The Friday Five - Cookie edition

I have such fond memories of getting together with my best friend, Laurie, when I was nine, ten and eleven, and spending an entire day baking cookies during Christmas vacation. The one I remember most vividly were these candy cane cookies. They were tricky!

What are your favorites to make? To receive? Is it impossible to narrow it down to five? I know, I know, I feel your pain.

I'm going to attempt to do it, though. I'm going to do the ones that are my favorite to eat. And usually, the ones I like to eat are the ones I make, because hello, I may give away some of them, but I'm keeping some too!

1. Sugar cookies

I love them. LOVE them. They are a bit of work, I know, but when all is said and done, they're pretty and delicious and they just say Christmas like nothing else does.

I posted my favorite recipe HERE. Mmmm, so good. This year, I have two new cookie cutters, a candy cane and a snowflake. So exciting, right!?

2. Peanut Butter Bon Bons (click on link for recipe)

Okay, so maybe these are more of a candy than a cookie, but either way, how can you go wrong with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter? They're messy to make, but well worth it, I think. In fact, be careful. They're kind of addictive!

3. Russian Tea Cakes

No one in my family likes these except me. Which is just fine, because when a plate comes from a friend or neighbor and there are a couple of these on there, I know they are MINE. I just love the nutty flavor combined with the sweet powered sugar. They are really so simple and yet, so delicious.

4. Peanut Butter Blossoms

My grandma Beavens always made these and so, they remind me of her, which is a special thing. But aside from that, they are just SO FREAKING GOOD. Again, like the bon bons, we have the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but it's not just that. When they are cooled somewhat, but still warm, and the soft peanut butter cookie gets eaten alongside the Hershey's chocolate, it's like heaven in a cookie. Seriously. In fact, I microwave them just a few seconds before I eat them after they've cooled completely because I like the chocolate melted just a little bit.

5. Mounds Bars

These are my husband's favorite. Every year, his mom makes some for all of us to have on Christmas Eve, so it's a bit of a tradition now. The graham cracker crust, coconut, and chocolate all work together to make something that is really special. Of course, if you're not a fan of coconut, you won't like them, but I am, along with a fan of graham crackers and chocolate. So, another perfect cookie, in my book!

So there you have it! My top five Christmas cookies (or top six, if you count the candy cane cookies, which are really good, just tedious to make).

Happy Baking!!!

Draft is Done!

It was like this in my house last night.

Yes, I finished the draft. SO happy to be done.

The manuscript needs a lot of work, and I'm making a long list of things I need to tackle when I revise. But for now, I'm making plans to bake some of these:

To do a lot of this:

And dream of Christmas morning, when we get to see what the guy in the red suit left in these:

19 days, people.
19 days!!

Happy December!

I can't believe December is here!

I will not panic, I will not panic.

Here are some cute cupcakes, to help get us in the holiday spirit.

photo credit: cakemommy

A Thankful Heart

On Saturday, as the kids played new games, I flipped through channels trying to find a Christmas show to entertain me and my husband before we had to leave for Christmas dinner at my brother's home.

I stumbled upon the The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Thank the good Lord, I stumbled upon the The Muppet Christmas Carol! I was smart enough to hit record, since we'd have to leave before it was over. So, later on, we all sat down and watched it from (almost) the beginning, the whole family. And my kids loved it too.

How I've managed to go through almost twenty Christmases since it was released and not watch that movie before this weekend is beyond me. I was mesmerized. Michael Caine was BRILLIANT. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more.

When I was a child, I listened to a record called The Frog Prince over and over and over again on my little record player in my room. Back then, we didn't have DVRs or even VCRs (I know, the horror!), so I saw the movie once, and then it lived on through the record. It's fun to revisit the movie on youtube now. Anyway, until now, that was my favorite muppet movie:





But now, I have The Muppet Christmas Carol. Ahh... love, love, love!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

A modified version of the Christmas letter I sent with cards this year.

As always, Scott has been working hard in our back yard.

Lisa is really enjoying her job as full-time author.

Our sweet little boys... oops. Our teenagers (gulp) keep us on our toes.

Wishing you all the joys of the season, and a happy and healthy new year!

The Friday Five

1. I have this longing to go to a movie theater and spend a whole day watching film after film. To just get swept up and away in story after story. Should I do it? Have you ever done it?

I want to see THE KING'S SPEECH, THE TOURIST, TANGLED, DUE DATE, BURLESQUE and HARRY POTTER!!

Of course, I've had SCOTT PILGRIM VS the WORLD sitting here to watch at home for over a week, and have I made time? Uh, no.

2. Speaking of movies, have you seen the trailer for WATER FOR ELEPHANTS? I loved that book. And the trailer makes me squeal with joy. It looks magical!

3. I just posted my Christmas list on Facebook. Here it is:

FALL FOR ANYTHING by Courtney Summers and FIXING DELILAH by Sarah Ockler
Taylor Swift's Target Special Edition CD
Trip to Paris

4. I'm a little sad today, as I say good-bye today to the girls and readers of the Author2Author blog.

5. My copy-edited manuscript of SPRINKLES AND SECRETS is calling to me. I better get to it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Christmas poem

May We Always Believe
by Lisa Schroeder, Dec. 2005


’Twas the week before Christmas
and with so much to do,
not a Schroeder was sleeping.
They were frazzled, it’s true.

The cookies weren’t baked
and the gifts weren’t yet bought.
But with Target dot com,
surely all was not lost.

The boys topped their lists with
Nintendo DS!
Mom’s heart started racing
from Extreme Price Tag Stress.

“Why do you need that?”
Mom tried to outwit.
“You have a fine Gameboy.”

“But the new games don’t FIT!”

“Santa will bring them,”
G said, “Yes he will!”
Dad nodded and smiled
while Mom felt quite ill.

Visions of Kirby
danced in the boys’ heads
as they drifted to sleep
in their warm, comfy beds.

“How did we get here?”
Mom asked with a sigh.
“What happened to dump trucks,
and to blocks built so high?”

Just for a moment,
Dad closed his brown eyes.
“They grow up so fast.
It’s been quite a surprise.”

“Wait!” Mom exclaimed.
“Did you hear what G said?
SANTA WILL BRING THEM!
This is nothing to dread!”

When Christmas Day came,
Santa left quite a loot.
He ate all the cookies,
left a mark with his boot.

“I told you, I told you!”
G squealed with joy.
Mom and Dad wiped their tears
at the sight of their boy.

“Will you always believe,
in that old Santa Claus?”
“I will!” answered G,
without nearly a pause.

Big brother S
well, he didn’t say much.
Except, “Santa’s great.”
Ah, what a nice touch.

And so Mom and Dad
watched the day, what a thrill.
And they found themselves wishing
time would stop. Just stand still.

Thank you, dear Lord,
for good girls and boys.
May we always believe,
and know life’s greatest joys.

***

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!!

Wishing you peace, love and joy.

~Lisa