P365 - 2014 - Day 341 - I was ON IT!

P365 - 2014 - Day 241 - I was ON IT!

I think we should plan a Disney trip every year around this time because it really makes me get things done!  Every year, I say I am going to start the Christmas cookies right after Thanksgiving and every year that never happens.  I am usually baking cookies right up until the last moment.  But this year, I was ON IT.  I stocked up on butter during sales and made a plan to start baking right after Thanksgiving and stuck to it.  Add to that the fact that my head elf was out of commission and unable to help in any way....  I am slightly impressed with myself.  I made two batches of butter cookies (thanks once again to my neighbor's cookie press since my mom's and my replacement one are both broken).  I managed to get through those two batches with no muffled curses being mumbled under the sound of Christmas music.  That alone is a Christmas miracle because every year without fail, the butter cookies either bake too fast or break or some other catastrophe.  Then I made two batches of thumbprints, one batch of mocha butter balls, and two batches of M&M cookies leaving just the batches of chocolate chip to do tomorrow.  I have made gifts for teachers and neighbors, a special tin for my cookie press provider, let the kids and My Wonderful Husband have a few tastes, and now the tins stay closed until Christmas.  :-)  We'll open them on Christmas Eve, leave some for Santa, enjoy them with friends on Christmas Day and share them as gifts.  It's less about the cookies for me and more about the process and the memories that go with the process.  I cranked the Christmas tunes as I mixed and baked, reminisced about Christmases past marveled at how long I have been making these recipes and missed two important people that taught me all know.  But I am pretty sure they were here in this kitchen with me and that is why the butter cookies came out perfect and required no cursing, every other cookie looks delicious, and I managed to finish all of this with days to spare until Disney and even longer until Christmas.  :-)