.. And Christmas comes anyway

Every year at Christmastime, I have to think of my mom’s words, “and Christmas comes anyway”. You want to get this and that done, everything should be nice and clean, beautifully decorated, cookies baked, and the nativity scene set up; everything should be perfect for the guests, and you want time for yourself and your family too. But life isn’t that perfect, and you don’t manage to do everything you’ve planned, and something gets left by the wayside. My mom stays calm and says, when she sees me rushing around, “and Christmas comes anyway”.

YES, she’s right, and these words give me the strength to get the essentials done, not to take it so tragically, to smile now and then, and simply be grateful for everything I have.

And there are also Christmases you can’t face cheerfully and would rather skip, times you can barely endure emotionally, especially when something terrible has happened in the family, someone has fallen ill, or you simply feel helpless. You can barely muster the strength to strike up “Silent Night” and feel very, very sad. And yet Christmas comes, my mom would also say in these difficult times. Together, you can get through these hard days and hours more easily and look forward again. I am truly happy for anyone who has never experienced such a Christmas, because it is very hard to bear this beautiful holiday in such a state of mind.

Today, though, I want to focus on the beautiful and joyful things – the preparations for Christmas and our mom. She is a very special person to us kids and Tati; she keeps her courage despite life not always being easy, and she gives confidence and joy to everyone. Just a good mom, really. She has taught us so much – including a love for baking bread.

I also learned the following recipe from my mom – apple bread. Alongside Kletzenbrot, I really love baking this recipe, and above all, it can be made without sourdough or yeast dough and is perfectly suited for any home oven.

Apple bread recipe:

1.5 kg grated juicy apples, 500 g raisins, 300 g hazelnuts or walnuts, 500 g figs, 1/8 l rum, 500 g sugar, 1 packet of vanilla sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon allspice (or gingerbread spice), a little grated orange and lemon zest. Mix everything in a bowl the day before and cover with a lid so the alcohol doesn’t evaporate. Mix 1000 g wheat flour, 2 packets of baking powder, and a pinch of salt, and add to the other mixture. Then quickly shape into small loaves or braids, let them rest for a bit, place a cup of water on the baking sheet, spray the bread with water if needed, and put it in the oven. You can also use loaf pans and bake at 170-190°C, depending on the oven, for 1 to 1.5 hours.

It brings me joy and relaxation to bake bread right before the holidays and give it as gifts to those who appreciate homemade goods.

Have fun baking and finding joy in everyday life, because “Christmas comes anyway”. Your farmer, Katharina.