Have You Ever Skulked for a Cookie? I Have....
So inspired by Mel's post about Christmas cookies, I began thinking about the cookies that my mother has traditionally baked at this time of year. Jelly fingerprint cookies, Russian tea cookies, sugar cookies, macaroons, you name it.
The problem with my mother is not that she is not a good baker. In fact, she is an excellent baker. The problem is she doesn't bake enough!
As a working mother of two, I am sure that baking cookies and such was one of the first things to get tossed out in favor of other activities. Which was actually a shame, because my mom and I never baked cookies or anything together. The only thing we did that even comes close is making pancakes on Saturday mornings.
But at Christmas, which is by far her favorite holiday, she would devote an entire day to baking. And when I say day, I mean from early in the morning until late at night. Usually she requested that we stay out of her way if we were at home, or even better, that we leave and hang out with our friends or something. Many people see baking as a bonding opportunity, I think my mom sees it as a sort of personal zen experience.
My mother, although a great person, is not exactly the most patient person around. I think the agony of watching a five year old try to measure sticks of butter or attempt to beat flour and eggs together would have tested her limits. Not when she knew exactly what she was doing and could do it much more efficiently.
The worst part of the baking frenzy had to be that we were only given the leftovers. That's right, the baking was for everybody but us. People at work, other family members. Thus we would skulk into the kitchen at night and steal pieces of fudge or chocolate chip cookies meant for other palates.
But that probably made them taste all the better.
The problem with my mother is not that she is not a good baker. In fact, she is an excellent baker. The problem is she doesn't bake enough!
As a working mother of two, I am sure that baking cookies and such was one of the first things to get tossed out in favor of other activities. Which was actually a shame, because my mom and I never baked cookies or anything together. The only thing we did that even comes close is making pancakes on Saturday mornings.
But at Christmas, which is by far her favorite holiday, she would devote an entire day to baking. And when I say day, I mean from early in the morning until late at night. Usually she requested that we stay out of her way if we were at home, or even better, that we leave and hang out with our friends or something. Many people see baking as a bonding opportunity, I think my mom sees it as a sort of personal zen experience.
My mother, although a great person, is not exactly the most patient person around. I think the agony of watching a five year old try to measure sticks of butter or attempt to beat flour and eggs together would have tested her limits. Not when she knew exactly what she was doing and could do it much more efficiently.
The worst part of the baking frenzy had to be that we were only given the leftovers. That's right, the baking was for everybody but us. People at work, other family members. Thus we would skulk into the kitchen at night and steal pieces of fudge or chocolate chip cookies meant for other palates.
But that probably made them taste all the better.
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My family will get some cookies this year though as the in-laws have decided to come...