I cannot believe that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! I am running way late Baking Christmas Cookies to give as gifts this year. Have finally gotten going with the baking only in the past week. It does help to do so in my traditional very skimpy baking outfit. A Santa Hat and a Smile. Just finished doing a double batch (aprox 13 dozen) of Chocolate Chip Cookies, and cooking up a batch of a blond fudge from a recipe I have known only as Bill's Candy since I was a little kid. The past several days I have also baked up a couple of double batches (approx 13 dozen) of what my Mom just called Christmas Cookies and two double batches (again approx 14 dozen)of my Mom's Ginger Cookies. Oh, and a double batch (Only about 8 dozen) of Peanut Blossom Cookies. As I have several people to give them to, and have eaten more of the Ginger and Xmas cookies than I should have I am hoping I have enough of them. I intend to cook up at least one more batch of Bill's Candy tomorrow. Then I need to sort and box them up and deliver them by this Monday.
I decided I should include a few pictures of the cookies and me in my Christmas baking attire.
Sunday having a wee dram of Scotch as I was baking that 13 dozen Ginger Cookies wearing my Christmas baking attire. The kitchen was too warm to wear the thong so I took it off.
Morning Coffee with a Christmas Theme
Me this morning finishing up the Chocolate Chip cookie bake.
I have also been wearing my elf outfit when getting out and about to help keep my spirits up. Would post a picture but have not gotten a very good one of me yet this year.
I am very happy to say that Diane and I are still seeing each other regularly, though not as much as we would like, and are still very much in love. I am still keeping up with painting her toenails and reading to her on a regular basis. We invited her Sister and her sister's partner for Thanksgiving at my place this year and had a wonderful time.
Well, I shall be meeting Diane tomorrow for lunch and then to visit an art event for I have to get of to bed.
I hope you all are having a safe and enjoyable December. Writing this has been difficult as it has brought to mind all of the posts I had not written and now wish I had. I do hope to do a better job of keeping you more up to date on the adventures of Jim and Diane.
I noticed that had taken quite a few pictures for HNW and just ones that I played with intending to include them in a post. I hope will be much better about posting in the future as also better about keeping up reading and commenting on the posts of those I follow. I am so behind and will have to not comment on your older post even though I want to read them just to see what I have missed. Sending you all big naked hugs along with Seasons Greetings to you all.
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Good to see you! Happy to know that you're still having adventures with Diane.
The cookies look so yummy!
Wishing you and yours a very happy and warm holiday season! 😁🎄🤶
Having adventures with Diane is one important way I keep from going totally bonkers from the stress caused by Emperor Donald and his toadies. Eating the cookies etc. helps also but they must be rationed.
I love baking cookies for Christmas. Doing so calls up a lot of wonderful memories. Baking wearing little, or even nothing more than a Santa hat is a rather late-in- life innovation but one that I thoroughly enjoy.
I managed to deliver all the gift cookies on Wednesday and Thursday. They were all much appreciated.
It appears that we may expect a warmer than usual Holiday season this year. I will miss having a white Christmas. We had a fair bit of snow on the ground up till this past Thursday. Some really cold weather too.
Sending you big almost naked elf hugs and may you also have a warm and cheery Holiday season.
I love your annual Xmas baking post. The cookies (and you) always look so amazing. I'm just about "less busy" and hope to catch up with you soon. Glad to hear that you and Diane are doing well.
Happy to hear you love the post and think the cookies (and I ) look amazing. For some maybe strange reason I find wearing my naughty elf outfit makes the bake more fun and cheering. The cookies certainly taste wonderful and part of the proof of that is the difference between how many I have taken out of the oven and how many are still left. I am cooking up another batch of Bill's candy at the moment and am wearing a very naught elven green hat and thong.
Sending you a big naughty elf hug and may you have a joyful Season.
What a busy bee you’ve been! I’m behind this year too, don’t even have the Christmas tree up yet. Maybe this weekend…
I have typed up a reply to this comment twice not and each time I have gotten an error message and it did not post. No idea why. Here is hoping third time is the charm.
I suppose it is a lot of baking but I do enjoy it and even more so the smiles I get when I give several dozen cookies as gifts. I was feeling way behind on getting the baking done and given out. I did get my Christmas Tree up right after Thanksgiving but that is mainly because it is so easy. It is a half tree about 3 ft tall that is put away with the lights still on it. So I just get it out, take down a picture on the wall and hang the tree in its place. No decorations, just the lights. I should post a picture of it before Christmas.
I hope you got the tree up this weekend and most if not all of you needed to do to be ready for the Big Eve. Sending you big Christmas Hugs and may your have a safe and very enjoyable celebration.
It's good to see you back blogging. Wishing you and Diane a very Merry Xmas.
I find it good to be back blogging. It helped to accept that I would not be able to read and respond to all the past posts you and all of my followed blogging friends have written and I got behind on.
May you have a safe and joyful Christmas and do remember to tell Father Christmas that you always behave. (You surely do not have to tell him how you are behaving.)
I decided to step back from baking and candy making for the holiday. Too expensive mailing it all out. My local family gets baked treats all year long. Today I'll be teaching my daughter to make challah (braided egg bread)
Challah is so good. Do you do two, 3 braids and lay the smaller one on top or do the 6 braid? I've learned the 6 braid but always have to look it up. Lol.
@MyNameIsKay I do 2 three braids. I've never heard of 6 braids but my recipe makes 2 loaves so perhaps I'll try something new.
@superbjversion2 It's very cool. There are several videos on Y-Tube. Let me know how it turns out. 😊
@MyNameIsKay I looked up 6 braid videos and decided to stick with what I know since I was teaching. We had so much fun even though our loaves were lopsided and the bottoms burnt. Who knew you shouldn't use parchment paper for bread. 🙄
I agree that mailing cookies, candy and other baked goodies can get to be very expensive. Fortunately, I can hand deliver all my goodies personally.
It has been a long time since I last had a slice of Challah. My Ist wife's mother used to make it up for Thanksgiving and also for Christmas.
I do hope the Lake moderated the low temps at least a bit before they got to you. Barely above 0F and windy does encourage one to stay inside. I cannot say it made me wear more than my usual minimal holiday baking outfit. The oven did help keep me warm. I think that encouraged me to get my cookies and candy made up. I do hope you get some of the warmer weather that will be passing though Madison in the next few days.
Sending you big naughty Elf attired hug and the hope that you and yours have a safe, joyous Holiday Season.
That’s an impressive amount of baking - your ginger cookies and Bill’s Candy sound especially memorable. Glad to hear you and Diane are keeping traditions and spirits strong this season. Wishing you both a safe and festive December. 🎄🤶😊
I suppose it is though it is usual for my Christmas goodie gifting. I give them to my Daughter, Diane and several others and the Christmas Cookies and Ginger Cookies are the ones that are given in more than lots of 2 or 3 dozen or more. I try to give at least a dozen pieces of Bill's candy too. I am hoping I am done with my Goodie baking for a while. I would be honored to send you the recipe's for both the Ginger Cookies and Bill's Candy if you ask.
Diane and I are both so glad to have each other and I continue to be amazed at how well we match up. I am sorry to say that we have not gotten together as often as we would prefer as various appointments and such have kept us busy. I plan on seeing her for a quiet evening and overnight this Wednesday and a Holiday outing Thursday.
Sending you big elf dressed hug and may you have a lovely enjoyable Holiday Season