I've decided to start a new tradition this year after almost three years of this "blog" thing (wow... I started this in 2005) I'm doing an end of the year wrap up and you'll see my nice "New Year's Resolutions" come morning.
These are a slightly tart change from the usual super sweet cookies at Christmas time. They taste best with fresh lemon, you can get lemon zest by scraping the yellow part of the rind off the lemon - try not to get the white part, that's bitter. Or you can cheat and buy it in the …
This is a very unusual chex mix variant, both savory and sweet. I make it to "use up" the leftover cereal after making the other varieties.
This was actually going to be made before my adventures in chex mix, but my son broke my candy thermometer and I had to wait until I had time to buy a new one.
This is also known as "Muddy Buddies" or "Puppy Food" but we've always called it dog chow. I only make this with Crispix cereal, Chex mix just doesn't seem right (and doesn't have as "dog food" of a shape)
The age old stuff that your mom always made and is still great to munch on - keep out of reach of children, it won't last long.
Ah, the chex mix variations brigade. My kids love this stuff, made from roasted cereal with butter and seasonings. I make several versions of it, traditional, ranch, and Moroccan (sweet and fruity). You can make it in the microwave, but it's so much better in the oven. However, it's not really kid safe if you're making …
Ah, traditional hard candy. Pure sugar with some flavoring and food coloring, but kids love to suck on it (and it makes the whole house smell like peppermint) Like other candies, have everything ready before you start cooking, and don't let kids help with this, also be careful, we don't want any burns!
This is hard butter toffee, not the gooey kind (which is more like hard caramel) This is also deadly, anyone left alone with a bag will devour it all. It is probably my husband's favorite Christmas sweet. This is another candy, so a good candy thermometer is essential. Also this is not something children should be …
Ah, yummy gooey caramels, the kind that stick to your teeth and taste great! Warning- to make great caramels you need to follow the directions carefully, and have a good candy thermometer. This is also not something you should make around kids, you'll be dealing with very hot temperatures.
These have always been a favorite of my brother, Joshua. They take very few ingredients and are fun to make with kids.
It's a Christmas tradition in my family to bake. All that Mennonite and Amish background bubbles to the surface around holidays. I enjoy making a different "sweet" every day the entire month of December.
Dreaming of Dawn









