For the last 7 years or so, my family and I have been priviledged to enjoy a tradition set up by a good friend of mine. Rather than spend money on gifts that may or may not be appropriate, or for that matter even worrying about getting the gifts, he treats his friends to dinner at some restaraunt. He provides the locale, and pays for everything, including the drinks. This makes for a very pleasant evening for all. The rest of us... we bring the gifts, more recently for the kids as we all now have at least one child. Some bring stuff for the adults, but mostly we're here for the grub...

Times are tough all around, and this has made the annual Christmas Dinner a slight bit different. Our friends have managed to get married, adopt a child, and buy a house all in one year. So this year, Christmas Dinner will be pot-luck at the new house. Chances are my friend will supply the full dinner (including the alcohol), and everyone else will bring the sides and desserts. Either way, we'll be well fed and watered...

This brings me to the " wrong " part of the title. I said in my last post I was going to be doing the Christmas cookies next year. Well, this morning I made a batch to be done for the next weekend of Christmas Dinner . I figure it'll be practice. I don't really have as good a set of presses as my mother's, but I have a few good ones that I used last year, so I'll do those. I'll bake tomorrow and if I have more time, I'll frost tomorrow as well. This will give the frosting time to harden to it's necessary consistancy. Then I'll wrap and bring. It won't be as ornaments for the trees, but the kids will like them.

I have to say that I missed the whole of the cookie making process this holiday season. I did make a round of Tollhouse chocolate chip, but that's kind of a cop-out for Christmas cookies. I usually do peanut butter blossoms (with the Hershey Kisses in the center, or a variation using Mini-Reeses cups), a batch of chocolate chip-oatmeal (from one of my mother's recipes called "cowboy ccokies"), and a batch of the Mailänderli. At least I'm giving myself some continuity for next year. I'm definitely going to color my heart out for this set, and I'm going to try to out do myself as far as range of color. Maybe I'll post when I'm done...

Time for another family Christmas party...

EDIT: added Cookies!