Christmas Food!

It has been WAY too long since I last wrote, mainly because the past 3 weeks found me coming home at 6 or 7 most nights (or later) then making dinner, and then flopping down, exhausted on the couch. There were so many things that didn't happen in the last couple weeks, not the least of which are blogging and sleeping. So, when school was finally over Friday, I was thrilled to have time to myself, in which I slowly checked off things on a giant list. And slept. And now, Thursday night has come, and I'm finally able to sit and relax. [And this, folks, is why teachers need two week breaks during the school year. But that's another whole blog post...]

One of the few things I allowed myself to do this week that was just for fun, was to make my favorite Christmas foods. I love to make the classics, like Chex Mix which I adore, and Peanut Butter Blossoms with the Hershey's kisses in the middle. However, I also like to make some ethnic foods and family recipes (peppernuts, caramels, etc.). I was inspired to make one of these after my Grandma Schmidt made these seasoned oyster crackers over the Thanksgiving holiday (and we ate the entire batch during the weekend). They have a tangy lemon-pepper seasoning and are then baked for a nice toasted flavor. It turns out, they are also perfect for teaching the dog to balance food on his nose and eat it before it hits the floor. (This didn't happen too many times though, since Ben and I ate most of them!)

Savory Oyster Crackers

1 (1 oz.) pkg ranch dressing mix

1/2 t. dried dill

3/4 t. oil

5 c. plain oyster crackers

1/4 t. lemon pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 250. Combine all ingredients but oyster crackers. Pour over oyster crackers and stir. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Stir once during baking. Store in airtight container.