December Baking

It seems that there will be quilting on the side for a little while. I cut more material last night for a couple of WIP quilts. Earlier in the day, I spent way too much time looking for suction cups to hang indoor lights on my front windows. I put them in a tin, somewhere easy to find. And of course they are hidden somewhere in sight.

I sigh when thinking of how that works. Every time I do something like that, it spurs me on to be even more organized. My small home needs good organization, which is meant for easy retrieval of what is stored.

My system is flawed because of that one tin of suction cups.

Yesterday I shipped out two boxes of Gluten-free Peanut Butter cookies to two of my family members who have Celiac Disease.

I made a dozen that were plain, one that had chocolate chips in it, & the third dozen with chips and walnuts. I also included the recipe. Neither would bake, but if they like these enough, they might or might share the recipe.

So many of us have physical dis-eases and we watch what we ingest. There is such a conflict for us because this time of the year BEGS us to entertain and be entertained. We want something sweet at the end of the day for comfort, that doesn't compromise our health choices we made all year long. I have more than one theory why this happens.

Here I am, making sweets, giving sweets. Its a conflict for me at times. My Granddaughter and Niece each got about 18 cookies in their box. Each year, I send less. When we talk, they ask me to bake, and they tell me that they miss my cooking and baking. For most of them, they do remember the holidays when we baked together...I would have the entire family over for a baking party. Of course there was pasta and meatballs to add to the tradition. It was great fun for them growing up and for all of us to be together.

And then this morning, I made fudge. This one goes out to four of my Grandpeeps and my younger Son. I plan to cut them into small pieces and lay them in those mini paper cups for easy sharing. Each of those boxes will contain about 12 pieces.

Over the years, I have come to see that when I bake and ship, whatever I send needs to be OK to travel. Usually I can make one batch of something per week and split it in half.

Baking is also for me. I love to bake. I miss them too...I miss those precious years when they were younger, hearing their laughter and seeing their sweet faces. It was a time when the world was spinning just perfectly for each of us. 

Ehhh...a little sweetness. Say what you will about it. When a small box comes in the mail from Granny and when its addressed to only you...well, you get the meaning: "Life is sweet and so are you!"