Every holiday season I have to remind myself that I am not Martha Stewart or Ina Garten. My house won't be featured on HGTV and Bing Crosby won't be dropping by to smoke a pipe and judge my use of tinsel. I have spent many holiday seasons pretending to be someone I am not. Lets take a walk down memory lane. We can start with baked goods.
One December, many years ago, I decided I would be the person who showed up with an amazing platter of Christmas cookies. I fantasized about my kids bragging to future college roommates about how amazing their mom's Christmas cookies were. I imagined bake sales not starting until I arrived with my array of cookies.
So, for two weeks I entered a Christmas cookie hell of room temperature, grass fed butter, dusty floured counters, and satanic spritz presses. (Don't message me with your fairy tales of how spritz cookies are so easy to make. I don't believe you.) The kitchen timer was constantly dinging, alerting me to either take chilled dough out of the refrigerator or baked cookies out of the oven. I developed a long lasting tic, hearing the kitchen timer everywhere I went. I baked cut out sugar cookies, peppermint candy canes, thumbprint cookies, spritz, and marzipan fruit. I even tried to make homemade caramels. (The end result was a caramel syrup that was quite tasty poured over ice cream. I was able to return the six rolls of waxed paper I had purchased.)
My finished cookies did not look beautiful or remotely tempting. No college student would be waiting at their mailbox in hopes of a care package. Bake sale coordinators would wait until I left to chuck my cookies into the compost. My cookies looked like someone who hated to bake made them and they all pretty much tasted the same. Sugary with more than a hint of overpowering peppermint.
Family members did not want to eat my cookies. I entered a downward spiral. I couldn't take all my hard work going to waste, so I started devouring the cookies. Eventually I had to lock the cookies in my trunk to stop myself from pouring milk over them and making a crumbled cookie cereal.
This episode of cookie mania taught me to not spend hours doing something I hate that no one else cares about. I am now known as the mom who makes the super, tasty spiced pretzels. (Thanks for the super easy recipe, Diane! I owe you.) I am fine with other moms wearing the "Cookie Goddess Tiara."
Be sure to join me for Part II of "The Art of Happy Holidays." You will learn how streamline your decorating and ditch the Dickens village.
Prairie Eydie
You made me feel alright with my decision to simplify and possibly only bake two of the family favorite cookie recipes instead of nine different types! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMy mission was accomplished then! We need to spend our time doing things we truly value during the holiday season.
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