I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
The family and I enjoyed a lovely Christmas week. No school for the girls and a week off work for the Husband. Woohoo! We've been movie watching, game playing, laughing and spending time together with a big side of treat munching.
Oh my have there been treats!
One of my favorites this Christmas was white chocolate dipped pretzel crisps sprinkled with crushed candy cane.
OH MY WORD!!
These are so good! It's very difficult to eat just one. I really want to eat them all and not share with anyone else! Which was a problem because I had intended to give some as gifts.
Giving bags filled with these little delights was made even more difficult by the fact that the bag of pretzel crisps I bought was more pretzel bits than whole crisps. BAH!
There were exactly 11 whole crisps in the entire bag! The rest were bits and dust. I couldn't believe it.
I called the pretzel company, who shall remain nameless, they assured me this was very unusual. They also promised to send me a coupon for a new bag of pretzel crisps. It was very nice of them. I however still had the problem of no more crisps to dip in chocolate and sprinkle with candy cane bits to give as gifts.
So what does one do when they have nothing but pretzel crisp bits? They make caramel Chex mix instead! That's what I did anyway.
This recipe was given to me by a friend a few years ago. It's almost as good as pretzel crisps dipped in white chocolate with candy cane sprinkles, but you don't feel as guilty about eating it by the handful!
Place 4 cups Corn Chex into a large roasting pan.
Plus 4 cups of Rice Chex or Kix cereal. I like to use Kix.
Then add 3 handfuls of pretzels or in this case I added 3 handfuls of broken pretzel crisps!
You can also add in 3 handfuls of peanuts if you like peanuts, which I do not, so I do not add them.
In a sauce pan combine 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup light corn syrup.
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Allow sugar mixture to boil for 1 and 1/2 minutes.
Pour sugar mixture over Chex mix. Stir and place in a 350˚ oven for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir well.
Place mix back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir, then pour mix onto a counter, I use the kitchen table, to cool. Gently break apart any clumps with a wooden spoon.
You may need to use that spoon to fend off family members who try to swipe the Chex mix while it's still cooling!
A perfect treat for Christmas! Or for watching the big game. Or for New Year's celebrations!
So yummy!
Wishing you plenty of whole pretzel crisps in the new year or at least buckets full of pretzel crisp Chex mix made from any broken bits!
Happy New Year
Christine
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
The valley of the shadow of death. We feel that don't we? Oh sometimes we may forget for awhile, but it returns. The valley is here. It's now.
The valley holds the shadow of illness that threatens to cut a life short. It's the shadow of unexpected tragedy that takes a loved one too soon. It's the shadow of loved ones who, though they lived long lives and blessed many, we are mourning because they are no longer with us. And we each have our own shadow.
Yes, we know the shadow of the valley too well.
Having said goodbye to loved ones the last two Christmases my family has heavy hearts this year. It's the reason for my lack of blogging lately. The words have been lodged behind my heart that is swollen with sorrow. That's alright. I grieve because I loved. I would not trade in love to be free of the grief! But the shadow is dark.
We especially feel the shadow of the valley when we learn the horrific news that a person walked into a school and took the precious lives of so many.
We are keenly aware we're in the valley of the shadow of death then.
But the shadow of death doesn't get the final say.
4 I will fear no evil;
How can that be?
How can we fear no evil?
We want a way to know loss will never happen again! Not to us! Not to those we love! We want loved ones healed! We want them to live long lives! How do we escape this valley of the shadow of death??
We want solutions!
God had this one arrow in His quiver. The only perfect arrow ever to exist, a masterpiece, priceless to Him. Cherished far above all the hosts of heaven. Nothing could compare. His only heritage. His only son. But as God looked on a lost world - desperate and needy and in the clutches of the enemy (in the valley of the shadow of death) - His heart was overwhelmed. Though they had sinned miserably against Him and few sought Him, God created them in love and could not love them less.
Love reached sacrificially into the quiver and pulled forth the solitary arrow. The quiver would now be empty, His cherished arrow in the hands of hateful men. Yes, God so loved the world; but God also loved His only begotten Son with inexpressible, divine affection. The divine dilemma: two loves. And one would demand the sacrifice of the other. He positioned the weapon, pulled back the bow, steadied His grip, aimed straight for the heart: "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger."
Oh what unfathomable love! What sacrifice! All who will lower their shields of unbelief and let the healing arrow penetrate shall be saved! - Beth Moore from Breaking Free
Saved! Rescued! Loved beyond compare! The purpose and meaning of Christmas! No need to fear evil!
Heart weary? Yes!
In need of still waters and green pastures in the midst of the valley? YES!
But no need to fear!
4 for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cups runs over!
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Psalm 23
The valley may seem long. It may get very deep. It may make our hearts heavy and weary. But we will not remain in the valley forever.
When shields are dropped and love penetrates our hearts with the arrow of saving grace, our final destination is to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever!
Christine
I've taken up knitting.
I tried knitting a few years ago. I gave it up. I think I started with a project that was too difficult and took too long. I may have needed some instant craft project gratification. I know, I know, we are a nation of people who are constantly looking for instant gratification and it's not good. However, for a hobby, I think it's excusable. Right?
Anyway...
This fall I decided to try again. I decided to try an easier project. Yes, I went for the instant gratification.
I started with this simple cowl. Not bad.
Then I made this one. Nice!
And this one! A handsome cowl for my handsome guy!
Then these two!! Looking good!
Now I'm hooked! I can't stop! Knitting is my new obsession passion! And with all of the great tutorials that can be found online, it's been easy to learn.
I found the patterns/tutorials for these cowls at Knit and Bake and Tentenknits.
I also follow The Purl Bee, where I've found several knitting projects I hope to try once I'm over my need for instant craft project gratification. You know, when I'm willing to work on something that may take longer to complete. I expect that will be anytime now. Yep, anytime.
For the time being, I'm excited to have covered everyone in cowls. Perfect timing too as we just enjoyed a lovely snow day yesterday receiving 10 inches of snow and now it's cold outside.
Yippee!
Well, back to my basket of yarn!
Happy Monday!
Christine
