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Gratitude Offered In Prayer For Gifts

Merri Lou Dobler Staff writer

It’s the wonder of Christmas. We serve eggnog, slice the turkey and savor the fudge. It is a most blessed season.

There are those in our lives whose hearts twinkle as brightly as any Christmas tree. They are there when we need them, and often we cannot find the words to thank them. I’d like to recognize one group of people who exemplify generosity during a time of difficulty.

It was last July. Two parents, a pharmacist and a radiology technician, faced the tragic death of their teenage son.

You cannot wrap grief in a tidy little package and put it away to return to work. It takes time to experience the shock and the pain of losing a precious life that means more to you than anything.

The couple’s co-workers knew this. They stepped forward and approached the human resources departments at the hospitals where they worked, Sacred Heart Medical Center and Deaconess Medical Center. They offered to donate their vacation time to allow the parents time to grieve without worrying about financial difficulty.

Pooling vacation hours to help others in need is a measure that some businesses use, yet it is a little more poignant in a hospital, where people are constantly reminded of the fragility of life.

A nod of appreciation to you folks at Deaconess and Sacred Heart.

So share your holiday goodies, offer a prayer for those grieving a loss this Christmas and give thanks to your fellow human beings for a season - and a year - of giving.

Smoked Turkey and Cranberry Gourmet Pizza

From “Easy Holiday Recipes” (Pillsbury, 1997).

1 (10-ounce) Italian bread shell

1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup sliced green onion, white and green parts

1-1/3 cups low-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 pound smoked deli turkey, cut into thin strips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place bread shell on an ungreased baking pan. Spread cranberry sauce evenly over bread shell. Sprinkle with green onion and cheese. Top with turkey.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 529 calories, 16 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), 34 grams protein, 58 grams carbohydrate, 62 milligrams cholesterol, 746 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Five and Fifteen