Monday, December 17, 2007

Happy Holidays!

Had such a blast Sunday, baking cookies with Claire and Ms. B, le frosting artiste.

Back in the Spokane days, I talked B into helping me make gingerbread houses that were auctioned in a charity event. It was quite the ordeal. Royal icing is a royal pain.

We re-created the Spokesman-Review building, including the turret (used a Pringles can) and the publisher ended up buying it. He collared me in the hall the following spring to say that after storing it in the attic, mice got to it. The SR tower was critter fodder. HA!

I never/ever bake... except this time of year. Sure wish I had learned to make the delicate Icelandic butter cookies that were my late mother-in-law's specialty. I just tried making my Nana's date-pecan bars for the first time and they turned out great!

I love it when traditions evoke memories of dearly departed. Talk about some tasty nostalgia. Still, I also love trying something new, too. Made the outstanding chocolate cookies that were in Rebekah Denn's fun story in last Wednesday's PI, and am fixing to bake "Peggy's Cheese Biscuits" passed along by Susan Phinney.

What are your holiday baking plans?

1 comment:

Kristie Lauborough said...

Work hasn't left much room for holiday baking, sadly, though my father in Memphis made cookies and my mom's sending me a tin (along with one of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas albums). I will miss my mom's fruitcake this year. I know that sounds shocking, but this isn't what people think of as the stereotypical fruitcake. It's soaked in rum and all sorts of good stuff so it's moist and dense and sweet. Yum!