Twelve Recipes of Christmas: Chocolate Peppermint Sticks and Tamari Almonds

I SHOULD have just put this one on yesterday's post, because I have had numerous emails asking how we made these pretty mint sticks. My children love to make their teachers' gifts each year, partly because they love to snack on the "rejects"... Chocolate Peppermint Sticks 2 lb can of King Leo Soft Peppermint Sticks (I find them at TJ Maxx) 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips *Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on a low setting *Line a cookie sheet with wax paper *Dip the tips of the peppermint sticks in chocolate and place on the wax paper *Wait an hour for them to harden, then package in plastic bags. I use Wilton brand "Pretzel Bags" that I find at Michael's *Tie onto a jar of hot chocolate mix (see yesterday's post) and you have a pretty little hostess or teacher gift that any child can make. Even Better than the sweets this time of year is the array of nuts at our house. Ok, there are always "nuts" at our house, but these almonds are out of this world! They taste like they have been spiced and fussed over, but this easy recipe beats all of the spiced nuts I've made in the past. Tamari Almonds 1- 2 lb raw almonds 2 - 3 tbs wheat free soy sauce *Heat oven to 200 degrees *Spread the almonds in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Put them in the oven for 20 minutes until they are hot all they way through. *Sprinkle soy sauce over the nuts. The sauce should sputter when it hits the hot pan. Toss the nuts to cover them with soy sauce, and spread them again in a single layer on the pan. *Continue to bake them for 20 more minutes. Stir them again and cook for another 20 minutes or until brown when they are broken apart. Cool and enjoy! Store in an air tight container or package in clear plastic bags as a hostess gift.