Santa's Elves

...have been very busy at my house! Amazingly enough, we have not had anything to do the last two nights so we've been making goodies. I think, over the last few years, we've created some Christmas traditions when it comes to the candy/sweets we make this time of year.

When I was growing up, my mom made peanut butter balls and divinity every year. She started making a killer fruitcake about 10 or 15 years ago that is my all-time favorite now. It takes 30 days and you stir or add something to it everyday. Simply delish, I tell ya! Richard and I fight over it til the last crumb is gone.

As an adult, I've made pb balls only a handful of times. They are yummy but really a pain in the tush to make. About 3 years ago, I discovered that my kids can do all the work...ummmm, I mean enjoy the process and help create them!! Now, if I can just keep them from eating them until we give them to our teachers and neighbors! We've also been dipping pretzel rods for the last few years. So easy and such a great presentation. Of course, I've posted pictures from our sugar cookie extravaganza. We'll probably make those again since Josh missed out and they are already all gone!
These are sugared pecans. This is my first year to make them but I wanted something not dipped in chocolate to put in the baskets! Very easy to make but I learned a valuable lesson: Take them off the cookie sheet while they are warm. They cool and stick - like cement - to the pan!
yuuuuuummmmmmmmmm...peanut butter balls. These won't last long.

Then our chocolate-dipped pretzel rods. I have little metal buckets that I will fill and give to Roman's teachers. I'll pop in a $5 Sonic gift card, tie on some cute ribbon and that will be that! Josh is WAY too cool to take anything to his teachers. He might "just die" of embarassment if I were to take some up to the jr. high! (thinking that one over...tee hee!)

The temps here haven't gotten above freezing for 2 days. No snow - just cold. So while we've been making candy, we've had the fireplace going and had some crazy Yahtzee games. I haven't won and my super-competitive self is in overdrive. Tonight - we play Wahoo. I don't always win but I get great satisfaction whacking those marbles and sending someone back to their start!!

Happy Hump-Day!

B.