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Happy Thanksgiving! Some of you follow me on Facebook and already heard this story, but for those of you who aren’t on Facebook, I clearly have turkey on the brain. I was at the grocery store this morning trying to push my way through to grab what I needed. As I went to put my gallon of milk and whipping cream in my cart, I realized my purse was gone...and there were Brussels sprouts in the cart (a sign this was not my cart). I desperately looked around trying to remember what the lady next to me in the dairy case looked like so I could find her because clearly she had taken MY cart...when a soft spoken gal, who realized I was in a panic, looked at me and said..."YOUR cart is over there...YOU walked away with MINE in the meat section." OH. MY.

That was this morning and I'm STILL red with embarrassment!

I’m so excited for Thanksgiving and even the weekend after, because that’s when I hope to decorate for Christmas. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even bake a few Christmas cookies! Do you plan to partake in any cookie exchanges this year? Are the kids having one at school? I know everyone has their own signature recipe, but in the event you’re searching for something new—not to mention kid-friendly—here’s one of my childhood favorites: Scotcheroos.



Scotcheroos

Ingredients:
•    1 cup sugar
•    1 cup dark corn syrup
•    2 Tbsp butter
•    1 cup crunchy peanut butter
•    6 cups of rice cereal
•    1 cup butterscotch chips
•    1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1.    Butter a 9'' x 13'' baking dish and then add the rice cereal. Set aside.
2.    Bring the sugar, corn syrup, and the butter to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the crunchy peanut butter. Mix well and pour over the rice cereal.
3.    To prepare the topping, melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat and spread the mixture over the rice-cereal mixture. Cool until the topping is set, then cut into squares.

This is one of those recipes from my grandma’s recipe box. (Check out my recipe page for more!) It’s a delicious, classic recipe and I truly don’t know where my grandma found this. (In fact, you may have seen a similar recipe out there somewhere!) If you plan to take these—or any recipe—to a cookie exchange this year, here are a few tips:

•    To avoid a cookie-baking marathon the night before, start baking about a week in advance and store your cookies in an air-tight container. If you slip a piece of plain white bread in with the cookies, they’ll stay soft!
•    Before you pack the cookies into containers, make sure they’re COMPLETELY cool. Then, take the time to slip wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Avoid cookies with a gooey or tacky topping because they just don’t travel well and presentation is important…no one wants an ugly cookie!
•    Clearly label your cookies. If you plan to individually bag, write the name of your cookies on each bag, as well as the main ingredients. Not only does it prevent you from answering the same question over and over, it’s helpful for people with specific allergies or taste preferences.
•    Finally, back to that presentation thing. Your assortment will stand apart from the rest if you rest your cookies on a beautiful plate and use springs of holly or greenery to decorate. In a sea of cookies, you want yours to look as good as you know they are.

Here’s a little something you might want to have handy during this holiday and cookie-baking season: a KitchenAid Hand Mixer!



I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the time with your family and dear friends. While you’re prepping for the holiday, why not join me tonight at 6pm ET for Great Gifts!

From my home to yours,
—Jill