There's so much to love about the week of Christmas. For me and my family, it's full of traditions that I look forward to each year. From Christmas baking to watching my favorite Christmas movies, these are my favorite days of the entire Christmas season. Here are a few of my favorite traditions:
Christmas Baking
My favorite treat to bake at Christmas time is rice krispie treats. I always bake a fresh batch a few days before Christmas, because we would always leave them for Santa on Christmas Eve. What I love about this recipe is that it has vanilla candy coating in it. Here's the recipe.
- 4 cups of large marshmallows
- 1/4 cup of butter or margarine
- 4 squares of vanilla candy coating
- 6 cups of rice krispies cereal
Simply melt the first three ingredients together in the microwave for two minutes then take it out to stir. Then put the mixture back in the microwave for one and a half minutes or until the mixture is melted. Then stir in rice krispies cereal. Then press mixture into a pyrex dish. They're soooo good!
Christmas Movies
The week of Christmas, I tend to cram in as many Christmas movies as possible. I love the classics, like A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life. My all time favorite has to be Elf. But this year, I watched something that definitely is on my top favorites list. It's a TLC special called The Secret Santa. If you haven't seen it yet, you must watch it! I don't want to give any of it away, but it is SO good. I cry through it every time I watch it haha. Here's a little clip!
Gift Wrapping
I always wait until the week of Christmas to wrap gifts. I hate being behind, but I feel like I spend so much time shopping for the perfect gifts that I put off the wrapping until the very last minute. I love getting creative with cute gift wrap. Here are a few of my favorite ideas from Pinterest.
Cheese Fondue
Each Christmas Eve after attending the Christmas Eve service with my family, we have cheese fondue for dinner. It's a tradition my grandmother started 30+ years ago, and it is something to look forward to each year. I can remember hating it when I was young and my grandmother would always cook bagel bites for everyone who didn't like the fondue. But now I love it and can't wait to eat it on Wednesday.
Delivering Gifts
The week of Christmas, we always deliver the neighbor gifts. Last year, I had Jaycee (my trusty "reindog" haha) help me deliver them :)
Christmas Brunch
On Christmas day, my Mama always cooks a Christmas brunch. It is always a treat to look forward to! Along with several different breakfast casseroles, she always makes monkey break and french toast. My favorite casserole she makes is a sausage and grits casserole. Here's the recipe, if you're interested in trying it out:
- 1/2 Cup uncooked grits
- 2 Pounds mild bulk sausage
- 4 Cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 Eggs, beaten
- 1 Cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Cook and drain sausage, set aside. Cook grits as per directions on package. Mix cheese and grits in a large mixing bowl. Combine eggs, milk, thyme, and garlic salt in a medium bowl. Add a small amount of hot grits and mix well, then add to grits and cheese. Mix well and pour into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
One other thing that I always look forward to is attending the Christmas Eve service with my family. It is such a special time, remembering that Jesus is the true reason for the season.
What are some of your favorite things about the week of Christmas?
Stay Tuned!
