Carried Away with Goodies
 

Does anyone else get carried away preparing goodies for gift trays like my DD and I do?
I'm not doing as much as I usually do, but there are a few things that everyone expects.
So far i've made....Zucchini Loaf(small loaves)
Fresh Apple Loaf(sm loaves)
Sugar-free chocolate chip cookies(hubby has almost wiped them out)
Date Cookies
Rum Cookies
Soft Ginger Cookies
Hot & Spicy Cracker Mix
Still got a list to go...certainly cannot forget Peanut Brittle and Fudge!
Oh, and tomorrow I will can Salsa.

My mom can't stop making banana nut bread. Every time she gets some bananas, she makes this stuff. I have two loaves in my freezer and I don't know how many she has. Everyone in the family can expect some banana nut bread this Christmas. Mom is 80 and daddy is 83 and they are still making candy and cooking for the holidays. I am blessed to still have them.

I usually do fudge for my co workers. I lost that job and have decided not to do fudge for the new job. My husband was just put on medication for diabetes so no peanut brittle for him. I'm also over weight too.

Peanut Butter Kisses
Choc chip
sugar
snickerdoodles
white choc macadamia
molasses
Banana nut Bread
Cranberry nut bread
Zucchini nut bread
Toffee Bars
Eggnog Bread

I also got a cake recipe that I am drooling over and think I will make that too. It is Eggnog White Chocolate Streusel Cake. I got it on line - just google it. Sounds really good and I love eggnog!

That'll feed the neighbors for Christmas - most work,, some are men that don't make cookies, but love them. I have been doing this for about ten years now and have a blast doing it.

So that is starting today.

Edie

This year we agreed to scale way down Sunday my oldest is coming over and we will be making
6 batches of fudges each batch makes just over 5 pounds of candy :-0
3 batches of haystacks probably another 7 pounds total weight
and 300+ mama Kat cookies.

We are not making:
peanut butter cups
chocolate turtles
trail mix clusters
sugar cookies
snickerdoodes
fruit cake
or
divinity (this one because my recipe is missing)

My grandkids requested popcorn balls so I guess I'll need to do this.
I also have made:
sugar cookies
snickerdoodles
chocolate dipped candy canes and pretzels
candy cane blossom cookies
divinity
peanut butter cups

I use to make a lot, but have reduced it down to making just one cookie/candy and one small bread loaf. I find that people don't eat as much as they used to. When I worked, I took goodies in one day for the group. I'm retired now, old and just don't want to eat all that many sweets. Once the Holidays are over, I quit eating the "bad/good" stuff and seriously eat much better!
I did have a friend with MS that insisted she make over a dozen different types of cookies every year. Nearly killed her each year, but for her, it was tradition and meant Christmas. I think she is the one that made me realize, I didn't need to do this same kind of thing.

It is the season. I'm not a big baker but I could make something new each night?? More recipes popping up on the internet????

This week I made my annual 12x15 pan of Baklava. I have been making it for about 30 years. I love sharing it with others since it make wayyyy too much for just the two of us.

Every year on Black Friday, instead of shopping, DD and I make cookies. This year we made 13 batches of cookies and a batch of pumpkin fudge. We make the cookies smaller than the recipe calls for and then we each take half. She fills gift bags for her co-workers. This year there were 21 co-workers. Half of my share gets mailed to the other DD and family in MD. They all keep well in the freezer, so I only bring a few out at a time for DH and I to indulge.

I used to but every time I turned around DH kept opening the oven. That would cut back and knock the temp down. He did it one too many times so the last time he did it And he didn't like how they turned out, I pitched every one of them. 6dozen into the trash. His mother knew why when he called and complained. She told him to stay out of the oven. He bragged about how good a cook his grandmother was. She made everyone stay out of the kitchen who even attempted to open the oven door. She would hit them with a poker. It was a would burning stove!

We're snowbirding in a trailer with an unreliable oven and not much counter space...so it's English toffee. OnChristmas day,the DGKids will bake whatever cookies they want with me.

For years I made six or more different cookies and five or more different candy's every Christmas. Now I am older and not able to do that much work I have cut down to fudge and a couple of cookies. Always pecan pies, wouldn't be Christmas without them.

My daughter and I make:

caramel
chocolate turtles
white peppermint bark
chocolate covered pretzels

and whatever kind of cookies she wants to bake.

Fun!


Jane

I used to bake a lot around Christmas-time. It was a tradition my mom started before I was born. She really went to town on making cookies. She would make around 15 different kinds and of each of those she would triple the recipe and make several batches. Even though I liked to bake, I would get really tired of it after awhile. I was not only the helper, but the clean up and wash and dry person.

She would share with the family and our friends and she didn't just give them a little box, she gave them a 1/4 to 1/2 sheet cake boxes away. The closer the friend or family, the more they got. Even the garbage men and the postal people would get a large box from her.

One year, when I was in junior high school, I complained about this one teacher that was really mean to me. He had my brother in school ten years before. I guess my brother was a smart a$$ to him and he never forgot. I wasn't a bad kid, but I did talk a lot. Mr. Welch decided that the apple didn't fall far from the tree and would scold me every chance he got and it showed in my grades. My mother made him up a 9" cake box of cookies for Christmas. Mr. Welch was so surprised that anyone would give him anything (he was a very crotchity teacher) that he could barely speak. I learned that year that Mr. Welch had lost his wife a few years earlier and he told me that she used to bake a lot too. It really touched him and after that Mr. Welch and I were good friends.

I learned several lessons that year:
People who are grumpy may have a good reason for it
Being nice to someone that everyone else has given up on may make a big difference in that person's life
Giving someone a gift of baked goodies can make anyone feel special

I make Pumpkin Bread every year... the same recipe for the past 44 years.

Pumpkin Bread

2/3 cup Shortening
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1 (1-pound) can Pumpkin
2/3 cup Water
3-1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1-1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 cup Pecans, broken
1 cup Raisins

Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the pecans and raisins. Pour in two (2- quart) greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: Two large or three medium loaves.

The cookies are just as good frozen. Thats my trouble.

This year, I will continue to kill myself in the kitchen, as this is how I relax. I have made 4 kinds of cookies,pecan carmels,7batches of nuts and bolts, and peanut butter fudge. Wish Quilter 53 would share her pumpkin fudge recipe(I have only made once and what a disaster). Please share. I am doing our quilters luncheon for 12-13 girls on tuesday, I do this every 3rd tuesday and I will suprise each girl with a cookie box. They are great ladies. I did a garage sale today, sold 34 of my 200 cookbooks. Enough is enough. Everyone have a wonderful holiday.

What's a mama kat cookie??

Yes you are! I hope I'm going so strong when I'm that age.

Yes! what is a mama kat cookie? Sound like something I would like to try. Will you share your recipe. Please

I will be making biscotti and oatmeal raisin cookies (because I have been craving good oatmeal cookies).

I am a baking lunatic. I can't stop. I need an intervention.
I have triple batches of:
pina colada cookies
margarita cookies
chocolate chip cookies
spice cookies
peanut butter cookies
snickerdoodle cookies
orange sugar cookies
maple sugar cookies
chocolate crinkles
double fudge with white chip cookies
and oatmeal butterscotch cookies


I'm sure I will still make fudge and ranger cookies.

Today my 2 GD's came to frost the sugar cookies I make for them, special shapes they always request. They are in 10th grade and 2nd year in college. Gave them fudge and memory CC cookies I always made for their Dad. Also made fresh caramel corn for oldest and baked peanut butter Kiss cookies in mini muffin pans with foil liners. I was told cookie frosting days must go on forever, it has become a tradition for them.
Everything is out the door and am so pleased about that, just me now and I don't eat those things anymore.

Our family is down to just Hubs, me, dog and foster cat. The grands go to my daughter's inlaws house for every holiday as they feel (the inlaws) are the only ones who should see the kids for the holidays (WHAT??) One day the granddaughters will grow up and ask why they cannot go to our house for holidays. We tell them there is no sense in fighting over it as I/we can go see them any time we feel like it (don't need a holiday!). Which is what my granddaughters LOVE about us and so look forward to our visits !

The other daughter lives 4 hours away and also visits the inlaws (very begrudingly !)..

So small batches of goodies ! Probably a small Christmas dinner as well !

Would you please share your recipe for Baklava? I have never made it but would love to give it a try. Thanks and Happy Holidays!!

This year, it will be

snickerdoodles
oatmeal raisin for DH
finnish christmas tarts
peanut butter kiss cookies
spritz
potica
shortbread
rosettes
cardamom biscuit

What is your recipe for fudge? And what are mama Kat cookies?

Nanacc,Would you Please share your recipe for Soft Ginger Cookies with me ,,,I thank you in advance Merry Christmas