Of course I am! I am the chief mom of this clan! If I don’t make the Christmas magic, who will? Tired is no excuse and neither is too busy! I may not be making many but there will be some, and I won’t be tasting so much as a single one.
My kids like Christmas cookies. Our family heritage of Italian, Hungarian and German descent means we have recipes that are amazing. Interestingly none of them are disgusting sweet concoctions, but more cookies you might enjoy with a cup of tea. My kids look forward to them, and I won’t disappoint them. So despite the craziest schedule ever this year, I am still making a few kinds for them to enjoy. I used to make a lot more, but I just can’t do more than what happens today, and I am living a guilt free life now, lol!
I often wonder how my mom and grandma cranked out fifteen kinds of cookies each year. My sister does as well, even though she works. She makes so many she has alternate lists that she does every other year. I remember that my mom and grandma didn’t work outside of home, and here I am with two jobs. Yeah, that kind of cramps your Christmas style a bit.
If it doesn’t happen today, it won’t be happening. This is it! The bakeathon…. lol… I will try to get in four or five kinds, in between laundry and cleaning up for the week. I may make a huge family favorite, raised dough horns, on Friday before work. They are a labor intensive yeast dough thing filled with a walnut filling that every Hellinger kid wanted straight out of the oven! My personal favorite was always the poppyseed filled ones that my sweet Aunt Rose used to make when I went to visit her. They were my absolute favorite and I do miss them, but not enough to mess this up. Yesterday I picked up baking supplies and hopefully I have all that I need to make the magic happen.
What today does not mean for me, is a sampling fest. Last year my kids were amazed that after an entire day of baking, all I had eaten was a salad. I kept asking them, to taste them because how do you tell if they are right? They laughed that as they gained five pounds, I lost it.
Not a single cookie will pass my lips this holiday, not one. I made it through last year and I will this year as well. I am determined! I know the effect sugar has on me. My cells will be like an inferno and the sugar will cause a reaction in my brain. I have come way too far down this road to get derailed by a cut out Santa, no matter how cute he might be. No thanks!
Have a great day, and happy baking!
Chris