Cookie Sweat Shop

So...I wondered, what if I didn't do any of the Christmas prep stuff? Other than buying presents of course. If I didn't decorate or even mention cookies, at what point would the kids say something?

Answer: on Dec. 21 Brian will go by himself to bring in the boxes from the garage. He will set up the tree and Andrew will help him decorate.

On Dec. 22 Andrew and Brian will ask if we are going to make cookies and promise to help, except they can't do it today or tomorrow, but really, on Christmas Eve they will bake cookies with me all day.

So now it is early afternoon. In the past five hours we have accomplished quite a bit:

Two dozen pecan puffs have been made. I made them, but Brian rolled them, twice, in powdered sugar.

Four dozen gingerbread cookies are baked. As the people-shaped cutters have mysteriously disappeared, we have stars, bells, and candy canes. Evan rolled, I cut, Brian attached mini M&M's to many. We left some plain because I like them that way and others because Evan said he wanted to put icing on some of them, but it turns out that he assumed I would mix of up the icing. Sigh. I'll help, but he's a big grown up man with genuine cooking experience. If he wants to ice cookies he can mix up powdered sugar and butter. I'm sure of it.

Two pans of Aunt Bea's Golden Bars, made entirely by Brian, are finished. For those who don't know, golden bars are little more than brown sugar and butter. This recipe is part of Roland's family holiday tradition. I don't even know who Aunt Bea is, but I have had a copy of this recipe since I got married.

Sugar cookies are more than half done. Roland has been rolling. Andrew is doing most of the cutting and decorating. I've been supervising and teaching Andrew the fine art of moving delicate cookies from wax paper to baking sheet.

Andrew says he wants to make a cheesecake.

I did promise to make a gingerbread (cake), but that will be easy, since all the ingredients are already out and the kitchen is a mess anyway. We have to have something to put under all the whipped cream I bought.

So who thinks we still need pumpkin pie?

David will get here later this evening and has invited a "lost boy" for tomorrow at dinner.