Last Saturday was Cookie Day. This is easily one of my favorite parts of the holidays.
It was a tradition started by my grandparents, where we would all gather and decorate the (what seemed like) hundreds of cut-out cookies my grandma made. My grandpa and I would always put too many silver balls on the cookies, much to everyone else's complaint. The women in the family have tried to continue the event now that they are gone. My mom hosts it and we all come over for a full day of baking a huge list of holiday cookies with the grand poomba being Grandma's cutouts. Those my mom makes ahead of time (with grandma's cutters) and we ice and decorate for hours on cookie day. But everything else is made that day, with lots of love and laughter. And this year Aunt Debbie even wore an apron that Grandma made her so maybe we got a little bit of Grandma mojo to help us along. (I failed to get a picture of her mustang decorated with deer antlers and a nose - Sorry)
This year, as we all gathered in the kitchen and my sister and Katie and I started making the icing, there was this moment where the cacaphony of all seven women reached a din that felt so movie like. It reminded me of that scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where they are all getting the bride ready and each person is talking but also independently doing exactly what they need to do. Everyone was going to task and the conversations were lively.
We had a great time this year, completing the cutouts, snickerdoodles, spritz (hubby's favorite), peanut butter kiss, chocolate chinese noodles, chocolate chrinkles, pecan dreams and old fashioned chocolate chip. We also attempted fudge (again), but it failed (again). If anyone has a sure-fire fudge recipe out there, please share.
Of course, I photographed the event - and some other people picked up the camera too:
The whole group hard at work:
The cutouts waiting to be iced:
My nieces Kayla and Jordan decorating away. Jordan got very serious about her decorating this year and Kayla was cool-headed and meticulous:
My sister Katie rolling out the Snickerdoodles:
Pecan Dreams and Peanut Butter Kisses already done:
Katie making her favorite, Chocolate Chinese Noodles (that is Aunt Deb supervising):
Some yummy details:
My sister Stacy trying so hard to make the fudge:
My niece Kayla and I decorating the Spritz:
My Mom and Aunt Deb taking a well-deserved break: (those are braces on Aunt Deb's teeth)
The packaged up results:
The happy, but tired crew:
What family traditions do you have?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Cookie Day 2007
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4 comments:
The only unique tradition we have started because of a gift my sister and I gave to my dad one year. Our family loves the movie The Sound of Music; my dad grew up with it and therefore so did Resl and I. One year, after my parents got new windows, we made "play clothes" for my dad out of their old drapes (a horrible green floral pattern) and gave them to my dad for Christmas. I think he cried he was laughing so hard. Now every year he wears his play clothes--a hat, vest, and shorts--on Christmas Day.
Wow, I admire your ambition!
We make the "chocolate chinese noodles" too, but we call them tingalings.
No holiday traditions. Just spending time together.
Ok, I am intrigued by the chocolate chinese noodles. Do tell!
Since Christmas Day was always reserved for the "big formal family meal" with everyone, my immediate family would go to McDonald's drive-thru & have our dinner in front of the tv (a big treat growing up) Christmas Eve before opening gifts. We do it every year, even though none of us even eat or probably like McD's anymore!
The other is a sweet, sweet tradition that started when my mom got married. My grandma gave her a Christmas gift with a beautiful red velvet bow on the wrap. My mom kept the bow and the next year mom put it on one of Grandma's gifts and so the back and forth went every year up until last year when my Grandma passed. We all wondered what would become of the red velvet bow. Imagine my surprise on Christmas Day morning when "Santa" brought a gift addressed to both my sister and I.
The gift read: Dear Danica & Stephanie,
A gift of love is passed on to Danica this Christmas and next Christmas Danica will pass it to Stephanie. Your Mom & Grandma shared a special joy sharing this velvet bow and your Mom had a hard time knowing what to do with it this year. So I took over and told her "Let me do this, I'l decide who to pass it to this year." And because Danica is the oldest and I know how much she believes in me I pass this bow to her for this year's Christmas--on ONE condition...Danica & Stephanie must always remember that this is never just a bow, but a gift of Love--and that's what Christmas is, A Season of Love & Sharing. Love, Santa
Ok, my mom rocks. She does a good Santa, I must say. I have yet to find the perfect gift to put the bow on for my sister, but I can't wait.
These are all wonderful stories! I love the play clothes Monica - I can just see your dad laughing his head off wearing leiderhosen!
And tingalings - that is a much better name.
Danica - my parents had a tradition for a long time similar to that where they passed this ugly lawn ormament back and forth between them and my my aunt and uncle (who lived across the street) - you never knew when and where it was going to show up in your yard. I know you will find the perfect gift for that bow!
The chocolate chinese noodles are soooo simple - just melt a bunch of chocolate and dump it in a bowl with the noodles and stir it up till covered. We put ours in little cupcake cups, but you could make little mounds on wax paper and remove them when they harden too. That's it.
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