The reindeer need to eat too! (Recipe: Magic Reindeer Food)

Then one foggy Christmas Eve....

I normally do not like my house dark and you will hardly ever find me sitting in a dimmed lit room.  Tonight, however is different.  I sit curled up on my couch as the soft glow of my netbook highlights my face.  Overhead a string of white pearl lights are twisted throughout a glowing strand of holly and draped over the loft balcony.  The silver beads hung on the Christmas tree act like little mirrors against the blue lights twirled up the tree.  That is what Christmas does to me.  For that small amount of time at the end of the year, you will find me in the darkness, enjoying the small, twinkling lights, sipping chamomile and feeling like a kid again.

Its a wonderful way to unwind, don't you think?  Today was an amazing day filled with Christmas songs, the unveiling of my girlie white feather tree, some holiday house cleaning, a Christmas pageant, and the making of Magic Reindeer Food. 

We woke up to heavy fog which didn't burn off well until eleven o'clock this morning.  As the verse "...then one foggy Christmas Eve..." from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer kept repeating in my head,  I knew we had to make Reindeer Food.  We made a big batch to share with the Baking Tot's classmates. It is very easy to make, fun for the kids, and safe for the wildlife once it is scattered.  One SUPER plus for me was the exclusion of glitter and substitution of sanding sugar (you could easily use edible glitter-but sanding sugar is what I had on hand.)  We placed them in bags and included this little poem I found on the web:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night

The moon will make it sparkle bright

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam

This will guide them to your home.

Magic Reindeer Food

2 cups Sunflower Bird Seed
2 cups rolled oats
2 T. red sanding sugar
2 T. green sanding sugar

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and bag them for gifts.
2. Sprinkle on the lawn Christmas Eve night!