More baking

I took every Friday in December off as vacation days. I do end up working for about an hour each Friday- just checking emails and making sure that there are no emergencies for my team. but after that hour, I am free for the day.


Today, Mam came over in the morning and we baked Mam's favorite Christmas cookies. I remember Mam telling me a few years ago, that it is not Christmas for her until she makes these cookies. It brings back memories of her childhood and working with her mother to bake cookies. Mam's mom has been gone over 10 years now and I don't think the sadness ever goes away for my mom. Mam and bug cutting the butter for the cookies.

Filling the cookie press

trying to press out the cookies. Bug and I decided that we were better decoraters and we let Mam finish up the pressing of the cookies.

Very intently adding the cinnamon balls to the cookies

Happy with the cookies. See all the containers of sprinkles- Bug used most of them on the cookies. My boy loves his sprinkles

And raw cookie dough!!!!!

Momma's hand. I was working on a second type of cookie here. I will point out that substituting whipped butter for shortening was not the best choice, but it worked.

See- this is the cookie sheet with the ton of sprinkles surrounding the cookie.

Mam's cookies are done.

These are my candy cane cookies. By using the whipped butter- the dough was almost unworkable due to being so soft. So the cookies are HUGE. But yummy.

Bug put the sugar and crushed candy cane on the cookies. see- he likes the poured on effect.

Caught in the act.


Thursday night, we went to the library. Bug decided to read to me while we were in the kids section. It was his attempt at preventing me from going into the adult section of the library. That would be the grown up books versus he kids books. he hates walking with me in the rest of the library.

We are finally feeling better. Bug and I no longer have sore throats or ear aches, though, we still have sinus pressure and drainage. Our coughs are mostly gone too. so I think we are finally getting better after being sick for 2 weeks. Neither of us had fevers or any other symptoms, so it was hard to justify a visit to the doctor's office.

I think another weekend of relaxing we will be all better and ready for the holiday. We have 2 Christmas parties coming in a week- so I want us both to be feeling better.

Love and hugs,

Deb