Traditions continued on...

When I was little my mom would make Christmas candy... and that meant that we all got to help make the Christmas candy. It was so yummy that I didn't mind helping out. Making buckeyes was very time consuming and messy that I didn't enjoy that every year. Some how over the years of getting married and starting my own traditions I have continued to make buckeyes. I have slaved away over a huge bowl of peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter until I had tons of 1 inch balls waiting to be dipped in chocolate. Occasionally Jeff would roll a ball or two, but it was my tradition and my torture to be sure it was done every year.

This year however it was a family event! All of the kids got to help (some were more helpful than others). I think they may have helped a little last year, but now I was ready for 4 eager helpers.

Here is Sandra focused on making a ball.


Grant doing good!


Unfortunately for us it was too much like play dough for Mhari. She loved helping, but none of her "balls" made it into our finished pile. Maybe next year punkin!



Talmage is a big helper!

I must say that I've never rolled the balls that quickly before. Way to go kids!

The next part of this is the dipping in chocolate. After some technical difficulties with our chocolate on the first night we were finally ready for dipping.

This was much more fun to help out with!

Mhari's best position was on the counter as you can see... hard to reach the chocolate otherwise.

Here are all the beautiful buckeyes. I still have a few that need dipping, but Jeff prefers them without the chocolate (as Mhari probably would as well, since she doesn't care for chocolate) so maybe we're done dipping.

I'm glad to have this tradition done and ready for delivery to friends!
(***disclaimer - All buckeyes were made under parent supervision and all children's hands were washed with no licking during the process!)

You may have noticed that Grant was not in any of those last pics. He wasn't feeling well (ear hurt) so he had laid down to rest and fell asleep.

I'm glad that my kids were so helpful and that this tradition will carry on - at least while I continue to make them every year :)