Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of bisquick
• 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 lb of sausage

Preparation:

In a large flying pan, fry a pound of sausage, but do not allow it to brown or get crisp.

My mom always gets the process for breakfast going on Christmas Eve after we eat our dinner.  Our celebration begins by us eating soups and sandwiches.  My grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and cousins come to our house and celebrate with us.  After we clean up the dishes, we go to our Christmas Eve church service. Since my grandmother on my moms side passed, it has been hard on my aunt during the holidays.  She has an empty nest at home and can sometimes feel lonely now that her mom isn't right next door.

"We're going to be late! Hurry up drying the dishes," calls my mom from her bedroom. It is not uncommon for my family to be late.  It's actually somewhat expected. 

Half of us pile in my moms vehicle while the other in my dad's.  I crawl in my brothers car with him.  By that point, I've already had a little too much "family togetherness."  When we arrive at church, we have a small candle light service, and then head back home.

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve in the Burch household without the movie "A Christmas Story" playing all night long.  Everyone relaxes and watches the television except the three women; my mom, grandma, and aunt.

Grate the eight ounces of sharp cheddar cheese. Then add it to the sausage and two cups of bisquick.  Mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hands in a large bowl. Form the mixture into small, one inch balls.

My mom likes to make sure she has everything laid out and organized for Christmas morning.  Things can sometimes get crazy, so she tries to make things as easy as possible to decrease the stress.

"Makayla?" calls my mom from the kitchen. "Come help us finish the Sausage Balls for tomorrow morning!"

I helped roll out the sausage into one inch balls.  We placed them on a cookie sheet and then put them in the freezer to be cooked for tomorrows breakfast.  The rest of the night is very relaxed. Everyone watches movies and enjoys each others company as we, my brother and I, open one present before we head off to bed.  The gift is always a new pair of pajamas that we both change into. 

The next morning, my brother and I wake up.  The rest of my family slowly drags into the living room.  My older sister and her husband show up after Kenzlee, their daughter, opens her Santa presents.  My grandpa with Alzheimer's complains several times that he is hungry.

Bake on a cookie sheet at three hundred fifty degrees for ten minutes, or until balls turn light brown.

We all enjoy being with each other on Christmas morning.  The whole family may argue, but we love each other.  It's hard for my mom and her sister to go through any Holiday without their mom, but especially Christmas.  Cooking for the holidays brings us all close together.  It is a bonding experience for both sides of the family.  I love how the simplest things, like helping roll sausage into balls, can make my mom so happy.  Cooking together on Christmas is a tradition my family will always have.