The Joy of Baking... and Giving Away

Don't know about you, but around here Christmas feels like Christmas 

when the aprons come out and the kitchen is covered in a fine layer of flour,

the Nutcracker playing in the backgound.

We bake for our teachers, neighbours, friends and family,

and dropping off those baskets brings a happiness that opening no present could.

Monday I made peppermint meringues, these are an annual tradition -

 the other recipes may vary, but one year I skipped the meringues, and it wasn't pretty!

Tuesday was our fourth snow day - 

so we all made ginger sparklers (the easiest version of gingerbread)

 and sugar cookies with lemon glaze, my personal favourite.

I only ate one, okay - maybe two, or seven, can't remember..

Tuesday night we packed the meringues into jars (after felting the lids)..

wrapped the cookies with paper and tied them with strings.

(and forgot to take a photo :)

They did look something like this, we used bits of wrapping paper to dress up the kraft paper.

source

Then we packed those goodies, a few chocolates, some specialty teas, mandarin oranges and candy canes into baskets and sent them off to school today for the kids teachers.. all 10 of them!!

Next week we repeat for friends, family and neighbours...

With two large families, and no one needing ANYTHING, 

we only buy for the kids, and the adults exchange homemade goodies.

I have given out these recipes loads of times, and if any of you would like them, 

just let me know - I'll send you a copy.

Time spent baking beats time spent at the mall.

til next time...