This is not because its what the man and I decided that together or because the man has ever had a Christmas tree - or a menorah - in his home. I have lived and breathed for Christmas since I was a child. Its my mother's fault, really. She loved Christmas (even though she worked in retail!) and she would put on holiday records and wrap everything - even the stocking gifts until well after midnight every Christmas Eve, while the sounds of The Carpenters Sing Christmas lulled me to sleep from down the hall.
Somehow, even in the darkest, scariest of financial situations my parents managed to fill the house with food, music, love, and an awfully large load of presents under the tree. I still don't know how they pulled it off, (but I imagine they must have impeccable credit). Growing up in this environment (I have a friend who loves to remind me that I was blessed with the white whale of childhoods, and while it wasn't all rosy, it was damn fine) I carry a militant amount of Christmas cheer with me. At this time of year people are more pleasant, snow is beautiful (rather than 'godforsaken white $#@%, which is what I will call it after January fifth), and food - I swear - tastes better.
Christmas has undergone a makeover since the 'Great Recession' hit. At least in my corner of the world, it has gone to a more traditional place, where the material (and, ahem, expensive) has given up center stage and turned it back over to the holiday heavy hitters: family, homemade treats and gifts, and perhaps most special - the gift of time. This year friends and I are planning days after Christmas to spend together, rather than exchanging gifts, because the most valuable thing that I think you can give someone, is your time, your attention, and (geez its getting corny - stick with me here, I'm about to come around to my point) your love. Cooking is one of my loves, and cookies are just about everyone's love, at one time or another. (whew! I knew I'd get there)
So this year, for my neighbors, my coworkers, my extended family, and for our friends, I will be making cookies. and in (yet another) Christmas tradition I have decided on not one, but twelve different varieties. You might think I'm crazy, and I think I already admitted to that in the first paragraph, but with the modern convenience that is your freezer, you too could pull this off without too much sweat. Plus its always nice to bring over a tin of this and that, I think. So that the people that you care for can have a cookie suited to their mood, their taste, or you know...what they happen to be drinking.
Cookies making the roster this year are not the most traditional, but hey, even if I am cracked out on Christmas from the day after Thanksgiving until New Years Eve, I still hate those tasteless, rock hard sugar cookies with the too sweet icing. I'm not handing those foul things to the people I love.
The Twelve Cookies of Christmas (in no particular order)
1. Sesame Ginger Shortbread
2. Lime Melt-aways
3. Coconut Macaroons
4. Oatmeal with Chocolate Covered Raisins
5. Chocolate Coffee Crinkles
6. Cassis Crisps
7. Spicy Molasses Cookies with Orange Sugar
8. Rum Balls (not really a cookie, but a holiday staple!)
9. Nutella Thumbprints
10. Italian Anise Drops
11. Cherry Cornmeal Cookies
12. Pistachio Cardamom Drops
I'll be pre - mixing the dough and freezing up until a week before Christmas, so I'll post the recipes here as I make them and then devote a post to the finished product. Here's hoping I don't weigh in at 900 pounds by the time this is over....
Christmas has undergone a makeover since the 'Great Recession' hit. At least in my corner of the world, it has gone to a more traditional place, where the material (and, ahem, expensive) has given up center stage and turned it back over to the holiday heavy hitters: family, homemade treats and gifts, and perhaps most special - the gift of time. This year friends and I are planning days after Christmas to spend together, rather than exchanging gifts, because the most valuable thing that I think you can give someone, is your time, your attention, and (geez its getting corny - stick with me here, I'm about to come around to my point) your love. Cooking is one of my loves, and cookies are just about everyone's love, at one time or another. (whew! I knew I'd get there)
So this year, for my neighbors, my coworkers, my extended family, and for our friends, I will be making cookies. and in (yet another) Christmas tradition I have decided on not one, but twelve different varieties. You might think I'm crazy, and I think I already admitted to that in the first paragraph, but with the modern convenience that is your freezer, you too could pull this off without too much sweat. Plus its always nice to bring over a tin of this and that, I think. So that the people that you care for can have a cookie suited to their mood, their taste, or you know...what they happen to be drinking.
Cookies making the roster this year are not the most traditional, but hey, even if I am cracked out on Christmas from the day after Thanksgiving until New Years Eve, I still hate those tasteless, rock hard sugar cookies with the too sweet icing. I'm not handing those foul things to the people I love.
The Twelve Cookies of Christmas (in no particular order)
1. Sesame Ginger Shortbread
2. Lime Melt-aways
3. Coconut Macaroons
4. Oatmeal with Chocolate Covered Raisins
5. Chocolate Coffee Crinkles
6. Cassis Crisps
7. Spicy Molasses Cookies with Orange Sugar
8. Rum Balls (not really a cookie, but a holiday staple!)
9. Nutella Thumbprints
10. Italian Anise Drops
11. Cherry Cornmeal Cookies
12. Pistachio Cardamom Drops
I'll be pre - mixing the dough and freezing up until a week before Christmas, so I'll post the recipes here as I make them and then devote a post to the finished product. Here's hoping I don't weigh in at 900 pounds by the time this is over....
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1 comments:
Fantastic!
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