Goodies with Grandma

For the last few years all the girl grandchildren have gotten together with my Grandmother Alice to help her make the Backous's Christmas candies. It is so much fun learning her recipes and spending time with her.

My cousin Gary's wife, Naomi and I

This year only three of us were able to make it so we had our work cut out for us. Grandma just had knee replacement surgery last month so we tried to make her take it easy.

My younger sister Amanda and I

We made the traditional Backous favorite, peanut butter balls, as well as peanut clusters, rolo turtles, cherry mash, and my new favorite white chocolate peppermint covered pretzels! And one that has many names but what my Grandma calls them kept me giggling all afternoon... ting-a-lings...see its funny to say!

Baby Kayla liked Great Grandma's piano playing snowman

Hard at work on the first stage of the peanut butter balls

They started  off nice and small but after a while everyone gets tired and suddenly there huge!

"Mashing" the cherry mash

I think my grandma washed these same dishes five times, I kept having to go back to the sink to find where something had disappeared to! She just really likes to clean as she goes

I cannot express enough the love and gratitude I have for this women. She's cared for me in her home more nights than I can count, taught me how to fish and camp and loved me through my roughest times.

Already looking forward to next year's Goodies with Grandma!