cookies and other

It was another successful sugary night at the cookie exchange a week ago.  I got to host it at our home and there were cookies everywhere, but it was so much fun... SO many cookies..

Everyone really "brought it" this year with their cookies and packaging.  I have such creative friends!  Here are the results from this years cookie exchange/party/competition.

WINNER: Sara Midyett with her Lemon Cookie



The Runner-up this year for overall winner (Anne Nowlin asked for runner-up to be announced for each category):  Jamie Jerkins with her Momo's Molasses Cookies.

The Most Unique Cookie : Leslie Poe with her Cheese Date Tarts

The runner up for Most Unique : Leslie Jerkins with her Clementine Chip Cutie

The Best Packaging/Presentation : Leslie Jerkins with her Clementine Chip Cutie Box (this category was VERY close as there were so many great packages)

The Runner-up on Best Packaging/Presentation : Sara Midyett with her Lemon Cookies

Such a fun night, but so many cookies to taste.  It's so fun to take them all home so you can actually taste each cookie again by itself.

I loved all these winners, but my personal favorite was Mandi's Mocha Rounds... Chocolate cookie with coffee/kahlua flavored icing. :)  I've already made them (so easy) to give to neighbors for a little holiday treat.

Last week T and I enjoyed Monday off together getting our Christmas shopping done.  First year we started and finished on the same day.  We even squeezed in a nice lunch date at one of our favorite spots.. Las Delicias.  I tried something different this time, the torta, and it was delicious.  I highly recommend it!

This weekend we came to Oxford to spend time with his fam before Christmas.  He, of course, spent most of the time in the woods while I shopped with my MIL and enjoyed time with her.  Since their tree [unfortunately] fell over two times in a week, we helped put all the ornaments back up and it's now secured with a thick rope.  They also pulled out their life-size dancing Santa, and the dogs went crazy.  Gibson just looked at him very confused, but Weezy (Katy's dog) went nuts barking at him non-stop.  Gib finally just looked at her like, "chill out, girl, it's just good ol' St. Nick."

He's never phased when we come visit Oxford.. Makes himself right at home...

I snuck up to the square on my lunch break today and it was such a pretty day.  I'm so thankful for days like these...  I hope everyone is having a relaxing and memory-filled holiday season!

holiday baking

Last week we had our big cookie exchange. There were 23 people. There were a lot of cookies to taste. They were ALL wonderful. Leslie also wrote about it here.

I found my cookie recipe on Joy the Baker, and they were delicious (if I do say so myself). She actually wrote about them on Saturday. Red Velvet Black and White Cookies. I renamed them Black and White and Red all over. Dudley said, "these are the best cookies I've ever had." Thanks, Joy. He devoured the leftovers I brought home from the exchange. He also requested that we take some to his granny's this weekend. Hopefully I'll be up for making them again. Glazing over 100 cookies = tiring and time consuming.

Here are some photos documenting this process...

The staple ingredient...








The little boxes...






Here is proof of how many cookies I ate... :)





Hi Laura!



I also made Darby's cinnamon honey butter and it IS delicious. I'll be taking a jar to each of Dudley's aunts and his granny this weekend. Thanks to Darby, all the 4 oz jar supply in Memphis has been depleted. I managed to find mine at Superlo.

I'll leave you with a few of our holiday decorations around Fiesta.



O, Christmas tree, O Christmas tree. How lovely are your branches.



From Laura...




(I spy Gibson. Do you?)

Merry Christmas! Now I need to get some shopping done.