My favorite thing about the holiday season is not particular to any of the usual Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanza activities, nor to the season itself. I hate snow with a burning passion - why isn't that enough to melt it?

No, my favorite thing, especially after moving to Colorado, has been making buckeyes.

If you're not from Ohio or the immediate area, and don't have any close relatives or friends there, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. "Buckeyes?" you're probably wondering, "What, like the college team?"

Well, yes, OSU is the proud home of the Buckeyes, and Brutus the Buckeye is, as far as I know, the only plant-based mascot in the NCAA. But they didn't spring out of nowhere - Ohio buckeye trees are real, you know. They used to cover most of Ohio, until a disease wiped out most of them a while back. They're actually just one subspecies; the horse chestnut or buckeye family is composed of 13 to 19 different trees and shrubs, depending on who you talk to.

The nuts themselves are what give the buckeye it's name.

They look somewhat like deer eyes, and it's considered good luck to carry one in your pocket.

However, I wouldn't recommend eating these buckeyes - all of the tree, including the nuts, is mildly toxic to humans.

So, why is my favorite part of the holidays making buckeyes, then?

Well, because the buckeyes you make are, in fact, edible, and one of the best things on Earth. If you like Reese cups, you'll love buckeyes - a handmolded ball of peanut butter dipped in chocolate and left to harden... mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

They actually do look pretty similar to the nut.

But, as I said, it's a much better idea to eat these than the nuts! And if you click on the above picture, you can make your own buckeyes to share!