A Wednesday Ramble

So I missed yesterday's post, but I'm sure you can get your own YouTube fix if you really want to. Besides, I have mostly good reasons. I was at my parents' house baking and decorating approximately 10 dozen cut-out cookies until nearly 3:00, and then I had dishes to wash, some very boring training videos to watch for a program my husband wants me to learn, and then I just didn't feel like blogging anymore.

But posts are about to get scarce for a bit anyway. On Monday evening, my California relatives are coming to Michigan (which still has no snow for them, despite my ice-cube flushing). And then two weeks of partying shall commence. Seriously. We have parties on the 20th, 22nd (maybe), 23rd, 24th, 25th, 27th, and 31st.

This week I'm preparing goodies for what I've been calling our "Cookie List". You know, those friends for whom you want to get something, but feel a gift is inappropriate/unnecessary/over-the-top. Or for your neighbors. You know those of whom I speak. You have your own list, probably.

So this year, instead of making cookies, because I always make cookies, I'm trying something new. I've got two popcorn recipes (a s'mores popcorn and a chocolate popcorn) and of course the cake batter truffle recipe. I bought a bunch of cellophane wrap to put them in and then I still have tons of ribbon to tie them closed. (Do you know how weird cellophane is to find? Okay, yes, if you go to the dollar store first - not so hard. But Meijer has the same amount the dollar store sells - but for $3.49! That's over 3x the price!)

I actually had another recipe I was going to include, too. It's a caramel-pretzel-chocolate bark. It sounded really good and so I tried the recipe last night, just 1/4 of the original size. It smelled great, looked great... and then I tasted it. Caleb says it tastes good, not his favorite kind of treat, but he really liked it. And I didn't. And then I remembered that I don't like real caramel... like, the homemade kind. (Those wrapped up ones are great... stuff inside chocolate is great....) So, I don't think I can make that recipe, simply because I can't give to other people something I myself don't know if I like.

Ooh, on Monday I wrapped some Christmas presents. Caleb has purchased wrapping paper in the past (after Christmas, when it's really cheap) and so I found some in the closet. I was having so much fun being frugal that I made bows out of the too-small-to-wrap-a-present scraps.

And I finished my rainbow hat. It's pretty.

And that is all.

I hope to see you tomorrow... maybe I'll share the caramel-pretzel-chocolate bark recipe with you and you can tell me if you like it or not!

Love and Christmas!

Leah Joy