Kurisumasu Omedeto! Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a very happy, peace-filled, loving holiday. Not all Japanese are Christians but they still celebrate the season of good will. No mattter what your spiritual beliefs, we share the bond of humanity so let us impart good will and best wishes among ourselves during this special time. Personally, I am thankful for the Christmas holiday because I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind and His birth is a blessing without measure! But, if you don't share this belief, please accept my heartfelt wishes for a wonderful time of gathering together family and friends. During periods of economic and political uncertainty, there is always hope for a better future as long as we join together in love and unity.

Just a heads up, I'll be sending out next week's newsletter and recipes early in order to give you ample time to prepare for the coming New Year holiday. But for today...

Here are the latest articles from the Japanese Food site at BellaOnline.com.

Japanese Christmas Cake Recipe
A light sponge cake, filled and frosted with sweet whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit, is the dessert of choice on Christmas Day in Japan.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49431.asp

Cinnamon Kanten Recipe
Kanten is Japanese gelatin. It is much denser than the gelatins of Western cuisine and made from agar-agar sticks.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36057.asp

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Today's Japanese word/phrase: Kurisumasu Omedeto! (coo-ree-soo-ma-soo oh-meh-deh-toe) Send a cheery Japanese greeting to all of your Japanese food-loving friends!

Please visit japanesefood.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Japanese Food.

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http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=357

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Chidori Phillips, Japanese Food Editor
http://japanesefood.bellaonline.com

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