Christmas Cookies

by Kathie of Two Frog Home

I love to bake and for the most part I don’t need an excuse to do any baking.  However, it seems that I do more baking this time of year than any other and I love every minute of it.  I try to keep it simple, by choosing simple recipes that freeze well so that I can do a little at a time and just assemble boxes and baskets of cookies when its time to mail or give.  Here’s a simple, yummy cookie that freezes well.  You know, just in case you need an excuse to bake or a new cookie recipe…

Truffle Cookies

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1 C brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 C sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 C flour
• 1/3 C cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

  Preheat oven to 350.

  Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, set aside to cool.

  Combine the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir well.

  Add the flour, cocoa, and baking powder, mix until combined.

  Drop by teaspoons full onto greased baking sheets.  I use a #60 cookie scoop for these and leave them rounded up, don’t flatten so that they do look a bit like a truffle candy.  Bake for 10 minutes or until set.

Planning for the Feasts

by Kathie of Two Frog Home

The holidays are coming and I imagine for many of us that means lots of feasting and meals with family and friends.  Planning large meals can get expensive and time consuming.  Let’s face between planning everyday meals, working, raising kids, sleeping, and the rest of the everyday stuff it can be hard and exhausting to plan a huge feast.

A plan of attack, with lots of prep work, and splitting up the duties can make feasts less exhausting, less expensive, and most importantly more enjoyable.  Consider doing a few of the following:

• Make ahead – cookies, pies, and even some side dishes can be made ahead and frozen.
• Plan a pot luck – if you’re hosting the feast consider making the main course (turkey, ham, etc.) and asking your guests to bring specific dishes.  Assign general ideas to your friends and family members lest you get 10 pumpkin pies and no vegetables.  Consider giving people items like: wine, vegetable side dish, non-alcoholic beverages, pie, bread, fruit side dish, potatoes, etc.
• Keep it simple.  Many of us tend to go so completely overboard that we can’t enjoy the day.  Keep it simple, chances are no-one will notice that there is only two side dishes, instead of four.  Do you really need five different kinds of pie, when just pumpkin will do?
• If you’re not hosting the meal, be sure to offer help to the hosts.  Offer to bring dishes even when you’re not asked and be sure to help clean up! 
• Ask guests to help you clean, most guests want to help but often don’t know what to do.  Again, don’t be shy about assigning tasks – someone can help clean the table and throw the linens in the wash.  Someone can wash (or load the dishwasher) while someone else dries – you or someone in the family put things away as only you know where things should go.

Hopefully these tips will help you spend less money on your feasts and spend more time enjoying your guests instead of slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else naps.

Do you have any favorite feast planning tips?

The Gift List

by Kathie of Two Frog Home

I know, I know it’s only September and here I am writing about holiday gift lists.  I keep my holiday gift giving simple, like most things in my life, however; I still enjoy giving gifts to friends and family.  But to avoid going crazy and killing myself with last minute crafting and/or shopping I keep a gift list and do my best to tackle it throughout the year.  Admittedly, I don’t seem to do much with the list until about mid-September and then I start tackling it in earnest.

I keep a list in my Palm Pilot for gift giving.  This list contains:

• A listing of home-canned jams, jellies, sauces, etc. that I want to include in gift baskets
• Sizes of grandkids for clothing deals I might see, or to knit some slippers or hats
• Lists of books I’ve picked up for folks or books that certain people might be interested in
• A complete listing of what I’ve purchased and/or made so that I don’t forget and over-make or over-buy when time and/or money is short already
• Notes of things people have said that triggered a gift idea, i.e. our granddaughter mentioned wanting a record player when we went thrift shopping one day – we’re keeping an eye out for something just right.

The gift list helps me keep everything straight and stress-free which is of huge importance to me.  I want to keep things relaxed and enjoyable around the many holiday feasts that happen during this time of year and not let our holiday celebrations be about material things.  In order to achieve a holiday that’s about celebration and relationships, I can’t let that gift list control me or get out of control. 

Do you start planning your gift list now or later?  What do you do to keep your gift giving needs from causing stress?