Commun ty Matters Parsons Presbyterian Manor
“Believe”
By President and CEO Bruce Shogren As I look forward to the holiday season, one word is key to this season: “believe.” I truly believe in three key people: Jesus Christ, Santa Claus and the employees of the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America system. What could be more important than Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ? I grew up in a church in which every Sunday we would state our belief by reciting the Apostles’ Creed. This belief statement says it all for me and has been the guiding statement throughout my life. It has given me the ability to believe in the power of prayer, which has really been needed daily as my wife was healing in the hospital and at home. This Christmas season, I pray you reflect on that night long ago when Jesus was born and you continue to realize the impact his birth has had on all our lives. My second key belief is in the spirit of Santa Claus. Santa has always been a big part of my family’s Christmas celebrations, dating back to when I was a little one. Santa has always come out of the fireplace in the house I grew up in in Lindsborg, Kansas. But the actual thrill in believing in the spirit of Santa Claus is to be a “Santa Helper.” To see the joy in the eyes of a child when he or she sits on Santa’s lap, to BELIEVE continued on page 2
Christmas cookie recipes bring back fond memories
December 2014
Natalie Lattimore shares some of her favorite Christmas cookie recipes for us to enjoy, along with the stories behind them. Most of us have fond memories of the foods we grew up eating, especially those we enjoy at the holidays. For Natalie, her mother’s peppernuts are one such treat that have her reminiscing. “We grew up near Elbing, Kan., and our neighbors were German Mennonites. My mother got her peppernut recipe from them,” Natalie said. “She’d make them one time a year, and our whole family would eat them. We’d make so many, we’d give them to people for Christmas. My brother is in his 90s, and he’s still making them. I’ve made them for the past 25 years, but won’t be able to this year. They make tiny little cookies, but they’re so tasty. They're crunchy and have so many flavors in them.” Natalie has another story about how she obtained her shortbread recipe. “My husband was Marine in WWII, stationed to train in New Zealand before the fighting began,” Natalie said. “His first Sunday there, he attended service at a Methodist Church, where he met a family with boys around his age. He almost became one of them, they spent so much time together. After he left, they kept COOKIES continued on page 4
Peppernuts These are great for long, cold winter evenings. This makes an enormous amount of peppernuts and they're good for Christmas gifts. 2 teaspoons nutmeg 4 cups sugar 20 cardamom seeds 4 cups sorghum 12 star anise seeds or 1 1⁄2 teaspoons extract 2 cups butter 4 teaspoons cinnamon 2 cups lard 4 teaspoons ground anise 1 cup milk
2 teaspoons ginger 1 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons cloves 3 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a little hot water 1 teaspoon orange peel 1 teaspoon lemon peel Approximately 7 pounds flour
Mix all the ingredients except flour. It helps to add the soda and hot water last. Add flour to make batter. Transfer a small amount at a time to a large mixing bowl and add flour to make a very stiff dough. All together you will use approximately 7 pounds of flour. Roll into long, thin rolls and freeze. Slice and bake them when ready. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.