Max gets ready and more food

Tomorrow is Max's first day of preschool! We are getting very excited for the big day! We went to the store this morning so that Max could pick out some special treats for his lunch box. He wanted Little Debbie christmas tree cakes and those tiny boxes of raisins. He spent his day at home making an army of dinosaurs and cars. He is a great little guy!

I spent the day getting my "Julia" on in the kitchen. (FYI: Julia Child)
I started by making this awesome Broccoli salad that I found at pickypalate.com
It is super delicious! I had it for lunch and Mia shared. She is a broccoli fan!
This recipe makes a ton. I made a scaled down version and it turned out great!

Whole Foods Broccoli Crunch Salad….Picky Palate version

1 1/2 Cups mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

20 Cups broccoli florets (I got the big bag from Costco)

10 strips cooked, crisped bacon (crumbled)

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1/2 Cup diced red onion

1 1/2 Cups craisins

1 1/2 Cups cashews, coarsely chopped

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika until well combined.

2. Place the broccoli, bacon, garlic, onions, craisins and cashews into a LARGE bowl. Pour dressing over top and gently mix to combine.

3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

After lunch I decided it was time for some candy making.
Ty's Grandma Newman makes the best candy! Every year at Christmas time she sends us the most amazing caramels and toffee! It is a favorite part of our holiday. This year I was able to learn how to make some of her candy myself!
Today I used her caramel recipe to make almond turtles. I put almonds at the bottom of some Christmas printed mini muffin cups and poured the hot caramel over them. I melted some semi-sweet chocolate and poured that over the caramel.
These are going on my Christmas goodie plates and I think they will be fabulous.
Thank you Grandma Newman!