I hosted 6 friends this week for my first Cookie Exchange. I served mini egg rolls, mini broccoli and cheese quiches and BBQ meatballs, a chocolate covered strawberry dip with crackers. We each brought six dozen cookies so everyone went home with a different variety of six dozen than they brought.

           We had Mexican Wedding Cookies, Very good cookies (yes that is the name of them), Yuletide Kisses, Hidden Kisses, Star studded cookies, Peanut Butter tarts filled with chocolate stars and a delicious Orange/Cranberry/Almond Chex mix for entertaining.

         I could not decide which cookie to make so I made the peanut butter tarts, Tiger Butter candy and Peppermint Creams to share. I cut out 8 dozen butter cookies and we had a hilarious time decorating the butter cookies. I had visions of the beautful cookies we would create without children distracting us and with expensive toppings and royal icing. My two cookies were in the shape of a Moose for my Canadian loving man. My first one looked like a shaggy puppy so the next one I made very plain so you could still tell it was a Moose! We all had a very good laugh at my  not so pretty decorated Moose. But K ate it today- and he called it a dog cookie!

         Now we are starting to make up our Christmas platters that go out to the Youth Group leader, piano teacher and neighbors. They are looking pretty but just needed something more. A dear friend of mine had told me early in the year that Aldi sells Truffles at Christmas time. So today I stopped by and got a few boxes- it was just the right touch to finish our platters. Soon our cookie exchange cookies will be gone!!!! . . .  J comes home in 5 days and we will begin baking again with her. Fudge and reese candy and no bake cookies are calling to me . . . can you hear them? . . .