The Day in December When We Make The Cookies

If you have been following this blog for a while it will not surprise you that today I got together with a bunch of people I love and made some sweet treats for Christmas. Amongst the humans present for the occasion were me, Dad, Sammy (who I have known the entire length of my living memory), her son Ethan, Karen (who Sammy and I have been BFF’s with since kindergarten), Jess (who Sammy and I met in high school), and Jess’s son Josh. These humans are all part of my Family by Choice.

We made snowballs, an old-school Yuletide favorite. (The recipe in the link calls for pecans, we use walnuts. Use your favorite nut or seed.) We made my dad’s personal favorite- classic shortbread. (Just use a pastry blender to combine one and a half cups flour, three-quarters cup butter, and one third cup sugar. Press it into a 9×9 pan and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. You are welcome.) We made this stuff Karen suggested called “White Trash“, a sweet and salty cereal snack mix that is absolutely dangerous to my waistline. And of course, we made Moravian Spice Cookies.

I started telling you about these cookies in 2016. For several years now I have been sharing the gingerbread folk we decorate. House rules state that all gingerbread folk must be given a name and a back story. My Family by Choice was more than happy to play along. ❤ Here are the new friends we made.

Sammy got us started with Tiphanee. Tiphanee is all dressed up for a night out. Also, She is BFF’s with Briteneigh. (Keep scrolling.)
Karen decorated Kriss. They are an aspiring fashionista. Kriss made this outfit. How amazing is this outfit? SO AMAZING!
This is Rhonda (also one of Karen’s creations). Rhonda has worked in insurance for so long that she no longer has a soul. Or even a face. Her hair is perfectly coifed, and her nails are on point. However, *Rhonda has no soul*
One of mine. It’s “Weird Al” Yankovic in his “Like a Surgeon” video.
I was inspired to create Briteneigh, Kriss’s friend. She is modeling more of Kriss’s original fashions. So fashionable!
I also decorated Wendell. Wendell is a mountaineer. He wears cargo shorts and carries his backpack over hill and dale. He wears high-altitude goggles to block the sun while he does this. (I kept spilling the candy eyeballs, so I was put on probation and had to make gingerbread folk without them.) [The probation was self-enforced. I am why we can not have nice things.]
Josh decorated Russell. Russell retired to Hawaii. Did you notice the amazing “aloha” shirt? Yeah you did.
According to Ethan, Sargent Bob has been on the force for 27 years. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.
Ethan also created Lt. Joe. He got his arms AND legs shot off in the Vietnam War. He knows Forrest Gump.
Sammy also discovered Ben. Ben is a Millennial (probably a hipster, IMHO) who just sort of wandered in. You can’t see it, but he has a “man-bun” under that hand-knitted hat.

I am truly blessed to have a family-of-choice that is so creative, supportive, and fun! The past few Christmas’s have been less-than-perfect for all of us. I imagine the same is true for many of you. Still, we persist in joy! There are so many holidays this time of year that focus on light. How do you celebrate? Please share in the comments. Let’s share that LIGHT!

May light, hope, love, and joy follow you in 2024. ❤ ❤ ❤

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