Christmas cookies and happy hearts, that is how the holiday starts!
Vicki Baker
When the holidays were upon us, there seemed to be an ever-increasing list of things to do and little time to accomplish it all. There were decorations to put up and gifts to buy and wrap, not to mention the holiday meals to prepare, and still finding a moment to enjoy a holiday movie.
Wouldn’t it be ideal to cut back on the holiday madness and replace it with an afternoon spent with friends instead? Our Bunco group did just that by hosting our annual cookie exchange party. Feeling festive, we got out the cookie trays, tied on our aprons, and started baking delightful treats sure to get our Bunco girlfriends in the Ho Ho Ho holiday mood.
For those unacquainted with the concept, a cookie exchange is essentially a potluck based on trading cookies. We each brought four dozen home-baked goodies of a single type (attempting to avoid overlaps, which we did), lunched on a “Friendship Salad,” imbibed a glass of wine or two, caught up on each other’s lives, then went home with a wide selection of tasty treats—treats to eat now, eat later, or share with family and friends.
It was a day filled with bawdy talk, laughter, and warmth. A great time enjoying the fellowship of friends and coming away with enough goodies to keep the house stocked the entire month without really needing to bake again. Most importantly, no one left with the Christmas spirit in tow, as our bellies were full and our spirits high.
It’s a well-known fact that a balanced diet consists of a Christmas cookie in each hand. So, jingle all the way to the kitchen, because nothing says “holidays” like the smell of baking. And always remember, “Friends are chocolate chips in the cookie of life.”