Christmastime

Christmas has come and gone. Now, I can settle down and try to come up with a few things for the first month of recipes here!

Until then, here are some photos and such from Christmas 2010.

Before Christmas even really began, I knew I wanted to make mint chocolate chip cookies. I had never ever made them before and didn't even know if I'd like them. So, I went out and bought a small packet of Toll House Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as a test. They were amazing so...we made some!

We used mint and chocolate chips to make them instead. I have to admit, I loved eating the chips in pairs, without actually being IN the dough. Thankfully, other people liked them as well. They'll now be a part of every Christmas from now on.

M&M cookies are a traditional staple at my house. My grandma used to make them when I was a kid and we haven't adapted the recipe at all since she passed away in 2001. My mom, however, wanted to add nuts to the dough this year. I flat out refused. Why mess with something that is already great?

This may look like a jumble of things put together in a bowl but, really, it's the start of the most luscious peanut butter cookie dough you can imagine! We use it to make Peanut Butter Kisses, which, secretly, I love making because mom is still dumb enough to put me in charge of peeling the foil off the Hershey Kisses. I sneak a few each time simply because I can.

As you can imagine, with so many cookies alone, we had to make sure the right ones got where they needed to go. Mom and I stalked Wal-Mart for cute containers and then I applied some regular masking tape to the lips, marking them with Sharpie. It makes things a lot easier than taking a bite out of a cookie when you can't possibly guess what it is.

Making fudge was something I didn't take part in. After a burn I received the day before, my mother kind of put me on the sidelines. I kept the marshmallow fluff jar though (it's plastic) so I can use it for crafting materials. Anyway, I have no idea if the fudge came out well. It's not something I eat a lot of, or honestly, eat at all, but people seemed to enjoy it yesterday after Christmas lunch.

My mom just had to have these. I have no idea what they're called (and no, they aren't Mexican Wedding Cookies) but they're extremely soft and break apart easily. They aren't something I am likely to make but they sure do look pretty!

The pumpkin cheesecake. I should have known the batter (which called for two pounds of cream cheese) would be enough to make two very large cheesecakes. My mom didn't seem to think so. Guess who was right? Because of the long bake time, she ended up throwing half of the batter out. Such a waste but, really, the filling doesn't keep well in her fridge and I'm not into pumpkin myself. I ended up topping it with some home-made whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.

But, really, Christmas morning was the time I got to really relax and enjoy a simple cup of coffee while sitting at the table at mom's while she packed things up to bring to my house for Christmas lunch. It was a pretty nice year though, I have to admit, it didn't feel much like Christmas to me.

Maybe I shouldn't make so many things next year. That may help.