I am a Christian, BUT I have to say if behavior demonstrates beliefs; then you could be forgiven for thinking that what Christmas means to me is a shopping list!

I am changing. Had enough! Enough already, as my New York friends say. This year we celebrated Advent- not bad for Brethren Boy (husband) and Baptist girl (me). We aren't big on anything hat smacks of established church. Maybe our fore-parents wanted to make it clear that we weren't .........................................(fill in the blanks as to your personal choice of established faith). I am descended from Amish on one side and French Huguenots on the other. 

What has this got to do with baking? Everything.

I reflected on my actual behavior around this season, and decided to make changes. BB (husband) and I attended a beautiful Advent Service to kick off the season. It’s a big deal to forgive the Anglicans for hundreds of years of persecution; but don't they do a great Christmas service?!

We focused on the light in dark places I was a little concerned lest I burn the hair of the person sitting RIGHT in front of me at St Andrews as we all held our candles in the night, singing Silent Night. We came out of that service with not a little awe; and wondering what we missed all these years when we skipped this season to head to the High Streets. (Main Street, but the UK English gets the alliteration)

And for presents....we are not stoics. We love presents! I think my husband actually has a spiritual gift when it comes to presents. And I was bold to ask for my present from him this year: six cooking lessons!

I am married to someone who was/is a European Master Chef before it was a television program and I am honoured that he agreed. What you see above is my first effort at real bread making. My life is transformed in an entire area of creativity! He is a patient teacher and we have fun in the kitchen-never thought that would happen as his standards are high, high,, high. 

Now here is the Cross Cultural bit: my husband is teaching me baking using a scale. I am happy with this when it comes to learning his remarkable recipes.....but I am firmly holding on to my measuring cups when it comes to bringing out the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas cookies. Years and years ago, when I first started this expat life; you couldn't just buy those American items at your local grocers or dry goods store. I carried them lovingly in my carry on luggage across the Atlantic. It's a memory of my nomadic life, and I'm sticking to them-except for when Master Chef demonstrates his next lesson.

Contributed by Kathleen McAnear Smith, speaker and author of Parents on the Move and Beyond Broken Families. Kathleen divides her time between Florida, the UK and Italy and blogs atKathleenMcAnearSmith.com