GAH! That is the sound of excitement coming from me as one of my blogging besties is sharing today! I met her through a local blogger that we both follow and we connected and quickly became friends. I adore her so much and although we are opposite sides of the U.S. I feel super close to her. I love that I can turn to her and ask her anything...usually completely stupid and ridiculous and she is quick to help with a smile. She has a heart of gold and is a breath of fresh air! Without further ado...my friend...Kelsey!

Hey– Kelsey from the blog and shop Poofy Cheeks here! I am thrilled to be sharing one of my family’s favorite Christmas treats today! My husband grew up between Georgia and Florida so he calls these sugared peCANS and I grew up in Illinois so I call them sugared peCONS. They are an easy must-have in our home and the past few years I have put them in jars and gifted them to our neighbors around the holidays.




Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pecan halves
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• *parchment paper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
• In a medium bowl whisk together egg white, vanilla and rum extract. Add pecans and toss to coat.
• In an airtight container (or large ziploc) mix sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour pecans into the sugar mixture and shake until all the pecans are coated in the sugar mixture.
• Evenly spread pecans across a parchment lined baking sheet
• Bake for a total of one hour – tossing every 15 minutes.

Christmas is a very special time of year in our home. Growing up I have tons of Christmas memories and it was always a special and magical time of year. My parents created traditions that I have now carried on to my children, but in 2007 something happened that made Christmas as an adult very special. I gave birth to our first son on Christmas morning. This year our little Wyatt is going to be six years old! Where does the time go!?

It was Christmas Eve 2007 and my doctors had given me the due date of December 25th. After a huge prime rib dinner and presents at my parents house we sat around the table saying tonight must not be the night. Then my mom wanted us all to go for a walk around the block to look at Christmas lights. Since I was pregnant I had to go to the bathroom first and as I sat down I felt a large pop and called out ‘um guys’… Within seconds I had my husband, mom and dad standing at the bathroom door as I explained that I thought my water had just broke. When I thought it was safe I stood up but gravity let me know that my water really had just broke. My husband, mom and I loaded up in the car with the sparkling grape juice we hadn’t had a chance to drink and passed the bottle around the car on our drive to the hospital. We arrived around 11pm Christmas Eve and he was born at 5:56am on Christmas Day weighing 9 lbs 7 oz. While I was in labor Mike and I opened our presents for each other so the top left picture above is one of my favorites – I am having a contraction right in the middle of gift opening. Now each Christmas is more special than the last as I am flooded with Christmas memories and all of the memories we have made as a family.
Enjoy your holiday season!