MINDFUL MOMENTS

Christmas comes but once a year and when it does people often get into the "giving spirit." It's more of a blessing to give then to receive and one way to brighten someone's day is to give them cookies made with love. Throughout the world there are countless bakers who create magnificent tasting cookies to share with others during the Christmas season and each country has their own version of a festive Christmas cookies such as: American Peanut Butter Blossom Australian Anzac Biscuit Chinese Almond Cuban Tortica de Navidad French Madeleine Italian Biscotti Polish Kolaczki Swedish Pepparkakor Spread the joy of Christmas with sharing homemade cookies with friends, family, and strangers and together everyone will have "Christmas Cookie Moments."

A dining table at Cracker Barrel Once upon a time my father took mother, brother, and myself on a long drive from Detroit to Florida for our family vacation. My father had heard about the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant and made a point of stopping there for lunch. It was our very first time visiting this classic establishment known for southern homestyle cuisine and what a break it was from being on Interstate 75 for hours and finally having a chance to eat a meal right in Tennessee where the first Cracker Barrel opened in 1969. We didn't know what to expect but we were won over by the charm of the place. There were rocking chairs to sit on at the front entrance and lots of unique items to look at before sitting down to eat at the country store. Once we were seated we ordered all the classic dishes that Cracker Barrel is famous for and ate forkfuls of true southern comfort food. Years have passed by since that August afternoon     in 1988 when I was...