Holiday Baking Preview

I'm inspired by Lexi over at Dishin with Edna to think about holiday baking a little earlier than usual. We have a couple special traditions at our house that revolve around baking (there are more, but really how much baking do you want to hear about? lol)

Cookie Party

On the last Friday of the school year, we host a Cookie Party for a few of T's friends and their families, and then later on, grownups join the fun. We make two, sometimes three types of cookie dough, along with soup and sandwiches to balance out all the sugar. The kids (and grownups) can roll out dough, cut out cookies and of course (the best part) decorate the cookies. Or, perhaps the best part is eating the cookies!

Last year we served sloppy joes and Chicken Chowder. I try to mix it up a little with the soup, and not serve the same thing every year. This might be a good year to make Baked Potato Soup... Also the three rolled cookie doughs we like best are White Velvet Cutouts, Mom's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, and Cut Butter Cookies.

Here are some pictures from the past few years

Bri taking a picture of himself eating a cookie

menorah decorated to be a martini glass (including a green m&m olive!)

Trucks for the UPS and FedEx drivers and Charlie, our mailman postal carrier

We usually set up a table in another room for crafts, so if you are tired of cookies and frosting, you can make a card or ornament to take home. Some sample creations:

Parade of Cookies

The Parade of Cookies started when we lived in Houston. I would bake cookies for my husband to share with his co-workers and he would ration them out, sharing just one type of cookie a day. Soon his friends were bringing in cookies too; it didn't take long to get an official name and a reputation. Now it's a celebrated tradition at the Reading Center. Some of our favorite cookies to share are Peanut Butter Kookies (the kind with the chocolate kisses on top), Brownie Cream Cheese Bites and Triple Orange Pecan Biscotti.

As the events get closer, we'll share recipes and photos!