Sloane Heffernan: Going nuts at Christmas

My eyes dart open, my mind starts racing and my heart begins to pound. It’s the middle of the night and I have suddenly been rattled out of a sound, peaceful sleep.

This is not a drill.

It’s Christmas!

Every year, is the same. I experience sleepless nights and mini-panic attacks over a countdown to what should be the most wonderful time of the year. Sleepless nights are spent making mental lists and checking them twice, in a race against the Christmas clock.

I don’t know why I continue to suffer from anxiety around the holidays. Each year I promise that I won’t “go overboard,” but inevitably I do! I hate that the holidays have become so materialistic and that I continue to fall victim to the need to buy “more stuff”.

Luckily, there is one activity that helps calm my holiday nerves. I find that creating some homemade gifts from the heart brings the focus back to what Christmas should be about. As the Grinch famously stated, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come for a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.

Every year, I commit myself to creating a homemade gift to share with some of my closest family and friends. Typically, I gather up a few cute jars, some holiday ribbon and a few simple ingredients to create an easy, yummy treat that everyone will love (unless of course, you have a nut allergy, then you will want to skip this one)!

This recipe combines sweet, salty and a dash of spice! I call them Candied Pecans with a Kick!

CANDIED PECANS WITH A KICK

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 lbs pecan halves

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs (whites only)

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 300-degrees
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg whites. Add the pecans and stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and pinch of cloves.
4. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the pecans and stir to combine.
5. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet - single layer.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
7. Place nuts in a festive container for a gift or serve in a nice bowl when company arrives.

Once the nuts are cool, I place them in a glass jar and tie a pretty ribbon around the top. I add a cute label and I am done!!!

Pouring my energy into something simple and homemade helps me refocus on what’s important and will hopefully help me from going completely nuts this holiday season!

Sloane Heffernan is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist and former WRAL-TV anchor/reporter. In June 2021, Sloane transitioned from journalism to launch Storymore, a brand storytelling business. Sloane now uses her storytelling skills to help businesses clarify their message and create a deeper connection with their desired audience.