IT'S NOT THAT FAR ( Christmas 2025)

“We’re not that far from Bethlehem. where all our hope and joy began. For when our hearts still cherish Him, we’re not that far….”

                                                            -Point of Grace

That night I walked with them.

When rain turned to snow, then back to rain.

 I hurried. And worried. I led them, preferring a warm fire to the gloom. 

  

It was beyond midnight. In the silent hours, when the city slumbered.

I heard their footfalls, behind me. They struggled to match my hurried steps. How did I end up here? Tonight.   

 Fading streetlights, showed our way.  They slowed, when we paused at the corner.

I sighed into the endless shadows. I could be anywhere but here.

“Is it far?” they asked. 

            I stepped into the sole light on the street.  Rain switched to snow once more. She reached for my hand.

And then I knew. At last, in that instant. On that deserted road. 

I Knew.

“No, it’s not far. We’re almost there,” I managed to say.

“Lead on,” she whispered wearily.

                                          

 So, I went before them that night.

Till we reached the place, when rain turned to snow and then to 

nothing, then to stars. 

There were no words.  They vanished into the depths, beyond my sight. 

It was where they longed to be.

                                                  

And as for me.....…I waited in the stillness. Only one light remained. 

Over the place we came to. It shone like a thousand suns.

The night was old. It waned into morning. A morning that was new .

But I was not weary. It had not been far.

                                                 

And Others came, while I kept watch.  

            

There was joy. There was no darkness. Only light.

That wonderful night of nights, when the world was born once more….….

"Once in our world, a stable had something bigger in it that was bigger than our whole world..." -C.S. Lewis

Photographs 2025 Campbell River, B.C. Canada    (Merry Christmas)

      "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." -Isaiah 9:6-7

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY FRUITCAKE...

"Do you know what chocolate is made of? It is made of cocoa, dense, strong, velvety... abyss, dark, deep, enveloping..." -Fabrizio Caramagna

….I’ve tweaked the original recipe and changed a few ingredients around to make it work better. Absolutely a favourite. You can scatter chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking....the combination of cranberry and chocolate is definitely wonderful.                 

PREHEAT oven to 300 degrees. Line 7 small loaf tins with veggie sprayed parchment paper. 

Basic recipe makes a normal loaf. I TRIPLE this recipe to get 7 small loaf pans, or ONE angel food cake pan.

                                        

I prefer the small loaves as they freeze well.

Easier to do a TRIPLE batch as then you can have the cake on hand...

So here we go.....recipe is as follows........

"Baking a Christmas cake is a work of art that warms the soul..." -Unknown

A GROUP (SOAK the FRUIT)

                1 cup golden raisins, 1 cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup rum  or other,                  1 cup slivered almonds,1 ½ cups choc chips                                      

"Cake, like Christmas, is ALWAYS a good idea..." -Unknown

B GROUP ( Dry ingredients) 1 ½ cups flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp gr ginger

                 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp allspice

                                                      

"Other foods are just food. But chocolate is CHOCOLATE..." 

                                                                                                              -Patrick Skene Caitling

 C GROUP: ½ cup plant butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 2 tbsp maple syrup

                    1/3 cocoa mixed into the softened  butter,  ½-3/4 cup orange juice or other

Fold all together with a wooden spoon or spatula till well combined. Divide between pans

Bake in oven till cake tester comes out clean. This may take 40 minutes to 1 hour. You must test cake periodically, and add minutes to baking timer as needed. Wrap well by putting entire small loaf pan with baked Cake into a freezer bag, and label...

"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."- Eric Severeid

Photographs 2025

CHELSEA SCONES for EASTER (versatile).....

"Easter is the one morning in all of history where the dawn came twice; once on the eastern horizon and again in Eternity.." - Craig D. Lounsbrough

Every Easter it was a pan of Hot cross buns, with sticky icing crosses slathered over top of  candied peel, raisin buns. I used to lick off the frosting, pick out the peel and dispose of the bread to the birds outside.......These Chelsea Scones are way different. Made of tender dough, which can be rolled with anything you wish: make as  the recipe for something sweet,  or with cheese, ham, mushrooms, etc. Versatile...never fail scones. My mother/grandmother's recipe from the 1930's

MAKE the SCONE BATTER first: 2 cups  flour

½ cup sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, Pinch salt, ½ cup cold butter or margarine

1 egg, 2/3 cup milk ( I use Oat Milk instead, sometimes) and a splash more to make a soft dough. If your dough is stiff, the scones will be tough.

1. Prepare a 13x9 pan with veggie sprayed foil. Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix all dry ingredients together. Plop butter or margarine into this, blend with pastry cutter.

3.Dump egg into milk/cream/ oat milk or regular milk, and beat till blended.

4.Make a well in centre of mixture, pour liquid into this well. 

5. Combine with dry ingredients. Do NOT knead. The mixture should resemble pastry. Takes about 20 seconds. Work quickly, as if it were pastry.

The margarine/ butter should be incorporated loosely, as if it were puff pastry.  

6. Drop onto floured silpat liner/clean counter and  pat out in a weird shaped rectangle. 

Don't worry if it looks unfinished. Don't roll with rolling pin or it gets overworked.( Less is more!)

7. Melt a 1/3 cup marg or butter, spread some of it over the scone dough. Sprinkle with fillings of YOUR choice:

Here I used a cup or raisins, handful of br sugar. You can add a smidge of cinnamon, or be creative and use cooked mushrooms, ham, cheese, whatever you wish. But nothing runny, or it adds too much moisture.

8. Roll up like jelly roll.

9. Tuck in the long and short ends, and pat down slightly.

10. Slice into 12 segments with a large, sharp knife . 

11. Place into prepared pan, brush with remaining melted marg/butter, sprinkle br. sugar over top if doing sweet version, or cheese if doing savoury version. or leave plain after brushing with marg.

12. Bake at 450 f for about 12 minutes. Add 10 minutes to bring to a nice brown on surface. Add 5 more minutes if needed. If you just shove the pan in the oven for 20 minutes the tops might be too brown. 

Let sit on a cooling rack or board. Pull apart and serve. The scone recipe, alone,  is also good molded into a ring, like round bread, cut into wedges, then baked, or cut into rounds or wedges, and baked in 450 F for about 16 minutes... 

“On Easter Day, the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer.” —Douglas Horton

Photographs 2025