Christmas Cookies

During our first Christmas, we started a tradition of making Christmas Cookies. Apparently this is a tradition that goes on all over the place, but it was a new tradition for me as I did not even know the exact meaning of "Christmas Cookie," other than that it referred to a cookie maybe cut in the shape of a tree or candy cane.

This Christmas, we added tools to our arsenal from last year of just a butter knife for each color of frosting. Since then, Deanna's intereste in baking, and subsequently cake decoration, has increased, so we decided to experiment with a pastry bag. We only tried it on one color, so it turned out that Red was the only color used with any great detail. It obviously worked, so next year we will hopefully have another color or two to add to our tool box.

My favorite cookie? The Oregon State "O" which was carefully shaped by hand!

Brownies and Four Year Olds

My nephew just visited along with my parents on their way up to pass him off to his daddy. He is about four and a half now, and is definately at an age where every answer given to his question is returned with "why?" and exploring is just as fun as anything else that could be done. After he set foot inside the apartment, it was fun watching him as he would peer around a corner, his eyes wide as he excitedly, but cautiously, peered around the new surroundings. The climax of his visit was probably the little closet under the stairs. We use it to store our camping gear and some gift-wrapping supplies, but there is just enough room for a four year old to creep in and close the door. And did I mention the closet door was only a couple of inches shorter than he is? Could an indoor hideout get any more perfect? Before they left, we made sure to load him up with sugar by giving the three of them some brownies my wife made yesterday. I hope his daddy had a fun time driving home!

(And on that note, some shameless advertising. My wife's blog is going through a baking book called Basic Baking recipe by recipe as she practices her newfound interest in baking.)