here are gifts that I am giving this year:

1. EXPERIENCE. Give the gift of an experience! This year I gifted tickets to our local performance of The Nutcracker to my partner and oldest son. Our family also gifted a holiday miniature gold experience to our son’s daycare class. Give a ski lift ticket, admission to the ice rink, a pool pass or a ticket to a once-a-year event. As a parent, this could be a win-win, providing a great gift that is not stuff and an opportunity to have a special experience with your child.

Your kids will be easy to spot outside with flashy accessories.

2. LIGHT. At this time of year, all Alaskans know about the surplus of darkness. Kids do not glow, so give them the gift of a zipper light, head lamp, a flashing light or reflective clothing that will make them more noticeable at the bus stop or walking around the neighborhood enjoying sleds or holiday lights.

Alaska book and gift shops all stock works by local writers/artists.

3. BOOKS. Give books with Alaska themes. We want to create readers in our family so there is no better way to get kids motivated to read and gravitate to books than purchasing books with subjects that they know. Alaska has many great topics that kids enjoy and there is no shortage of literary works for all age levels. Also consider a subscription to a magazine that ties in with a child's interest such as National Geographic Kids, Highlights, which I remember from my youth, and Ranger Rick.

Get kids ready for Iditarod or Fur Rondy with some storytelling.

4. GEAR. Getting outside this time of year can be challenging. Updating jackets, gloves, goggles, ice skates, skis or even the plastic sled that has been in-use for a couple of years can be a great gift.

Clothes. They'll thank you later.

5. CLOTHING. The gift of clothing. I am fortunate that our sons have no input on what they wear because of their ages. Holidays and birthdays are a great opportunity to give them something special to add to their clothing collection. For our oldest, a shirt with an NFL or college logo is something he really appreciates. With older children I would suggest you go on a shopping trip with him or her and take notes.

"Clang! Swish!" Don't forget the wrapping paper tube swords!

With the main gift-giving day looming it can be easy to just grab something quick and easy such as a gift card but a little thought can go a long ways in giving something that will be enjoyed for many days and maybe years into the future! I hope you and your family have a great holiday together.
 

MY CHILDREN ARE getting into the holiday spirit. The holiday season is full of parties, sweets and cookies, which are enjoyable and appropriate, but I was finding that my children were turning up their noses at anything healthy. Their lunches were being returned with their fruit and vegetables intact and untouched. I’ve been nagging them to finish the veggies on their plates. Then my kids started getting ill; coughing, hacking and bellyaching. I have no proof that their sickness was a result of their poor eating habits as of late, but I know it certainly didn’t improve their immune system’s ability to fight off all the germs being passed around.

I’ll do just about anything to get my children to eat healthy. I’ve been known to nag, threaten and bribe to make sure they eat right. What I’ve found that works the best though is FUN! If my children are having fun with their food, they’re more likely to eat it WITHOUT their well-intentioned mom pulling her hair out (good thing I have lots of hair). Which is why I decided it was time to have fun with our veggies that have been so lacking lately.

We got our creative juices flowing with our sugar cookies last week, and transferred that energy into making a Christmas tree with our favorite veggies. I’ve seen pictures of a broccoli “tree” made and cherry tomato “garland” to use as a veggie tray for appetizers, but I wanted to make a salad that we could serve at a meal. There’s really no “recipe,” but try to include as many colorful fruits and vegetables as possible, which will not only make your tree more beautiful, but also ensure that they’re getting a wide variety of immune-boosting vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. The kids should be involved in the entire process (age appropriate of course), from picking out the salad fixings to slicing and dicing and, most importantly, the decorating!

CHRISTMAS TREE SALAD Here’s how our family did it, but feel free to change it up to suit your family’s tastes and creativity.

• Bag of spring mix lettuce
• Cucumbers, sliced thinly
• Broccoli, cut into florets
• Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
• Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• Red, yellow and orange peppers, diced small
• Cauliflower, cut into florets
• Fresh blackberries (other ideas: frozen or fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, dried cranberries or cherries)
• Goat cheese or feta, crumbled
• Pecans or almonds

Make the tree as big as you like. You can also make individual trees, or one large tree served “family-style” (my favorite).

We lined a tray with parchment paper, and fit our tree to the tray. Make a tree shape with spring mix lettuce. Outline the shape with overlapping cucumber slices. Top spring mix with broccoli (stems down) and Brussels sprouts. Decorate your tree with colored pepper “lights”, cherry tomato “garlands”, and fruit “ornaments”. We used Cauliflower at the bottom of tree for “snow”, pecans for the “trunk”, and crumbled goat cheese for fresh “snow” on the tree. Top it with a star made with a yellow pepper, cut with a cookie cutter.

The best thing is that my children grazed on veggies during the entire decorating process. Like licking their fingers while frosting cookies, but healthier! During serving, my kids were saying things like “Can I have more snow?” or “I want some of the trunk.” and “I want the star!” Yep. They were demanding more vegetables. No nagging required.
 

THE HOLIDAY SEASON and last month of the year present unique opportunities for people to get together and connect. Families travel outside for that once-a-year chance to be with extended family and friends. Friends who are usually too busy to connect meet for their annual gathering. Monthly events like gallery walks take on a holiday flavor that entices families to get in the spirit of the season. Oh, and there is the office party that many people feel obligated to attend, even if they find it uncomfortable.

Some Dad Bonding

This week I am away from my family which seems to get harder and harder, especially in the middle of this holiday season. I am traveling with a co-worker who has children of a similar age to our boys. In our first moments outside of our workdays, the topic that immediately comes to the forefront of our conversations is our children and our families. Over the past week of being together inside and outside of our job duties, we have talked about many family issues: discipline, the sensitivity of young children and respecting and preserving their innocence. We talk about the humorous moments. I love humor and I know it is what keeps me relatively sane as a parent.

"Is it funny if I stick this in my hair?"

We talk about those moments where our children surprise us with their observations, our intense love for them and the relationship they have with their siblings. Our discussions have also addressed the powerful connections, biological and emotional, our children have with their mothers. We talk about the differences between our reactions and dealings with our children and how that differs from mom’s reaction and often leniency we sometimes find frustrating. We also celebrate mom’s selflessness and dedication to the kids’ growth and well-being. We voice the fact that fathers and mothers contribute different things to the life and growth of children.

"Let's get together more often. Whaddaya say?"

Yes, the holidays can create some warm and lasting memories and also some uncomfortable social situations. Dads (especially) and moms, make the most of these opportunities to connect with other parents. It is amazing how quickly walls come down when I start to talk about my children. It is also comforting and empowering to know that I am not alone on this journey and my thoughts and feelings are similar to many fathers around me, but I need that little push to connect!