Lifestyle

Dear Amy: I am a physician and live far away from my family. My niece has a 3-year-old daughter.

Crunchy cheese wafers are buttery and crispy like cheese straws with the crunch supplied by Rice Krispies. These little morsels are totally addictive and make the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Bet you can’t eat just one!

Many decades ago, I begged for a particular brand of stand mixer for Christmas. I had read about it, used one in a neighbor’s kitchen, knew all the tasks it could instantly help me with and wanted it in bright green. My friends thought I had lost it! But that vibrant green stand mixer is still going strong and there is not a week that goes by that I don’t use it and smile.

Dear Amy: I am struggling with the fact my husband’s family refuses to get vaccinated. These unvaccinated family members are also traveling across multiple state lines right before the holidays.

Dear Heloise: I’m having a debate with my mother-in-law concerning blackstrap molasses and regular molasses. She says they are not the same thing, but I think they are the same thing. Which of us is correct?

In ice skating, a triple salchow (an airborne move that propels skaters upward off the back inside edge of one skate and has them land on the back outside edge of the other) was first done by American Robbie Robertson at the 1955 World Championships. Canadian Petra Burka and several other women are credited in the early 1960s with the first by a female.

Branson, nestled in the scenic Missouri Ozarks, pulls out all the stops when it comes to Christmas. From the first week in November, the entire town lights up with decorations virtually everywhere you look, including more than 1,500 decorated trees and drive-through lighting displays. The biggest show in town is Silver Dollar City, a re-created 1880s Ozarks town featuring millions of lights, live holiday entertainment, seasonal foods, thrill rides and craftsmen demonstrating their skills. h Many of Branson’s 100 live shows, performed at 40 theaters, offer special productions just for the holidays. Other family favorites include a skating rink that rivals the one at New York City’s Rockefeller Center, the annual Adoration Parade celebrating the birth of Christ, a ride on Branson Scenic Railway’s Polar Express and shopping (including the best fruitcake you’ll ever taste, made by students at the College of the Ozarks). h Add Branson’s small-town friendliness, lodging options in all price ranges and the fact that Branson is within a day’s drive of one-third the U.S. population, and it’s easy to see why November through December is one of Branson’s most popular seasons.

Dear Amy: Am I racist? A couple of teenagers were at my front door, and I shouted to my husband: “Hey, there are some Black kids at the door, and I don’t have time to deal with them.” Kids at the door in my neighborhood are usually selling something or are looking for yard work. My biracial future daughter-in-law was present when I did this and took offense.

Actress Selena Gomez, singer-songwriter Zayn Malik and actress Emma Stone have spoken frankly about their battle with anxiety. They’re part of the 40 million Americans who contend with anxiety disorders – and the millions of others who have intermittent anxiety. A 2021 poll found that 41% of Americans felt more anxious this year than last.

Dear Readers: When we take holiday trips, our vehicles are packed with gifts, food and plenty of luggage. If you are staying in a hotel, safety experts recommend that you remove everything from the car, including your belongings and luggage, and take it to your room. Your vehicle could be stolen or robbed. And it is possible that you might not recover any of these special items. – Heloise