Holiday Fun with Jess Granger

I first discovered Jess on Nalini Singh’s website when she wrote a poem to get Tejan the Rat Alpha his own book. I then had to know more about her so I started stalking her on twitter. We then bonded over our love of all things Psy/Changling, mostly our unrequited love of Tejan (her) and Vasic (me). When I was putting this together I asked her if she wanted in, when she told her family’s Christmas tradition I HAD to have her on. So here she is sharing her Christmas tradition. 

Hi everyone,

And a happy holidays of course!  I love Christmastime.  I’ve been a big fan obviously since I was a kid, but the feeling has lasted well into my adult life.  I think part if it is because my birthday is December 15th, and so it feels like all my big party time for the year is wrapped up in one crazy half of a month.  But I think the other reason that Christmas always makes me feel like a kid is because my family raised our geek flag and flew it proud every Dec. 25th.  We always got all the formalities out of the way on Christmas eve, like the big dinner and dressing up, being formal and all that.  On Christmas day, there was a very simple agenda.

1. Wake up at some ghastly hour in the morning.
2. Retrieve our stockings, and behold the goodies within.
3. Wait for Grandma to come over.
4. Unleash our pent up excitement on the presents.
5. Drink hot chocolate. (Just don’t accidentally pick up Mom’s mug)
6. Watch the entire Star Wars trilogy.  (And yes, I’m old, we stick to the original trilogy.)

Notice “get dressed” is not found on this list.  We spent the entire day up to our pajama-clad necks in wrapping paper and our new goodies while watching the Rebel Alliance do battle with Darth Vader.  So, in honor of our family tradition… Here’s ten ways Star Wars is really just like Christmas.

1. Christmas is always more fun with something that whistles and beeps in a way that would ensure parental madness within twenty minutes.  (Here’s looking at you, R2-D2.)
2.  Santa depends on short little guys to fix up his toys.  (Jawas anyone?)
3. Really it’s all about a wise old man with a white beard giving people exactly what they’ve always wanted. (Thank you Obi-Wan for the gift that keeps on giving, light sabers.)
4. Honestly, what is Christmas without the family drama? (I have to save the beautiful princess, but wait, she’s really my sister! And the Darth Vader is my father?!? Why didn’t anyone tell me?)
5. If you’re sneaky enough, you know where your parents hide all the presents.  (They’re in the smuggling compartments below the floor panels in the Millennium Falcon)
6. Santa’s sleigh is really fast. (But can it do the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs?)
7. It’s always better when it is a white Christmas. (And it is always white on Hoth.)
8. Judge a present by it’s size, do you? (Yeah, don’t underestimate Yoda either.)
9. You get to hang out in a robe all day. (Which I’m pretty sure qualifies you to become a Jedi Knight.)
10. Christmas is the time for peace on Earth and good will toward all. (Which is why we must destroy the Death Star and overthrow the evil Emperor to restore peace to the Galaxy.)

So, with that in mind, please enjoy this old family recipe. It has been passed down in the family for four generations now, and is lovingly called, “Grandma Gertrude Cookies.”

1 cup of soft, but not melted butter
2 cups of packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3.5 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter sugar and eggs.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  Stir in the chopped nuts.  Spread out an 18 in length of plastic wrap.  Place a ball of dough in the center of the plastic wrap and shape it into a long skinny loaf about 1.5 in by 1.5 in by 12 in. (That doesn’t have to be exact.) Wrap the loaf tightly in the plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours.  Slice the dough into quarter-inch thick cookies. Place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the edges start looking golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!

Have a very Happy Holiday season, and a wonderful New Year.

Oh, and may the force be with you,

Jess