Busy Kitchen

It's been extremely busy in my little kitchen of my little home. It's once again time for creations. For the Christmas season, I used to make pastry baskets filled with breads, cookies, and various other sweets. I still believe in making my own little gift baskets for everyone, but due to the different diets that everyone is on I've had to change things up a little.

This year (and last year), instead of making patries, I started making candies. For one thing, it's okay if they get harder, whereas that's a bad thing for cookies and baked goods. Secondly, you can pop one little piece of candy in your mouth and walk away. That's not always the case with chocolate chip cookies. LOL. Plus, you have to drink that big old glass of milk with cookies, which mean you need at least two or three different cookies to go with the milk.

My menu this year is almost complete. I've listed my tasty treats below. Check it out and you'll see why I've been so busy for the past couple of weeks. I only have 3 things left to make: puppy chow, sugar-spiced mixed nuts, and divinity w/ cherry on top. These things are much better when you get them fresh. Mmm.

• Pink Poinsettas - Cranberry flavored cream cheese mints
• Chocolate Moose - a play on words; This is a chocolate lollipop in the form of a moose head
• Peanut Brittle
• Green Holly Leaves - Wintergreen flavored cream cheese mints
• Divinity w/ Cherry on Top
• Haystacks
• Snowmen - Clove flavored creme cheese mints
• Golden Candle - Butter Rum hard candies in the shape of glowing candles
• Red Boxes - Cherry flavored hard candies
• Sugar Spiced Mixed Nuts
• Puppy Chow
• Milk Chocolate covered pretzels
• White Chocolate covered pretzels
• Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• White Chocolate covered pretzels

I am also hoping to slip a "Taffy Pulling Party" into my schedule with all my girlfriends before the big holiday. That should be a lot of fun. I've never made taffy before, but I hadn't ever made peanut brittle before either, and it turned out VERY good. (I actually just made it tonight - hint: add a few drops of English Toffee flavoring for an extra tasty boost.)

If you would like recipes for any of the items above, you can email me or you can check them out on my favorite cooking website: www.Cooks.com

I may still make a batch or two of cookies (gingersnaps, coconut macaroons, chocolate chip) just for good measure. After all, who doesn't love a good cookie? LOL. Plus, we gotta leave some for "Santa". (Wink Wink)