CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

My mother died when I was thirty. One of the best memories I have of her centers around Christmas. No matter how tough things were after my parents divorced, my mother always made Christmas special.

We had certain traditions. My younger brother and I could open one gift on Christmas Eve. And on Christmas morning, we weren’t allowed to leave our rooms until my mother was up and gave her permission. Of course, my brother and I always woke up early. Sometimes as early as five o’clock in the morning. Our rooms were next to each other, so we would begin to cough loudly, checking to see if the other one was awake. After a few minutes of this rather raucous noise, my mother would yell at us from her bedroom to be quiet. But a few minutes later, she would get up, not wanting to torture us too much. We could hear her walk down the hall, and we knew that Christmas was getting ready to begin.

Finally, when she told us we could come out, we would exit our rooms, excited to walk into the living room. Although most of our presents were wrapped, some would be sitting out. These were the gifts from Santa. We wanted nothing more but to tear into our presents, but she always made us eat breakfast first. Breakfast was usually a rushed bowl of cereal before school, yet on Christmas morning, there were usually doughnuts or some other special treat. My brother and I ate as quickly as we could. I’m surprised we didn’t make ourselves sick. When we finished, Mom would finally allow us back into the living room where we sat down and waited as she handed out gifts.

Even though things were tight financially, my mother always made sure we had plenty of presents. She loved Christmas, and so did we. Even today, it’s my favorite time of the year. We continued my mother’s traditions until my son, Danny, married and started his own family. Now we blend ourselves into their traditions. And that’s how it should be. Even though she’s been gone more than thirty years, my mother still shows up at Christmas through some of her favorite recipes. She made the best fudge I’ve ever tasted, and I still have her handwritten recipe. I make her fudge and give it out as Christmas gifts. And she made a wonderful cheese ball which is another Christmas favorite in my family. I still use her original note card. It’s probably fifty years old now, but I treasure it.

This year, I’d like to share my mother, Barbara, with you. Below are her recipes for fudge and cheese ball. I hope you’ll try them and that they’ll become a part of your traditions. When you make them, it would be wonderful if you’d think of her – even for a second.

I can’t send you fudge or a cheese ball through the mail, but I would like to give one of you a signed copy of Gathering Shadows as a gift this year. Please leave a comment, along with your contact info, and I’ll pick a winner next week.

For anyone wanting signed copies of any of my books for Christmas gifts, please contact me through my website www.nancymehl.com or through Facebook. They are $12.00 each and that includes shipping.

God bless you, and have a very merry Christmas.

Nancy Mehl

My Mother’s Million Dollar Fudge

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups of sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
½ cup of butter
Pinch of salt
9 oz Hershey’s chocolate bars
12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 oz of marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Butter to grease pan
 
Directions:
 
Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil. (Be careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan. I don’t turn the burner up all the way, and I stir once in a while as it heats up.)

Let it boil for 6 minutes. Stir constantly. *The timing is very important.

Remove from heat and add all the additional ingredients. Pour into buttered 8 x 8 pan. Chill. When ready, cut into squares.

*One important note: I make two batches for Christmas because I use this for gifts and take some to Christmas parties. DO NOT double the recipe when cooking. The fudge won’t set right. If you want to make two batches, you will have to make the recipe twice.

My Mother’s Cheese Ball

Ingredients

(2) 3 oz. packages of cream cheese½ lb. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ lb. Velveeta cheese (Sharp if you can find it)
1 or tablespoons of minced garlic (Depending on how much garlic you like)
½ cup pecan bits (You can also use nut topping. The smaller the pieces, the better this recipe works)
 

Directions
 
Soften cheese and mix cheeses, garlic, and ¼ cup nuts together. Make into ball and roll in remaining nuts. Refrigerate. You can also freeze them.