SIGNING OFF

by Brandon Marie Miller

Dear Blog Peeps,

Well, it's time. I can't believe our very first post was over ten years ago! And now, after nearly 100 blogs, we are saying goodbye to new material on Hands-On-Books. Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and shared our blog! 

Happily, ten years of goodness remains for kids and adults, teachers, librarians, and parents to find-- great articles about history, STEAM, and a wide-range of activities to meet any interest. We would especially like to thank our guest bloggers over the years who have shared their passions, expertise, and books. Please continue to browse our archives and see what you discover.

I want to thank Mary Kay Carson and Kerrie Hollihan for joining me on this journey and for their friendship and support over the years. We have loved being part of Hands-On-Books! 

For my last activity, I'm leaving you my favorite holiday recipe. It's my Aunt Marty's cheeseball, a recipe from the 1950s, and has some original ways of giving measurements. It's part of my earliest Christmas memories, going to my aunt's home on Christmas Eve, seeing all the cousins, everyone dressed up, exchanging gifts, and laughing at the family "talent" shows.

My family still looks forward to this cheeseball every year, and between my house and my sister's house, we devour several. We sometimes wonder why we don't make it other times of the year. But it is so much a part of our family's Christmas celebrations, that it would just seem weird making one outside the month of December!  

What holiday favorite recipes does your family look forward to each year?

AUNT MARTY'S CHEESEBALL

The recipe Marty typed up for me.

2 large packages of cream cheese

1 jar Kraft Old English spread

Blue cheese (size of a golf ball)

Grated onion (size of a ping pong ball)

Chopped fresh parsley

Chopped pecans

Mix cheeses, onion, and some parsley (a mixer makes this easy.) Roll the cheese mixture in chopped parsley and pecans (you can spoon the pecans and parsley around and over the cheese to get started) then shape into a ball. This is messy, but worth it!

Cover with foil and refrigerate to set up. Serve with assorted crackers. ENJOY!