Cookie Fun!

Last year, I started a tradition of Christmas baking with the kids. I should have done this long ago. My mom always did a ton of baking and made the nicest plates of goodies to give away. I am using several of her recipes and have added several of my own. We will give almost all the cookies away, just like my mom did.

I am really particular about my Christmas cookies (or any cookies, for that matter). You won't find shortbread (blech) or Mexican wedding cookies (double blech) in my house. In my world, cookies must be chewy. Non-chewy cookies are only acceptable if they are loaded with flavor. And nuts do not belong in cookies. Ever. This year I am making: Raspberry Meringues (my sister-in-law's recipe; everyone fights over them at her house!), Minty Chocolate Crackles (YUM! Chewy, chocolatey, the BEST!), Gingerbread Men, Lemony Cutouts, Cookie Dough Truffles, Peanut Brittle, Caramels, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Fudge.

I am so blessed to be able to homeschool and have so much more time to do special things with the kids! They just love to cook with me. It takes twice as long this way and it's ten times as messy, but they couldn't be happier! Their favorite part is icing and decorating the cutouts and gingerbread men. I have as much fun as they do! I just had to share some of my favorite pics:

Screech got to help mix the cookies. She thought she was big stuff! She kept saying, "I cook!"

For obvious reasons, we decorated while Screech was napping.

(Really, I DO have Drama Queen brush her hair most days!)

Persnickety Pete getting his icing just right.

Here are my favorite gingerbread people:

(Check out Santa in his boxers on the upper left! We also did one just like it with him holding a remote control!)

Cute clowns

(It doesn't feel much like winter in Georgia right now! Tomorrow's high will be 79!)

I like my little retired guy. To make him complete, I need a car to go with him with its turn signal left on. Carla, are you seeing a lot of people like this in your new town?

Okay, this next pic has nothing to do with Christmas cookies, but I just had to show you Screech's new haircut. Before the haircut her hair looked really cute with her bangs swept to the side with a hairbow, but it's just too much trouble to keep up with bows and keep them in her hair.

BEFORE

AFTER

She looks like such a big girl now! (Sniff!) What happened to my baby? (I can't believe she'll be two next month!)