Call it what you will, it is a wonderful way with friends to celebrate the Christmas Season. Yesterday I put together the dough for 2 lots of cheese shortbread. One goes to my daughter for her friends and the other one for our party next Saturday. I also made fruit and Nut shortbread and baked those off this morning. In case I hadn’t done enough, I figured, ever so crazily, I should make chocolate chip cookies for my husband. Done!
Now, today, the house is smelling like Christmas and I have some of the things ready for the party. Don has his stuff to do and then I can finish the table. Some of it has been done. It is a gold cloth this year, with 5 little trees all decorated in gold and silver balls and two 24″ candles with gold and silver tassled ribbon tied around the crystal candle holder set down the length of the table..
Don wants everything labelled so people will know exactly what they are eating. The tree is up and, if I say so myself, looks very beautiful. When it is time to do the tree, I grumble and grouse…then when it is all done, we walk around the tree and can tell who, what and when everything was put on the tree. Christmas trees are really your life on display once a year. I really do love it. Honest!
Okay, now…..hmmm I think I shall get a glass of wine and sit down and make yet another list of what has to be done before next Saturday. Make that two and the list will really be complete. haha
Truly, this can all be fun. Take your time, Bake ahead, plan ahead, invite as many as you feel comfortable with at one time and just enjoy it.
Holidays Are Around the Corner
Christmas can be a stressful time of year with all the baking, cleaning, decorating, and trying to find the perfect tree and that ‘special something’ for someone who has everything. Also, for a myriad of reasons, it can be a very sad time for some (it was for me when my Dad died). This helps ease that heavy feeling some of us go through.
About 14 – 15 years ago, I came up with the idea of a lead in to Christmas just for adults. We had, with our friends, a pre and pre pre dinner. Each one of us had one dinner/evening before Christmas, complete with tree, small gifts, and much laughter..
About 4 years ago, our friends were gone, we held the ‘pre’ dinner for about 12 friends and I baked and gave away trays of goodies to each one as they left at the end of the evening. One man stood up and said thanks, he had just received his ‘adjustment’ and could face Christmas for the first time in years.
I urge you to try it. The only rule is you have to get a sitter (if children are home). It helps get into the spirit of the season, gets you away from it all for one evening. If you want, go to the dollar store and buy a gift for each person and wrap it up and put it under the tree. Yes, you decorate like it was your Christmas. Send out invitations early so you get put on the calendar and not miss out due to people already booked up.
Here’s a recipe for you to print off and get thinking about your baking. I do all my baking on Nov 11. Don makes all his tortierre pies (about 11), we listen to some Christmas music and, of course, pause at 11:00 for a couple of moments out of respect.
Check out the 2nd blog today. A recipe for Lemon Shortbread Cookies is posted. Have fun!