anyone else having a pre-holiday baking frenzy?

[tigereye]

I'm off today and I baked 12 Christmas nut and cranberry breads last night. I feel like I can't stop baking and that I should get a bunch more in the oven!

[miss_american_pie]

1. I was

but I'm out of room in the freezer. We'll have to eat some cookies so I can make more.

[tigereye]

4. I always mean to make cookies

I have a bunch of recipes I want to try.


But I always end up making breads instead, since they are easier.

[MissMillie]

2. no, but I should be making fudge.

and in serious quantities

[tigereye]

3. serious quantities of fudge sound very good!

I get started and I can't stop - I have a bunch more breads to make. Holidays kind of make me run around like a chicken without a head.

[MissMillie]

5. peanut butter fudge

I probably need to make about 8 batches. Unfortunately I have to finish 2 afghans (one is not yet started) before the evening of the 24th.

[tigereye]

6. it's easy to try to do too much

I always feel as if I ought to have the house totally rehabbed (decoration and otherwise) before Christmas. But I'm still usually carrying out old NYTs as the relatives are ringing the doorbell!

[reyd reid reed]

I am.

I've baked the first round of cookies...got about 500 of them done. I've made my gingerbread house, my chocolate-covered cherries, my peanut brittle, a chocolate/coconut cake and my mint patties and I've started the fudge. I've done about 200 tamales this week and today I'm doing the last of the tamales and my coconut patties and tomorrow I'm baking a birthday cake. I'm off on Sunday, so I'll start my rolled sugar cookies then, along with more fudge, more spritz cookies, more butter cookies and the chocolate lace cookies.

Next week, there's the sausage balls and the quick breads and the peanut butter cups and the truffles and I'd have to check my list for what else -- I'm drawing a blank. And then it'll be time to start the pies.

[tigereye]

8. good lord

that is some SERIOUS baking. Mine is miniscule by comparison. When do you sleep?



one year I did the dozen cookies routine for work and I thought I was going to have an attack some kind.

[lizziegrace]

10. I don't think she does sleep

I think we should all go to Reyd Reid Reed's for Christmas.

[reyd reid reed]

15. Heeee....

the more the merrier. And you could help me bake.

[reyd reid reed]

14. This time of year passes

in kind of a fog.

I'm telling you though...on the 26th, I do NOTHING. I put out what's left of the cookies and candy and Christmas dinner...just put it all on the table...and then do NOTHING. If the kids want to eat cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with peanut butter cups for dessert...go for it.

I'll probably put out some clementines and apples too...just to assuage my conscience.

[mopinko]

7. i start tomorrow. i did none last year.

i am doing the "little red hen" routine this year. after experiencing a year with no cookies, i am getting a lot of "volunteers" this year.
you can't find my kitchen table at the moment. spent a was on fruit an nuts. it never ceases to amaze me how much really good cookies cost to make.

[leftofthedial]

9. next week

cookies

banana cranberry bread

[tigereye]

26. I am big on cranberry bread....

and nut bread.

[lizziegrace]

11. This weekend

Lelapin was told to pick 4 kinds of cookies. We're baking this weekend and I'll bake bread and a few other things next weekend.

I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow.

[reyd reid reed]

12. You're working tomorrow?

Oh...at the shop?

[lizziegrace]

16. Yep, at the shop

[reyd reid reed]

17. Not all day, are you?

And what kind of cookies has she picked?

[lizziegrace]

18. Might as well be

11-5

But, Lelapin and I are definitely nightowls, so we'll stay up late.

[reyd reid reed]

20. Y'know, that sounds like fun, actually....

I can't get girly-poo to bake most of the time. Although she does want to help with the peanut butter cups this year.

I suspect that's only so that she can eat the ones that break, though.

[BarenakedLady]

13. Uhmmmm nope (nt)

[Patiod]

19. My oven is where I store the catfood

It's been broken for years, but a microwave, stove, toaster oven and crockpot seem to fulfill all of our cooking needs.

I did, however, make cranberry christmas trees last night



The one pictured uses red bead garland -- mine uses real cranberries. And takes hours to make. But looks damned good as a party centerpiece.

[tigereye]

27. that's cute!

I like that!

Not enough to make the effort, but hey!

[Z_I_Peevey]

21. There are 14 frozen, unassembled gingerbread houses

in my freezer. I have four of Aunt Dixie's Famous Nut Rolls, fruitcakes, cookies, cheese balls and cranberry/orange/nut relish.

This weekend, cashew butter cookies. Later on, gelatin jigglers cut out in cookie shapes for the granddaughter.

[lizziegrace]

25. 14 houses?

Wow. When will you assemble them?

[Z_I_Peevey]

35. They are part of a demonstration I'm doing.

I hope they'll all be put together by the end of next week.

[Dulcinea]

22. Yes.

Peanut butter blossoms for my friend's party tomorrow night.

Mexican wedding cakes (husband's request)

Napoleon creams (rich, decadent, FABULOUS)

Whatchamacallits (glorified Rice Krispie treats flavored w/ peanut butter & topped w/ chocolate/butterscotch topping--easy & delicious!)

Still gotta make gingerbread, but that'll be next week.

[tigereye]

28. mmmm

I always mean to make p-butter blossoms.

all of your planned eatables sound scrumptious. I usually make gingerbread, too, and esp. for New Years.

[noonwitch]

23. It begins tomorrow

I have to make my dad's favorites so I can mail them to him asap. Those are called "Trixies" and consist of two chocolate/brownie style layers with nuts and raisins, with a layer of peppermint frosting in between. It is my grandmother's recipe and no one else makes them anymore for him.

I don't do cut-out cookies, because I have no cookie cutters at this point and I don't like to buy pre-cut cookies.

I will make some spritz cookies, at some point, and those hershy-kiss peanut butter thumbprint cookies. I also will make my famous chocolate caramel bars before my family party on 12-30.

[tigereye]

30. yeah I don't like the pre-cut stuff

I understand that those things save time, but sheesh, it isn't that hard or time-consuming to make and roll out some dough - I feel the same way about c.chip cookies in a pre-mixed roll.

But then, I only have one kid.

The trixies sound good....

[jilln]

24. 2 kinds of fudge, guava cookies and a blueberry crumble pie (nt)

[ThomCat]

29. I start tonight.

Applesauce cakes, gingerbread cookies, Peanutbutter Chocolate cookies, Lemon Cookies, and Sugar Cookies.

The people in my office are getting spoiled on Monday!

[tigereye]

32. applesauce cakes

yum

[ThomCat]

33. It's my favorite cake too!

And very quick and easy to make.

[tigereye]

34. mmm

maybe I should be asking for recipes here.

[AllegroRondo]

31. Ive been making cookies every night since Saturday

Ive got over 20 dozen in the freezer. what fun!

[Midlodemocrat]

36. Yup. Since before Thanksgiving, I've been baking either pumpkin

or banana bread each night, cookies, pumpkin pies and apple pies.

I also made a kill cappuccino mousse truffle a few weeks back. The folks who we were entertaining almost licked their plates.

I love baking this time of year. I love the way the house smells and the kids just adore all the goodies.