I'm telling you, one of the smartest things I do each Christmas is bake cookies in November so that I'm not stressed in December. Our church has started a new discipleship program involving small "Grow Groups," and I realized that my group (our sweet leader and three of us gals) would be winding up our latest study on December 18. I told them that if they weren't already overcommitted—a challenge to almost every woman I know at Christmas—I would like to host them for tea and cookies. I can make tea at a moment's notice, and I knew I had cookies in the freezer, so I figured this would be a breeze, and it was. The girls came Wednesday, and we had the same sweets that my friend Beth and I enjoyed last Saturday.
The only difference was that this time, I also served some of the fabulous Peanut Butter Balls that Beth herself had given me as my Christmas gift a few weeks ago. I love her treats, and she makes them extra large and extra buttery, so I have to really like someone before I'll share some of my coveted Peanut Butter Balls. Naturally, everyone loved them! We also had my Spice Cookies (made them into sandwich cookies with pink-tinted cream cheese icing this time) and the No-Bake Chocolate Cookies, which seem to be reproducing in the freezer.
And the mini Chocolate Chip Pies always look pretty on a silver tray. We had Brigadoon Tea (everyone's favorite, which is unfortunate since they'll have to wait four years for it to be released from Adagio again!) and Peppermint Cocoa herbal tea.
I debated using different china, but these Salem China tea and toast sets are my current Christmas favorites, so I used them. So now all I have to do is finish up a little shopping (mostly gift cards) and I'll be done! Where do you stand, friends? Are you all ready for Christmas?
I am ready for Christmas, but moving soon after I am not ready for that. I sort of miss doing a tree this year, but it just couldn't happen. I did do about half the baking I usually do. Have a wonderful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful the treats and your table look! I wish I had a few friends that could join me for a visit like this. I'm waiting for 2 gifts to arrive but am done shopping otherwise. I need to bake a couple of cakes for our neighbors. It's a pretty low key holiday this year.
ReplyDeleteYou're so organized... I'm envious!! My problem is, we always go back to Illinois to my son's house for Christmas, so I'm spending the next few days trying to get everything all packed up to take with us. I'm sure I'll get there only to discover that I left something behind and then I'll have to fight the crowds there in order to re-buy what I left behind. Ho ho ho... LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like SUCH a nice "tea and cookies with the girls"! I've mailed out all my Christmas packages to my 3 sisters, and bought everything else that I'm going to buy for my local friends. Now I need to work on sending out some more New Year's cards.I've shifted to New Year's cards, since I never got the Christmas cards sent out on time, and this gives me a little more time.
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look so good! Have to look up those recipes ☺️. I'm mostly ready for Christmas... it's been crazy lately!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you were able to host your church group for tea. You are smart to bake ahead. I'll be baking tomorrow.
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