Christmas Cooking

I have been cooking up a storm this week getting ready for Christmas. I have made cinnamon rolls that turned out SO GREAT!!! (Dumb me, I forgot to get a picture before we got them all passed out.) The recipe made 8 pans. Two are in my freezer for Christmas morning and the other six have been delivered to some of our Church family. I have never been much of a baker, but these turned out so good they will probably become a tradition for me. Kudos to the Pioneer Woman for the AWESOME (and easy to follow) recipe!

I got the idea for these little babies from My Messy, Thrilling Life, a new blog I stumbled across while looking for a recipe for Crock pot Candy. What a cute, fun blog she has!!! Yes, you read that right: this is called Crock pot Candy. It couldn't be easier or more delish. I changed up the recipe a little to fit what I had. Here is how mine went down:

Lori's Crock Pot Candy

3/4 of a 12 oz. can of unsalted peanuts (because that is all I had in the can)
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
About 4 blocks of chocolate candy coating (because it was left over from something else I made)
1 bag of butterscotch chips
1 bag of white chocolate chips
Half a package of white candy coating (again, leftover)

Layer all of this in your crock pot (in the order listed - the nuts being on the bottom gives them a wonderful roasted taste!) Turn your crock pot on low, put the lid on it and leave it for 2 hours. Now, this was HARD for me because I am a stirrer. But the recipe I read said just leave it, so I did. After two hours stir it all together. I found great pleasure in this step. Watching all of the different colored chips meld together was quite satisfying for this stirrer. Turn off the crock pot and let it cool for about 10 minutes; then drop by heaping spoonfuls on waxed paper. This made about 75 pieces.

The recipes I read called for more nuts but I like how mine turned out. I do not see how you could mess this up. Please try it!!! My mother-in-law is having a candy swap at her house for Christmas so I hope they all like these little jewels as much as I do!!!

Here's the only part of Christmas cooking that I dislike... Off to do the dishes.

What are you cooking for Christmas?

A Special Visitor

JC's class had a special visitor at their Christmas Party today! The kids (and teachers) were so happy Santa was able to stop by while he was in Tupelo on special Christmas business. For some reason, JC thought Santa looked, and even sounded, like his Daddy. I don't see the resemblance. :)
How could I resist a picture with Old St. Nick?! I promise I have been a good girl this year, Santa!
Thanks for stopping by JC's school, Santa! We love you!!!

Mary Did you Know?

A beautiful video set to a beautiful song. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas Season!

Look What I Got!!!

I got an early Christmas present tonight. Actually our whole family did, but I got to enjoy the surprise. While I was gone to my BUNCO Christmas party, Curtis and JC went to Sam's where the Nativity set I have been eyeing was on CLEARANCE - yes, can you believe it? So, Curtis being the bargain lover that he is, snatched it right up! We LOVE Sam's!

It is a beautiful set, and we are happy to finally have one in our home.

Oh, and here is the fourth wise man bringing Baby Jesus a train to play with. How much do you love this boy?!!!

Tupelo Christmas Parade

Our family loves the parade and this year it did not disappoint!!!

Not sure what is up with JC's chipmunk teeth here. Funny boy!

Partlow Dancers. Now, these ladies have got some moves!!! If you have seen them perform you know what I am talking about.
Look at these balloons from Renesant Bank. I felt like I was at the Macy's Parade. Pretty Cool!!!

Here come my Girl Scouts. Didn't they look great!!! They were Christmas Mice and brought home the 1st place trophy for walking groups! Go girls!!!

The Boy Scouts were scouting for food during the parade so JC ran out to give them our food items we had brought.

Curtis' favorite entry (and mine - after the Girl Scouts ;) was the Hobo High Steppers Beverly Hillbillies float. It was great. My picture does not do it justice.

Of course, JC's favorites were the Super Heroes. I was worried that Spiderman was going to fall. He was just standing on top of this van. Good balance I guess.

FUN MORNING!!!

Christmas Quiz

I snatched this from The Crabbs' blog. Cut and paste this onto your own email or blog to share with friends and see how others celebrate!

1. Where will you spend Christmas this year?
Eupora and Tupelo (and a lot of time on the Natchez Trace)

2. What is Santa (hopefully) bringing you? What is he bringing your spouse and kids?
me - a new cell phone; Curtis - can't say (in case he reads this); JC - a bike, movies anda few toys

3. How do you celebrate Christmas Eve?
During the day we usually do Christmas with Curtis' family and then try to see our friends Teresa and Jonathan and other scattered family members. That evening we we go to a Communion as a family with my parents and my brother's family and then we go back to Mom and Dad's to do our gifts to all of them! Then, it's a late drive back to Tupelo, putting out cookies and milk for Santa and getting into bed.

4. What Christmas activities are you looking forward to this year?
A Girl Scout Christmas event at camp, the Reed's Christmas Parade downtown, Christmas morning, singing Christmas hymns at Church.

5. What is your typical Christmas Day dinner?
Ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, hash brown casserole, ambrosia salad, lots of yummy desserts.

6. What is your typical Christmas Eve meal?
Hmmm... It varies. Sometimes we grill steaks, sometimes it is sandwiches and finger foods. Not sure what we will be doing this year.

7. Is your Santa Claus wrapped or unwrapped?
As a kid it was always unwrapped. For JC it is about half and half. The big items are unwrapped so they are the first thing he sees. Some of the smaller things are wrapped though.

8. How do you decorate for Christmas?
Our tree is huge with a wide variety of ornaments. Everything from homemade childhood crafty ones to Christopher Radko ornaments. We always did white lights until two years ago, and I LOVE the look of the colored lights we use now!!!

9. Fake tree or live tree?
Artificial.

10. White lights or colored lights?
Colored

11. Favorite Christmas song?
Hymns - "Away in a Manger" and "O Holy Night"
Contemporary - "All I Want for Christmas is You" and "Jingle Bell Rock"

12. Favorite Christmas memory?
Christmas Eve spent with all of my dad's family together in my grandparents' small living room.

13. Do you love Christmas or just pretend to?
WHAT???? Who pretends to love Christmas. I LOVE IT!!!

14. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate

15. Colored lights or white?
Again, really? Colored

16. What kind of cookies do you leave Santa?
If we made any cookies we leave those, but usually it is OREOS. He likes those best!!!

17. Favorite Christmas gift of all time?
Oh, that is a hard one... One that sticks out to me is the bright red Barbie convertible

18. What tops your tree?
An angel dressed in silver

19. Favorite Christmas movie?
Home Alone, The Santa Clause, Elf, A Christmas Story - We LOVE them all!!!

20. Favorite ornament?
The Radko Braveheart that memorializes 9/11

21. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Most of our gifts except for Santa and the ones to Curtis and I from each other are done on Christmas Eve.

22. Worst Christmas gift ever received?
There was one a couple of years ago that I won't mention...

23. Are you still buying presents on Christmas Eve?
No, but I cannot say the same for my husband...

24. Most annoying thing about the Christmas season?
The stress of having so many divided sets of family to get around to see. I love seeing them all, but it makes it stressful that it has to be split up so many ways...

25. Favorite thing about the Christmas season?
Christmas morning with my two best guys and seeing the joy of Christmas on my baby's face!

Saturday Night Fever - Robertson Style

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Robertson Christmas Hoedown

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