Category: Gifts

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Chex Candy

Whips up quick–and makes a ton…

December 13, 2009 024

Chex Candy

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups corn syrup

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1 box Chex cereal–Rice or Corn or both (1lb. 7 oz)

Cook first three ingredients together to full boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over Chex and mix to coat all pieces. Spread on wax paper to cool.

I’ve heard of people adding dry roasted peanuts, or M&M’s, but we like it in it’s plain, unadulterated form. Call us purists.

December 13, 2009 028

Serves a million and makes them very happy.


Chex Candy
 
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Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 box Chex cereal (1lb. 7 oz)
Instructions
  1. Cook first three ingredients together to full boil.
  2. Boil 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  4. Pour over Chex and mix to coat all pieces.
  5. Spread on wax paper to cool.

 

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Mock Turtles

Go ahead–spend all day making elaborate neighbor treats this Christmas. Yeah, yeah…knock yourself out. Or…

…you could spend just a few minutes–less than ten, in fact and give these tasty treats a whirl. You won’t be sorry.

Mock Turtles

Ingredients:

Rolos (caramel chocolate candy)

Pretzels (grid shaped work best)

Pecan halves

Directions:

Heat oven to about 250 degrees.  Set pretzels on cookie sheet.

Place 1 Rolo candy on each pretzel.

Set in oven only until the chocolate is soft–about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Press 1 pecan half onto each Rolo. Remove from warm pan to cool.

Now, promptly give them all away to your neighbors or you’ll be sorry…or full of pretzels…and pecans…and chocolate…and caramel… There will be no end.

You will love them…

5.0 from 1 reviews
Mock Turtles
 
Print
Ingredients
  • Rolos (caramel chocolate candy)
  • Pretzels (grid shaped work best)
  • Pecan halves
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to about 250 degrees.
  2. Set pretzels on cookie sheet.
  3. Place 1 Rolo candy on each pretzel.
  4. Set in oven only until the chocolate is soft--about 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Press 1 pecan half onto each Rolo.
  7. Remove from warm pan to cool.

 

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Twelve Days of Christmas–Nativity

On December 13th, there are officially 12 days left until Christmas…I know, scary.

So, if you’d like to do the “12 days of Christmas” for someone–there are plenty of fun ways.

My personal favorite approach is the one that has the little nativity pieces and scriptures or verses to go along with it. I found this darling Nativity set at Walgreen’s for only $4.99. At that price–I bought a couple. Please don’t buy an ugly nativity. You’ve seen them–where even the sheep look like they’re being pinched. Cute is so much better.

What you’ll need:

1- 11 or 12 piece Nativity Set

1- Star Ornament

12 Cello bags

Raffia or Curly Ribbon

Small candy treats (optional)

Anyway, so you will pick a neighbor or friend that you would like to give a gift to each night until the 24th of December. Now choose carefully– because if you pick someone that is too far away you may miss a night and that will really screw things up. Someone up the street a few houses is perfect because you can drop off the treat and run. Less chance of getting caught when there’s no car involved. Be sure to let the kids help.

Since each nativity set can be slightly different–you know, one will have a shepherd and donkey and another will have two sheep and a cow–so you have to be flexible. A decent knowledge of the Christmas Story would be helpful as well. I’ve made it easier for you. Just click on the Scripture tags..you’ll see.

Scripture Tags #1

Scripture Tags #2

Scripture Tags #3

Once you’ve chosen your family, you make up the bags. It is so much easier and less stressful if you make all 12 bags in one sitting.

Wrap the ornaments and put one in each bag.

If you choose to add treats make sure you have enough for the family. Try to keep your son from swiping the Cream Savers.

Add curly ribbon or raffia–for fluff. Print and cut out the scripture tags and attach one to the appropriate bag. The order I chose to use was:

Day 1 Joseph

Day 2 Mary

Day 3 Lamb

Day 4 Lamb

Day 5 Angel

Day 6 Manger

Day 7 Ox

Day 8 Wiseman

Day 9 Star

Day 10 Wiseman

Day 11 Wiseman

Day 12 Baby Jesus

Deliver one each night for 12 nights– the last one being baby Jesus on the 24th.

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Christmas Magic and Snoopy Kids

As I’ve mentioned before–magic is a big deal to me. Remember the fairy post? Each time I see the Nutcracker–I’m pretty sure I truly belong in that Sugar Plum place. No, I mean it. Sometime, maybe I’ll tell you how I feel about pixies and Santa and toys coming to life. At some level of sleep deprivation I could probably even give you a pretty convincing speech in defense of the Keebler Elves.

As I’ve said, magic works for me.

Now, of course, I don’t mean the–eye of newt, ‘piece of thine own tongue,’ chicken knuckles, creepy stuff. I’m talking about the–sparkly tinsel, Deck the Halls, new doll plastic smell on Christmas morning –magic. You know…MA-GIC. The whispery, tip-toey kind. The candy cane hot chocolate kind.

The very best kind.


When my kids were tiny, I worked hard to pass that same sense of wonder, that shivery, strangeness on to them–as a personal favor. One reason is because we already have enough grim-reaper moments on this earth, and I personally refuse to give them any more space. But the biggest reason is that it’s just more fun if I’m not the only one in the house bursting into song every time someone rattles a jingle bell.

Way better if we’re all nuts.

Another advantage to having 5 kids who have passed “Magic and Wonder Appreciation- 101” is that while other moms were trying desperately each year, to hide the Christmas presents in a new place (or new  country) that their snoopy children hadn’t discovered yet– I could stack 5 feet of gift boxes in my sewing room with a blanket over them and say, “Don’t peek–you’ll spoil the magic!” Oh, of course they could look if they wanted to, but the feeling was, “Why would you wreck your own Christmas? Magic is better.” My kids swear to this day that it worked…even the boys.

That said, it’s been hard not to post the projects that I’ve been working on this season, but I couldn’t, unless I wanted to spoil my own family’s Christmas. So I’ve come up with a solution. I’ll put them on another page and hang the “Andersonians Beware” sign on the door. Once it’s up–you can peek if you like. But I bet you a million bucks…they won’t.

Because for us…Christmas magic is just better.

PS–So watch for it…a new “door” that will be opening in the next few days.

Look carefully…You’ll see…

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{ The Gift of Christmas }

“Kissing the Face of God” by Morgan Weistling

“Part of the purpose for telling the story of Christmas is to remind us that Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Indeed, however delightful we feel about it, even as children, each year it ‘means a little bit more.’ And no matter how many times we read the biblical account of that evening in Bethlehem, we always come away with a thought—or two—we haven’t had before….

“I, like you, need to remember the very plain scene, even the poverty, of a night devoid of tinsel or wrapping or goods of this world. Only when we see that sacred, unadorned child of our devotion—the Babe of Bethlehem—will we know why… the giving of gifts is so appropriate”

Jeffrey R. Holland