Merry Christmouse: Gingerbread Reindeer and Crystal Snowlady Mice

Welcome, welcome, welcome to my seventh annual Christmas Open House! Y'all didn't think we were gonna skip it this year, did you? No way. It has been a really tough year for everyone and we need all the Christmas cheer we can get. As always, I hope this blog is a place of calmness, joy, and creativity for you, as it is for me, and I couldn't think of skipping this little Christmas tradition. So settle in for a week of "Merry Christmouse!" celebrating the smallest critter in our Christmas traditions: the Christmas mouse. 

When I thought of this theme last year, I began to wonder, "Why mice?" Why are mice so closely associated with Christmas? I assumed it was due to the famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas" and perhaps also The Nutcracker. I didn't discover any information to contradict that theory, or any other explanation (if you know of one, please share!). But cute little mice are everywhere at Christmas and are very well represented in Christmas stitching. 

If you're familiar with my Open House, you know that I share recipes every year. This year, since we're celebrating the Christmas mouse, I'm sharing quick, easy, snack recipes for holiday nibbling. Because next to stitching, nibbling is one of the best things about Christmas. So let's get going! The sewing room and the kitchen are open!

This is Just Nan's Gingerbread Reindeer mouse and Crystal Snowlady mouse. There are oodles of these mice for all seasons and occasions. They're quick to stitch and not too difficult to finish, even if you're not super experienced with hand sewing.  And as you can see, they turn out awfully cute!

I stitched both of these mice as instructed, but I did use opalescent linen for my Crystal Snowlady mouse because the sparklier the better. 

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Today's recipe is one from my childhood: my mom's Spiced Nuts. Spiced nut mixes are a Christmas tradition and this is the mix she always made during the holidays.

Spiced Nuts

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 egg white

2 Tbsp. water

1 1/2 c. walnut halves

1 1/2 c. pecan halves

Sift sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat egg white and water slightly. Add nuts to the egg white mixture and stir until well-coated. Remove nuts from egg white mixture and drain well. Toss nuts in sugar mixture until well-coated. Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake about 40 minutes at 250 degrees or until crusty. Cool completely. 

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Come on back tomorrow for more Christmas mice and more delicious nibbles!