First and foremost, before I get into all my holiday bliss, I have to thank all of you who stopped by the Rust and Shine and purchased one of my cookbooks! Thank you so very much and I hope you enjoy them. Isn’t Rust and Shine a great place to shop? I know I got a few goodies when I was in on Black Friday. It was so good to see some of you too. Thanks again.

Now, let’s get into it!

Out here in the country, there’s magic in the air.

It’s the middle of December, there’s excitement everywhere.

Everyone’s invited, the celebration’s planned

The gift is just what’s in your heart and not what’s in your hand

Who’s the one we need to thank

Who’s the party for

Who’s the one responsible for all this peace and joy

Who deserves the credit for the blessings we enjoy

Preacher said last Sunday it was Joseph and Mary’s boy

Alabama sang it best when they made the song “Joseph and Mary’s boy.” Jesus is the reason for the season, and the joy throughout December makes me smile. Especially watching it through the eyes of a child. My kids get wound up this time of year. Shoot, I get wound up this time of year! Makes me feel like a kid again. Does anyone else still look up in the sky for Santy Claus on Christmas Eve? Or the Christmas star? There is just something magical about Christmas time.

Christmas memories of happy years gone by

They come back to me and keep me warm inside

Still those Christmas memories make me cry

“Christmas Memories” is another song by Alabama that I love. Bet you can’t guess my favorite Christmas album can ya? Haha. I could listen to the 1985 Christmas Album by them over and over again and never get sick of it. Most of you have Christmas memories and traditions you will always remember. That’s what makes Christmas so grand. I can still hear the sound of the needle on the Alabama record playing on the old record player in between songs. The smell of dad’s trains going around the track by the tree came running back to me. The excitement of turning on the candles in the windows at night, delivering cookies to our sweet neighbors, and waiting for that knock on the door as a child on Christmas Eve knowing Uncle Mark Perry would be making his appearance to come see us for his holiday visit that night. What I wouldn’t give to have just one more of those Christmases. Now, my joy is through my kids, which is just as special. I try to give my kids those special traditions, so when they get older, they will remember how much we made Christmas time a special time. This year we started a new tradition on Sunday nights. Most of you know that Sunday nights are our family nights of nachos and cheese. We get to eat in the living room and watch AGT or AFV. Well at Christmas time, none of those shows are on so I had the idea of putting all our names in a hat and we take turns drawing names each Sunday since November. Whoever’s name gets pulled gets to pick the movie, then we all guess what they picked. I believe I have about 48 Christmas movies by the way, so it’s not easy. Once we get all the food on our trays, we sit down and the person who picked turns their movie on. The kids have just had a ball with this. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of drawing names out of a hat, or not knowing the movie until we literally sit down to eat, but my kids beg us to do a night during the week now too. My brother teased me on Thanksgiving saying he would like me to start writing down all my traditions from now till next year. “How many traditions are you up to now sis?”

Listen, I am a tradition nut. Especially when it comes to Christmas. I believe you can’t give your kids enough of the traditions this time of year. They are only little once. Give them a lifetime of wonderful memories and Christmas JOY that they will carry on and remember for decades to come. You are never too old for traditions, and never too old to look up in the sky on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Puppy Chow

Ingredients:
• 8 cups Chex cereal, divided
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup red candy melts
• 1 cup green candy melts
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 2 (gallon-sized) ziplock bags

Directions:

Place 4 cups of Chex cereal in a large bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 cup Red Candy Melts, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, stir and cook in 15 second intervals until smooth. Pour melted peanut butter mixture over cereal, toss to coat. Pour coated cereal into a gallon ziplock bag. Pour half of the powdered sugar (3/4 cup) into a ziplock bag and seal. Shake to coat cereal. Pour coated cereal onto parchment or wax paper and allow to set.

Repeat the process with remaining ingredients and Green Candy Melts.

Store in airtight container.