'Tis the Season to Be Baking!

What is the holiday season without sweets?  Not much!  Part of the fun of Christmas, at least here in Drosche Land, is the holiday baking.  With the busyness and hecticness of this year's holiday season many things fell by the wayside, but we made sure to schedule in some quality baking time.  Now I'm not talking crazy baking here, you know like 20 different kinds of cookies spread out over a week, filling tons of tins, going through supplies like we're on Cupcake Wars (if you haven't seen it, watch it ASAP!).  We've been there and done that and although I do love it, this was not the year for such cookie hijinks.  Nope, instead we limited it to 3 of our favorite cookies, opting for quality rather than quantity.  In addition to the delicious byproduct of this fun activity it also provided us with some much needed family time as we all love to get in the kitchen and cook together as well as a reason to have to stay home and relax (in between batches of course).  Our 3 cookies?  I know you're wondering.  Well, up this year were chocolate Spritz cookies (because you have to use the cookie press at least once a season), sugar cookies (because they're Santa's favorite!), and gingerbread cookies (because it's not Christmas without a gingerbread person!).  

So, for the past two days we (mainly Amy with help from us boys here and there) have mixed, rolled, cut out, baked, decorated, and of course eaten.  We are finally finished and we still have a good 3/4 of our total haul left after eating, packing to take to family, and eating some more.  It was good for us to relax at home with no expectations or goals other than baking cookies.  We all needed the break and our DVR needed to be cleaned off so it was good all around.  Hopefully my waistline will not suffer from the past 2 days' activities, in addition to the copious amounts of leftovers from our fun and successful party on Wednesday.  I can't believe that it is December 23rd already, wow has the season flown by or what?!  I feel as though it came sneakily and by surprise!  But that is a post-Christmas post topic for next week.  For now I'll sit and relax, ready to enjoy the family time the next 2 days will bring as we celebrate the joyous season and everything it has to offer, even if it came suddenly and quickly!

All is well, stocked up on cookies, in Drosche Land.

The supplies.  Lined up, organized, and ready to go!
  

 Our favorite cookie cutters, ready to serve!

Amy using the cookie press.  I have 0% luck with this contraption!

Oh but it makes yummy treats!  Chocolate Spritz Cookies in an ornament shape!
 

Oh, not a cookie but I had to include a brief interlude of another holiday staple (at least in my opinion) homemade Chex Mix!  I must say, I make a mean batch (it's nearly all gone!)!

 

Sugar cookies!  Of course!

 

They come in both over-sized and mini!

 

Our little Cookie Monster, sneaking a pre-decorated cookie!

 

Sugar cookies ready for decorating!

 

Gingerbread cookies, their genders yet to be determined!

 

Gingerbread decorating!  Is it a boy or a girl?

 

 Gingerbread babies!

Braeden decorating his "Santa cookie"!

 

Jackson decorating his "Santa cookie".  It didn't last though (Jack ate it among many others) and Santa will never know of its deliciousness!

Sugar cookies come in stars and stockings as well!

 

But my Santa's FAVORITE are the Christmas trees!