In the Holiday Spirit by Syndi Powell




I have to admit that I've been bitten by the Holiday bug this year. I am excited about the upcoming holidays and have been counting down the days until I can put up my Christmas tree and play carols on the radio. For me, the kickoff to Christmas is Thanksgiving. Until then, I can hope and plan, but the holidays don't become real until the fourth Thursday of November.

After last year when I didn't feel up to celebrating much of anything, this year is going to be different. I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family. To go Christmas shopping and wrap gifts. I can't wait to bake Christmas cookies and stay up late on Christmas Eve to catch a peek of Santa. To wake up on Christmas morning with a sense of expectation. And then to celebrate the past year on New Year's Eve and look forward to the upcoming year.

I've been given a second chance at embracing life, and I intend on making this holiday season the most memorable by filling it with love and joy. I have had amazing blessings this year and look forward to what the next year holds.

Since I'm in a sharing mood, here is my favorite Christmas cookie recipe for Chinese New Year Cookies:
12 oz chocolate chips
12 oz butterscotch chips
6 oz can of chow mein noodles
14.5 oz can of salted peanuts
Melt chips over low heat. Remove pan from heat and slowly stir in chow mein noodles and peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls on to wax paper. Let harden then chill or freeze. I usually keep these in the freezer until an hour before serving.



Whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope they are filled with joy and love this year. Hold your loved ones close and may we find peace on Earth.

What recipes do you always make for the holidays or what traditions do you hold on to?

Comments

  1. Oh, yum, those look good! I'm excited for the holidays this year, too, but my mind hasn't gone past Thanksgiving, when our whole family will be together for the first time in longer than I want to think about. I'm so happy you're having a celebratory time this season!

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    1. Yay for the family getting together! Enjoy the day and your family :)

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  2. Don't tell any, Syndi, but I've already decorated our house for Christmas. I had the autumn decorations up since September 1st, so come November 1st, up to the attic we went. I love when the house is decorated for the holidays, it feels so safe and cozy.
    Those cookies look delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Enjoy the season!

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    1. Jill, the cookies are delicious. I've made them every year (except for last year) for almost 2 decades.
      I love a house decorated for Christmas. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

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  3. Suddenly, I am in the mood for Christmas, too! Yes, those cookies look delicious.

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  4. Syndi, so glad you are excited about the holidays this year. I'm panicking because I feel really behind. Aaak! I actually remember having those cookies at a gathering several years ago and thought they were so yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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    1. Roz, how can you be behind already? LOL. I hope you enjoy the season and all the joy it brings.

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  5. So glad your celebrating this year, Syndi! :) And that recipe looks amazing. Love the sweet and salty combo!

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    1. Rula, I'm a sweet and salty kind of girl so I love these cookies. Have a great holiday!

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  6. The recipes change for us from year to year except one tradition doesn't....Christmas Eve pizza! Hubby makes the crust with the kids before church and they each craft their own personal pizzas for afterwards. Such fun!

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  7. Wow! Those cookies look yummy! I've been in the Christmas mood for some time now. :-) Only it's hard to believe it's almost here! Thanksgiving next week...Christmas a month later. Whew, this year flew by!

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    1. Patricia, this year did fly by! I remember as a kid that the time between going back to school and Thanksgiving break took forever. Now, I blink and it's here. LOL. Have a great holiday.

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  8. Syndi! Congratulations on your resilience and positive attitude! Hope your holiday season is spectacular and blessed. I had a friend who made those cookies every year and I loved them! Sounds like my kind of cooking - melt this, mix that, put it on a pan.

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    1. Muriel, I'm pretty bad at measuring things accurately so if it's add a bag of this to a can of that, I'm in! And they taste great. Have a blessed holiday as well.

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  9. Syndi, You are such an inspiration to us all. It's so hard to go through what you did and come out on the other end with an amazing positive attitude. Good For you! My hat's off to you. Thank you for sharing this recipe. My mother used to make these for us and I lost the recipe. From year to year she'd change them up, sometimes adding chopped dates or raisins. Which I loved because they tasted like a Chunky candy bar. Sinfully delicious. God bless you and keep the books coming. I love them!

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    1. Catherine, thank you for your kind words. It hasn't been easy, but I wanted to focus on the positive rather than dwelling on the negative. Thankfully, I've been blessed with amazing family and friends who keep me going. Glad I could share the recipe!

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  10. Remember last New Years Eve when we wrote all the bad things from 2014 we wanted to let go of? We put the papers in balloons, filled them with helium and as a group, let then go. I am so proud you did not let the health and other issues define and defeat you. Instead you are a wonderful, confident, blessed woman. Here's to more growth and many more blessings. PS I think your grandpa and I found that recipe years ago

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    1. Mom, I do remember letting go of that balloon and thinking, "It can only get better from here." I've been blessed to have that come true. Thanks for being there for me through the good and the bad. Love you.

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  11. Lol, I made brownies last night. The middle didn't bake but the outside edges REALLY did. They don't taste good. I ask you… how can anyone mess up brownies from a mix?

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    1. I could. Can you pass them off as those chocolate lava desserts?

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    2. (Raising my hand) Yep, I've done that too. But I love the idea of chocolate lava brownies!!!

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  12. Love your positive attitude and spirit! I always make sugar cookie cutouts at Christmas. My kids love decorating and eating them all up :)

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    1. Amy, sugar cookie cutouts are some of my favorites. My sisters and their kids usually bake and decorate them, but lucky Aunt Syndi gets to take some home :)

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