Here it is my favorite time of the year....time for pumpkins of course! And of course, the reason I love this time of year is simply because it leads us right into Thanksgiving and Christmas! I have already started dreaming of sugarplums and my crafty heart has already taken over. I have been making ornaments and planning my annual cookie exchange! I am going to share with you today my recipe for my ornaments and the instructions for hosting your own cookie exchange!
But first....news....I am down 64 pounds and hopefully still losing. For the past couple weeks I have been stuck on another plateau, but this morning I finally got the scales to drop 1 pound from last week...so hopefully that plateau is broke! Fingers crossed!
My daughter is just about potty trained. She practically has done it herself though she tends to be a little on the stubborn side and wants to do it on her own time. If she doesn't feel like dealing with it, then she won't. I have learned not to push it. She knows what she is doing. She completely understands what is going on with her body but refuses to do it the way I want her to, so I figure eventually she will do it. I just need to let her make her mind up to do it. It is in times like these, I say she takes after her daddy. Stubborness always comes from the daddy's side doesn't it ladies? :)
Ok, so I told you that my annual cookie exchange is just around the corner. This will be my 7th year and every year it seems to grow and get better. I have learned a lot in the past 6 years I have done it. So here is how it works. You invite approximately 20 friends. Always invite more than you expect to come that way you can get close to a dozen. This year my party may be closer to 15 people. If this happens you just ask them to bring more cookies. Each person gives me 2 unique cookie or candy recipes by a certain date prior to the party. (I type them all into a cookbook with pictures to hand out to the guests so I need enough time to type them and print them.) I ask the guests to pick out Christmas PJ's and crazy Christmas socks to wear to the party. I find that a morning party from about 9 to 12ish works best. The ladies love to come decked out in PJ's and enjoy brunch together.
Each guest brings with them 2 dozen of each recipe. (I always have them prebag 2 of each recipe in baggies so each guest can just go around and pick up baggies of each cookie. This is more santitary and keeps the cookies fresher longer.) They also bring a tray on which to collect their cookies. As guests arrive we arrange all the cookies on a huge table (sometimes 2 or 3 tables) and we mingle till everyone arrives. Guests are given the cookbook of all the cookie recipes. Once everyone arrives we eat brunch and play a few games. I prepare prizes ahead of time for the games (though I always make sure everyone leaves with a prize/present from under my tree). As the party begins to wind down, each guest grabs their tray and begins to go around the tables to collect 2 cookies/candies of each recipe brought to the party. Everyone usually has a full tray of cookies and candy to take home. Oh, and we pick the person wearing the craziest socks to win a prize too!
It is a lot of fun and if you have never done it, I recommend doing one. It is a great time for gals without the hubbies or the kids. We all need that girl time and this is the perfect way to do it!
Now as favors/prizes I have made some super easy salt dough ornaments. Do you remember making salt dough ornaments as a kid? I do. These are so much cuter than the ones we used to make.
You will need:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup warm water
Whole Peppercorns
Clear Spray Enamel
Red food coloring (Optional)
Gingerbread man cookie cutters (or any other design you wish to do)
A straw
Directions:
Mix together the flour, salt, and water with your hands in a bowl till a stiff dough forms. Sprinkle counter or surface with flour and roll out dough. I cut my ornaments about 1/2 inch thick maybe slightly less. Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut gingerbread men out and lay on sprayed pan. Press peppercorns in for eyes and buttons to decorate. (Optional: I saved a little bit of dough, about golf ball size, to tint pink for hearts. Squeeze red food coloring onto the dough and work in by kneading and pressing till dough is colored pink or red. Take a pea size amount of the red dough and roll it till it is a snake shape. Take ends and wrap into the center of the strand to form a heart shape. Work and press your fingers to fill in gaps of the heart to make a solid heart shape. Attach heart by rubbing on a bit of water to the back of the heart and apply to the gingerbread man....pressing slightly). Poke holes for ornament string using a straw. I like to put a hole on each hand of the gingerbread man for evenly weighted hanging. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 50 - 60 minutes. Keep an eye on them after about 40 minutes as thinner ornaments can brown too fast. If they brown, I still keep them because I think it adds a bit of character. After they have cooled you can remove them from the pan and allow to sit out overnight. The next day you can spray them front and back with clear spray to seal and protect them. Attach your ornament sring or wire for hanging.
These little guys turned out so stinking cute. I decided to do 2 big ones with a little one in the middle for our family ornament this year.
Hopefully you have your Christmas thoughts dancing in your heads. Plan a cookie party and make some ornaments.....you will be glad you did!
Have a great one!
