Green Christmas: Stir up a solution by baking

The crunch to Christmas has arrived. So why not bite back? Dust off a few cookbooks and pans, and fire up the old kitchen hearth.

You don’t have to be able to drizzle frosting in perfect poinsettia shapes to crank out some perfectly respectable edible gifts. Plenty of candy and cluster recipes can be made using only the microwave and the most basic of kitchen utensils.

Baking, to warm a cold winter day, might use a little electricity or gas. But it should add up to fewer resources than go into the creation of purchased goodies. Not to mention, it can yield some affordable, thoughtful ,not to mention appreciated, gifts.

For the extra energy conscious, and those in search of a better upper-body workout, use a manual mixer or whisk instead of blender or electric mixer. And don’t forget to enlist the help of any idle hands in the house.