Peppermint Saltine Toffee Bark

This time of year, it's so easy to get caught up in making things perfect.  There are all these expectations about food and decorations and traditions - and it can get overwhelming.

I've realized how easy it is to make blogs a highlight reel. I don't want this to be so realistic it's painful, but I do want to seem like a real person, not a manican with a perfect life. My food doesn't always turn out. I don't always get in my run. I don't always look cute.  I know you know that, but I always try to post the good stuff. I know when I read some people's blog, I think "yeah right, you're that perfect."  I'm sorry, but there is no husband like that, ma'am ... Arguments are part of life and you have to argue at some time!  But I digress. 

So these next couple paragraphs are some things I've been thinking about that aren't necessarily highlight reel worthy.  We'll see how this goes ;)

I don't think we get Christmas. We get the tastes of peppermint and eggnog, we manage the money for gifts and presenters, we analyze the lights and ornaments, but we miss the joy. We get the idea if instant gratification, but we miss the fulfillment of contentment. 

I won't lie, I've felt pretty out of the loop. We just decorated our tree, I just put snowflakes in my room, I haven't poured over the Christmas books like I used to, and I haven't baked with any holiday candies this year - at all.  There is a part of me that screams I'm ruining the Christmas spirit by my poor follow through on traditions. The moment when I realized Christmas was a week away and we have no snow. Do you know how disappointing that is?  

But the worst feeling?  When I no longer get the butterfly stomach and absolute impatience that I always used to have.  I would wait at the window until family arrived.  I would have a countdown. I felt like I would burst I was so excited.  Am I losing my Christmas spirit?!  Is this part of growing up?!  Why is it like this?!  

That childhood innocence is fading and I miss it. I lost the freedom to dream unrealistically and to be confident in those dreams. When I let myself be more concerned with appearance and reputation, I put relationships and activities second. Christmas is not about impressing family, it's about enjoying family.  Sometimes, enjoying family means half lit trees and toll house cookies. That's okay. That's more than okay. 

We did a devotional about how it is important to have schedules, but we need to let some things just go.  Schedules are to be our guides, not our masters.  I tend to be mastered by my schedule and I realized a lot of my disappointment about Christmas were because I was tied to the "schedule."  I knew Christmas was about family and not location or tradition, but this year, I'll get to live it out.  My cousin, Gracie, broke her growth plate in her foot and will not be able to come up this year - at all.  We might go down, we might not, but either way, Christmas will not be what I was expecting - at all.  And it isn't super fun.  For me, Christmas is about the relationship with Gracie.  The snow forts, the snow ball fights, the make up sessions, the late night talks in our spare room; and that won't happen this year.  But I want to go in with an attitude of gratefulness, because that schedule in my head?  Things won't be as fun if I let it be my master.  Christmas will be special, just in a different way, if I enjoy Christmas for what it is, not what I think it should be. 

Also, speaking of Gracie, here is a pic of the magnet board I made her.  Not going to lie, I really like how it turned out.

But with every rainbow there is a storm ... I accidentally ruined my Vanity jeans with the black magnet paint.  Long story short, I wasn't painting in them, but the paint got on them.  It was sad. :(  Oh well, it could've been worse!  I just painted the whole thing several times with magnetic primer and then, using painter's tape, painted the stripes on.

And lastly, sorry I haven't been able to comment back or on your blogs - our Internet has been down until this morning (apparently, but I bet it will quit as soon as I hit publish;)  But, if the Internet had been up, I probably wouldn't have gotten the snowflakes hung in my room.

Gosh, I haven't even talked about the bark.  It's really good, can we just say that?  I've seen the white chocolate/peppermint combo EVERYWHERE and I decided I would jump on the bandwagon, too.  Have you ever had saltine toffee?  It is absolutely incredible.  I just subbed white chocolate chips for the regular chocolate ones and then used crumbed candy canes instead of toffee.  The batch I brought to a party?  It was gone. 

Peppermint Saltine Toffee Bark
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life

40 saltines
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup crushed candy canes

Line a 15x10x2 pan with foil.  Arrange the 40 saltines over it, so none are overlapping.  In a small pot, melt butter.  Add sugar and stir for 3-4 minutes, until bubbly and slightly thickened.  Pour over saltines.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with white chocolate chips.  Chips will begin to melt, spread them out over the saltines.  Sprinkle candy canes are top.  Let cool for an hour and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy!