Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies at our house are a BIG deal.  It wasn't always this way.  Growing up my Mom always made cut out Christmas cookies and then we would frost them.  She also made delightful fudge, divinity, homemade caramels, and mint candies.  Then we would put a few of the treats on a plate and deliver them to all the neighbors.  We always delivered to our Primary teachers, and our best friends, and then the house with the scary dogs.  (honestly I don't think the people in that house ever ate their cookies...I'm confident the dogs got the treats every year)  But, it was tradition.

So, I decided to continue the tradition.  It's a nice way to say Merry Christmas to your neighbors at Christmas time.  One problem...we have  A LOT of neighbors!  Where I grew up, we didn't have a lot of neighbors because we all lived on 3 and 5 acre lots.  10 neighbors away was pretty far!!  Well here in our neighborhood now, 10 neighbors is a block!

I debated this year if I really had time to do the cookies.  I thought of other options...popcorn, store bought chocolate...and the closer it got to Christmas, the more neighbors asked about the cookies.  OK!! FINE!!  I'll do the cookies!  No really, I wanted to eat some. :)

So I spent 6 hours mixing dough, rolling, cutting and baking 186 cookies.  Then the following day I pipe frosted each of those 186 cookies.  I couldn't turn my head for a week afterwards! 

But really...it's all worth it.  I LOVE my neighbors.  And when I say LOVE, I really mean LOVE.  I wish I could afford to do more for them.  Really they are the best.  They are the ones that are helping me raise my children.  They teach them at church, they let them come over and play, and they are always looking out for them.  I feel sooo blessed to have such great friends and neighbors.  Every cookie was worth it!!  Love you neighbors!

Here's a sampling of a couple of them.  I don't know why I can't ever remember to take a picture of them!  Next year maybe...