That's just...wrong.

 The fortune people obviously don't know how much I love cheeseburgers. 

Cookie Exchange

Ian made chocolate covered pretzels and I made salted nut truffles for the cookie exchange at work. It was fun!

Off to the Drive-In

I took Ian and his friend Josh to the drive-in in Lockport, New York. I hadn't been to a drive-in in years. Let me tell you, it would have been much more comfortable if it wasn't Pouring Rain.

Gravity was good, but Captain Phillips was GREAT. I will be very surprised if Tom Hanks doesn't win an award for it.

Ladybug Bracelet

For my friend, Dee

T and My Christmas Cookies

I boxed up cookies and sent them West. :) Jeff got his today and shared with T. He's so CUTE!

Cookie Plate

For my neighbor, Michaelea. :)

A little sample of the cookies we've baked over the past few weeks: peanut blossoms, chili chocolate chip, Chinese almond, mint pastels, peanut butter, mint chocolate, salt nut truffles, and Mexican wedding cakes. We've been busy!

I'm sending out packages of cookies to my brother and nephew in Seattle and a friend in Texas. I have to remember to give them a head's up - the chili chocolate cookies have a bit of heat to them. They are SO good.

Cookie Swap

Mexican Wedding Cakes and Mint Chocolate Cookies all ready for the Cookie Swap on Monday.

Cookies

Hair pulled back? Check.

Nails trimmed and hands well washed? Check.

Counter-top and sink disinfected? Check.

All of this germophobia stuff is done for a reason. First, Ian hasn't been feeling well. I don't want to serve Christmas cookies with a side of flu to anyone! The second reason involves a memory...

I was invited to a friend's home one evening a couple years ago for dinner. She prepared the meatloaf we were going to eat after I arrived. After she mixed the meatloaf with hands I did not see her wash, she cleaned out the meat that got caught under her fingernails into the bowl! Needless to say, I could not eat anything that night, and I have never eaten in her home since.

Besides. Do I really want to give my Christmas cookies as gifts with a side of hair? No.

So let the Christmas Cookie Baking begin!

I haven't baked Christmas cookies since I moved in here 11 years ago. My counter-top is 30" wide by 24" deep, so I have very little working room. I decided it has been too long, so I got the ingredients and gave it a go. I only burned myself on a hot pan once.

I managed to extend my work space a bit by using the edge of the kitchen sink. Here you see the first batch of cookies ready to go in the oven.

Here, I balance the sheets of peanut butter cookies ready to go in the oven.


Thank goodness for stacking cooling racks! I used the top of my portable dishwasher to stack the racks on. It was JUST wide enough. :)


These are Pastel Mint cookies and Chinese Almond Cookies. YUM!

And my last two cookie recipes of the day, Peanut Blossoms and Peanut Butter cookies. I moved the racks to my counter-top from the dishwasher so they could cool overnight. Then into the freezer they go to await the gift-giving season.

I just looked at the photo closely - seems like somebody snitched a peanut butter cookie off the third rack!

Tomorrow I am going to tackle sugar cookies. I have a set of cookie cutters that have never been used. It's time!