What is your favorite flavor of the holiday season? Do you love peppermint? Is it any kind of cookie? Does drinking hot chocolate or eggnog by the tree light you up? Then do any and all of it as often as possible!
It’s the time of year where you make or find all kinds of goodies you don’t see the rest of the year. It’s perfect for people like me who love peppermint. In fact, I will be making some of my famous candy cane fudge this weekend. (a recipe I got from my sister. I have to note this or I will hear it from her) It’s usually a big hit. My game night is on Monday and the host has decided to have a little contest on which Christmas treat is the most enjoyable. I have a number of holiday treats in my arsenal but I don’t typically bake this early. But I can whip up this fudge because it should last a bit longer than other treats.
My mainstay, my heavy hitter is homemade Chex mix. I have been making this for about 20 years now. I started making it after I received it one year from the mother of a boyfriend I had at the time. It was so good and I really wanted to keep enjoying it but since me and said boyfriend broke up it was up to me to make it myself. Homemade chex mix is nothing like the stuff you get in the bag. It is so much better! But don’t be mistaken in thinking it is a healthier choice…this dish is full of butter! This is one of the reasons I typically wait until the weekend before Christmas to whip this up because I don’t want it to go stale. So, I will wait for that one.
I also, in the past, have made oreo pops would also stand up for a few weeks. They are also a big hit. They really aren’t that hard to make. It’s an oreo that I dip in white chocolate, put on a stick and decorate with holiday candy embellishments. The big problem with these is they are very inconsistent with the way they turn out. I have made some so beautiful that I could sell them but then there are ones that look so bad I don’t want to eat them myself. So, I was going to scratch those from my list of goodies this year. Hmm, we’ll see though.
I also make these little pretzel bites that don’t really have a name. They are one of those little square pretzels with a rolo candy on top melted and topped off with a pecan. Easy and popular. Do you have a specialty? Tell me on the group page what you churn out every year? Post a picture once you make it!
What about some of the delicious drinks this time of year. Peppermint mocha? Eggnog, yes please. I had a party a few years back and served peppermint martinis. I had to practice my recipe for a few weekends leading up to it to make sure it was just right! Hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows? Bring it on!
Whatever is your favorite this time of year, please start enjoying it. It will only be around for a short time. You don’t have to indulge every day but maybe just the weekends leading up to Christmas. That is what I am trying to do. I’m allowing myself some freedom on the weekends and during the gatherings I have coming up but on the other days, I’m back to chicken and broccoli. It’s about making choices and not going completely crazy so you don’t put on 20 pounds in the month of December like I did a few years ago!
It is cocktail Friday! I hope you have something special planned for the weekend to celebrate the season. Have a fantastic weekend and be safe in whatever you do. And make today, your best day yet!
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