My Motto is Simple

Each year, when we go home for Christmas, I bring cookies.  I've been making cookies for my "kids" (ages 40 & 35) since they were little.  Even when I was broke, I made one kind of cookie using a plastic cookie press that I bought at one of the old "kitchen" stores.  Laugh if you will, but I still have that cookie press and the original box it came in which has a bright orange price tag of $9.95!  So, last year I sent a text message to my daughter and son saying "Mom's
old cookie press...will sell to the highest bidder...who wants it?"

My daughter immediately said "no thanks" (she doesn't like to bake...she LOVES to cook!!!).  Now, my son, on the other hand, being the "opportunist" that he is, responded, "I'll take it, Mom.  I can probably get a fortune for it on Ebay especially since you've got the original box!!"  That weasel!!!  Wish I'd thought of that!!!  Anyway, I withdrew the offer and still make cookies each fall with it!!  And, although I don't want to  offend anyone, it makes a better cookie than the one I bought for three times as much from Pampered Chef!!!!

Okay, back to the story...when I married Joe, I inherited another two "kids" (now ages 42 & 40) who then had their six children over the years.  So, now I bake for a small flock! 

   Enough about the recipients...after all, this is about ME!!  Anyway, I am, I think, the biggest cookie monster going.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  I like cakes, pies, donuts, muffins...just about anything sweet. However, I am passionate about cookies!  

So, I begin my mission in November and bake two to three times a week right up until we leave.  I turn on my iPod , listen to my music and dance, sing and bake away...for hours!  And the results?  Yep, that's right...each family gets at least one to two dozen of each kind and I make anywhere from ten to fifteen different kinds.  Last year, it was fifteen different kinds.  

  I begin the process, by sorting through all of their favorites.  I take surveys over the phone as to who favors what, who doesn't like nuts, who likes nuts, who wants raisins, etc.  This, my friends is quite an undertaking in itself.

I then begin the baking process and end by placing one dozen at a time in zip lock bags...labeling them accordingly.  Did I ever tell you that I excelled in my organization skills?

 The next step is storage.  I begin to fill my small freezer in the "spare" refrigerator that's out in the garage.  Then, when that one is full, I then start stashing the goodies in the chest freezer that's also out in the garage.  

Now, I will admit that there have years where the space consumed by the cookies gets a little tight...especially when Joe gets more than one deer in a season.  I finally made him see that we cannot use more than one...he gives it to the neighbors.  Thank goodness! 

Because, thanks to an old friend of mine, my motto is quite simple:

  or 


Would you have considered this a threat???