The Pink Cricut

One of my favorite things about Christmas time, is all of the baking

I love it, and I have since I was a little girl.  There are a variety of cookies that we have made over the years, with my parents--oatmeal rasin, Noel nutballs, Buckeyes, Date cookies, fudge-- but everyone's favorite Christmas cookie remains to be the, "Sugar Cookie."  Cut into Christmas shapes, and decorated around the kitchen table with every family member.  (They all didn't stay the entire time, but they all decorated....and ate...at least 1 cookie)

For years, after I left my parents house-- I still went back with  my kids to decorate Christmas cookies.  My kids needed to learn at an early age, how crazy and fun decorating cookies could be!  And, I can remember years where it got very crazy-- but there was always laughter, and frosting covered hands.  We have invited many friends and family over to share with us in this fun tradition-- so if they would share a story of our "Christmas Decorating" days in the comment section--I would love to read it. 

This year, like every other year, I have been baking up a storm.  Kyle cannot seem to keep flour and sugar in the house.  The 2009 Blizzard that snowed us in for 2 days didn't help much either--I though I was going to go crazy wtih only 1/2 bag of powdered sugar left!!!

To date, in December I have made Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, Pretzel Kiss Treats, Sugar Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Molasses Cookies, and Peanut Butter Fudge.  My sister came to stay for a week also--so, has been a big help with decorating the Sugar Cookies and she also made Revel Bars and Chocolate Fudge.  So, as you can tell, my mixer has not had much of a break!   I still have a list of cookies I plan to make before Christmas Day is upon us....

The only thing I do differently, than my mom...is I don't hide the cookies until the week of Christmas--we eat them as we go.  I just can't see myself explaing to Jaxen that he needed to wait to eat these yummy goodies for 2-3 weeks...it's not happening.  :)

I may post more pictures of my Christmas baking...but,  for now here are some photos of the treats Alexis, Jaxen and Kyle are enjoying :)  Feel free to ask for the recipes I used. 

Oh, and this year I thought it would be fun to do "miniature" cookies-- So, I have lots and lots of mini shaped sugar cookies, and lots of mini gingerbread men.  They are bite-size and perfect this way, imo... But, we will see what everyone else thinks!  I also decided to use Royal Frosting, with Meringue Powder so that it would get hard and shiny, instead of our typical Powdered Sugar Frosting. 

Mild Chili Powder - can add any other peppers to spice it up some more

3 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder


Pumpkin Pie Spice


1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground mace (if you don't have mace, use another 1/4 tsp of nutmeg)
1/4 ground cloves




Poultry Seasoning

• 2 cups dried parsley
• 1 cup rubbed sage
• 1/2 cup dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 cup dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage

I thought I should stock up on pumpkin for all the yummy pumpkin baking that I do every year.  I love to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies--anything with pumpkin and cream cheese frosting makes it seem like fall! 

Yes, I could have done it the easy way and bought cans of pumpkin.  All the hard work is done for you, and put in those cans so they are ready when you are-- but, what is the fun in that?  Plus, when you do make pumpkin puree yourself, it does taste so much better and is cheaper.  Also, you can whip up baby food while you are at it, if you have an infant at your house.  I have had a couple people ask how it's done--so, although there is more than one way to skin a pumpkin, I will tell you the way I have found is the easiest.
I purchase a pie pumpkin, which are marked that way in grocery stores--and you will know them because they are much smaller than the traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins.  However, if you get the wrong kind of pumpkin--it is not that big of a deal.  I used Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins last year.  This year I used 3 pie pumpkins at $2 a piece.

I cut the pumpkins in half- this is a tedious task because I am always afraid I am going to cut off a finger :(.  Some people cut theirs in pieces--but that is just way too much cutting in  my opinion, why higher your risk for lost appendages?  You cover the pumpkin halves with aluminum foil, and place them in the oven at about 350 for about an hour or so.  You want them to be tender enough so the "guts" scrape right out and away from the skin.  You may also choose to sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or pumpkin spice inside the halves before you put them in the oven.  This is not necessarily for taste reasons, but it makes your house smell so yummy.

After the pumpkins are baked, carefully take them out of the oven, and while they are still hot--use a potholder and hang on to them as you scoop out the insides.  I left the other pieces in the oven until I was ready to scrape those also.

Then you will simply place the pieces of, "guts," into your food processor or blender even--and blend until it looks like baby food.  The puree will be much lighter than the can-version, so don't be alarmed.  I think all their additives make it darker?   Then you will need to pour or scoop the puree into a storage container.  I have found that the quart ziploc bags work the best-because they hold exactly 2 cups, which is about how much is in a can of pumpkin puree at the store.  Lay them flat so they freeze nicely.  I did not have quart ziplocs when I made this batch, so I used gallon bags.  It worked fine, I will just have to measure as I go.

My 3 pie pumpkins made approx 1/2 gallon each- I put them into 3 bags, so they would lay flat and freeze well.  I only froze 2, because I plan on making something pumpkin this week yet!  Also, it works nicely if you have a 2nd person holding the bag as you fill them.  My husband did that for me last year--but this year he wasn't here--and I missed that extra help.





The same day, I must have been in the Halloween mood--because I also made the kids mummy hot dogs.  It's very simple to do--and takes very little time.  You purchase pizza dough in a can, and unroll it.  Cut off thin strips of the dough--and roll it between your hands so it creates a "snake."  Then wrap the hot dog like a mummy, leaving space for his face to peek out.  Bake at 350 until the dough looks golden brown on the edges.  I added mustard-eyes and a ketchup-smile.  The kids loved them, but since they had no idea what a, "mummy," was--they called them, "mommy-dogs."  So, apparently, I must walk around the house wrapped in pizza dough?

Pardon the 3rd Mummy who looks as if he is coming, "unraveled."