Merry Christmas!

So I know I just started this little Six Ingredient Solutions Series but I have to take a quick break and wish everyone Merry Christmas today instead. So…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday. I think I’ve probably mentioned this before but I’ve been known to go a little bananas in the baking department. This year was no exception. In fact I may have topped my prior years craziness. Guys, my list of baked goods reads like the 12 days of Christmas song this year! I have 6 varieties of cookies, three types of cakes (eggnog included), four coffee cakes… yikes. The cookies alone fill four 9×13 tupperware containers. Now you don’t have to be too afraid for me, only one is staying at my house. Others have good homes waiting for them.

It’s been a lot of fun baking. I made one of my all time favorites, ricotta cookies (sorry never took pictures, maybe I’ll share next year). These cookies are amazingly light and airy, which is crazy, because in years prior (before I owned my fantastic Kitchen Aid mixer) I had to mix the cookie dough for this recipe using my husbands corded drill because every hand mixer of every brand burned out when attempting the batter. Actually Lindsey at Pinch of Yum mentioned using a drill to mix cookies in one of her posts because her mixer is packed after moving recently and it completely cracked me up. I’ve been doing that one for years with these cookies. 

My favorite baking experience this year was continuing a family tradition with my son. When I was growning up my Mom and I would always bake a birthday cake for baby Jesus every year. My oldest son loves to help me bake, so this year he and I made the birthday cake together. It was a lot of fun decorating it with him and talking about the Christmas story. 

As much as I do like baking, and as wonderful as it was to make such a special cake with my son, I have to admit I’m all baked out for now. Honestly I don’t want to look at another bag of flour for at least a month. It probably won’t stick… mid way through January when everyone has been on the New Years diet and cleanse or whatever I know I’ll seriously be jonesing for a cookie… But at least for a little while I think you guys are getting dinner and other savory type posts! But that’s neither here nor there right now I suppose.  

For now, I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas (and/or other holiday celebrations of this time of year). I hope you’ve had fun with family and friends. I hope you’ve eaten way too much (and maybe taken a nap). I hope God has blessed you all richly this year and I pray His blessings continue for you into next year. Again, Merry Christmas!