Menifee Foodie: It’s All About the Love

By Malissa Meeks

As I sit here in my kitchen after a full day of Christmas baking, I ponder the reason I did all of this baking. First let me offer a little background of why I have been baking all day.

My husband asked me if I could put together a few “goodies” for him to give to some of his co-workers. I said of course I would and started planning. (I am a total planner).

I planned out how many items I would be making for these “few” friends at work and got the shopping list ready. On Monday I asked my husband for a head count so that I would have enough Christmas tins, loaded with homemade goodies, ready for him to take to work on Wednesday. When he gave me the final number, I almost had a heart attack. I was watching him count out the “few” friends and when the fingers on both hands were used, I was surprised to say the least. He needs 15 Christmas tins loaded up with goodies.

Yesterday I shopped and today I have spent the entire day in the kitchen cooking a variety of goodies, some of traditional items and some new items. Now I am looking at the 15 empty Christmas tins and getting ready to load them up.

Why do we do this? Christmas is the busiest time of the year, yet we take time out of our busy schedules, money out of our budget and do service and good deeds for others.

I guess the answer is one of the reasons for the season. It’s all about the love. I don’t know all of the people my husband will be giving these Christmas tins to, but I know my husband loves his co-workers and this is his way of showing it. I love my husband, so I bake and bake for him.

I will be putting together a few tins for some of my friends and neighbors we really care about. So even though I am exhausted from all of the cooking that was done here today, it was a great feeling to do this and share some love.

One of my daughters was here with me helping out. What a great time we have had working together. This daughter has a one-month-old baby and her husband is deployed. He left when the baby was 8 days old. You can bet that some of these treats will be heading his direction.

So during this busy season if you have not already done so, take some time to do something for others that they will appreciate. I guarantee it will make your Christmas season better.

Merry Christmas to all of my fellow foodies.

Malissa Meeks is a mother of seven who knows her way around the kitchen. By her estimate, she has prepared more than 42,000 meals over the years. She also knows what she likes in a good restaurant. Her column appears here every week. Leave comments here or email them to menifee247info@gmail.com.