Bena Mae’s Kitchen: It’s not the desitnation…

It’s the fun of getting there.
By now you have probably wrapped up your plans for Christmas dinner, the tree is trimmed, the presents are under the tree, and you’re awaiting the arrival of loved ones from far and near. You are exhausted but happy, anticipating the culmination of all the hard work and planning of a month of shopping and getting prepared for the big day.
It’s a high we experience every year. But after it’s all over, we sometimes experience a hollow feeling and we ask ourselves the question I recall from a song Peggy Lee made famous years ago, “Is That All There Is?”
I’ve always maintained it was the journey, not the destination that makes a trip so enjoyable. You look forward to “getting there,” but sometimes being there is not quite as much fun as the ride. There’s a letdown we didn’t expect. And it’s puzzling because we had hoped to sustain the thrill we felt when we left home.
And so it is when Christmas is over and we have to segue into what we call normal living. But hey, it’s not all gloom and doom.  We’ve made it another year. Plus:  
We still have ESPN and bowl games and 49 sports channels.
We won’t have to listen to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”again until next year.
After Christmas sales.
Oprah’s new television channel.
The kids will go back to school.
And in late February, to the tune of Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem, we will all be singing:
Oh, little Bank Americard, You bring me discontent
 I calculate your int’rest rate is over twelve percent.
 Each month, your cry for payments, my letter-box bombards;
 I’m one more sap, caught in your trap, Next year I’ll just send cards.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

This holiday recipe is sure to be a big hit with the kids. But grownups will love it, too. Don’t serve until ready to drink.

Kids Punch Recipe

20 ounces frozen strawberries, unsweetened
46-ounce can pineapple juice
Lime, orange or pineapple sherbet
Peppermint Sticks

Place frozen strawberries in blender and puree.
In punch bowl, add strawberry puree and pineapple juice.
Pour into punch glasses.
Top with a spoonful of sherbet.
Add peppermint stick in each glass for stir-stick and additional flair.