Christmas is coming...

Another day closer to Christmas... ho.. ho... oh no! I feel like the days are on fast forward and I'm the little mouse trying to get the cheese at the end of the maze. This is the week that the real stress begins. Mailing packages, ordering on line, hoping to find the latest tech toy in stock at the first store I go to and to top it all off a little self hate in the kitchen. That's right, I'm goin' in. If you don't hear from me in the next couple of days you'll find me on the kitchen floor with the oven door wide open. Trust me the family won't notice. They go all weekend long and never see the dishes piled high in the sink or the overflowing trash waiting to be taken out. No doubt, they would just step over me, open the refridgerator door and cry out the usual refrain, "there's nothing to eat!"

I don't know why I do it to myself, but every year I do. I just don't feel like it is Christmas without baking. A couple years ago I hosted a cookie exchange. Feeling confident, I forged ahead with a recipe that called for chocolate and coffee. Two of my favorite things! This sounded like a sure fire winner. Needless to say that the cookies came out looking like an ode to reindeer poop. The next year, again I tried. Funny how the embarassment of the first year faded like the memories of labor pains. This time I was going to create a sugar cookie with a peppermint middle. I crushed candy canes till the cows came home, or at least what seemed like it. But, truthfully I have NO patience and some of the candy canes weren't technically all that crushed. The final product was flat sugar cookies that looked like little nipples were in the middle. If you are ever in the need for poop or boob cookies I'm your gal! The cookie exchange was canceled the following year.

So this year, I'm attempting fudge. Will keep you posted as to the outcome. fa la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaahhh