December 7

Maybe I will be able to get caught up today after all!

"Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but it always will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." - Augusta E. Rundel

Today's prompts are all about food. Food was always a part of our holiday celebrations. Many years when I was young, mom would make peanut brittle and package it up to give the neighbors for Christmas. The neighbor across the street would always make fudge. We looked forward to getting our fudge package on Christmas Eve day. My grandmother would make a cookie tray with so many different varieties that it took up most of the dining room table after dinner! It's funny, I don't remember any special meals, but I sure remember the sweets. :-) Some cookies would change from year to year as someone decided to try a new recipe, but most were constant from year to year - Christmas cut-out sugar cookies, chocolate covered peanut butter balls, Chrusciki a Polish cookie that was fried and covered in powdered sugar, Church Windows - a bar candy made with chocolate, colored mini marshmallows, and walnuts, and meatball cookies - a chocolate cookie with raisins and nuts with a glaze coating. To that list, I have added Thumbprint cookies with jam filling, Almond Tarts, and Snickerdoodles.

Last year, my college aged cousin spent a week at my house before Christmas so we could make cookies together and she could learn how to make some of the family favorites she loved as well. We had so much fun that she will be coming back next week to do it again!

There was a little bit of holiday baking going on in my house today. I found a recipe in the newspaper for handmade peppermint patties. They are one of my favorites, so I had to give them a try. I got the filling made, rolled and cut out but I will have to dip them in the chocolate tomorrow. My boys decided they needed the kitchen to bake me a birthday cake. It was hard to stay out of their way with all of the yelling and screaming coming from there but they did a nice job.