Cookie Exchange

A few years ago, a co-worker approached me and asked if I would be interested in participating in a cookie exchange. After obtaining the conditions of the exchange, I agreed and contributed chocolate coconut meringue cookies. The next year I took the reigns as the organizer.

Any excuse I get to bake, I take, and this year I contributed chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies. We made sure that no one was bringing the same cookie as someone else. I always look for unusual types to bring in. Usually we get a good variety of things. 

This year, Craig brought molasses cookies, Melissa brought no-bakes, Mandy brought pumpkin-doodles, Theresa brought Mexican wedding balls, Courtney brought Rice Krispies treats, Lori brought peanut butter thumbprints with Hersey kisses, and Matt brought snickerdoodles. It took me a little while to figure out how to separate the piles so everyone would get one of each thing except what they brought, but we got it all sorted. Each of us got 35 cookies, so they will likely be shared and enjoyed by many people.

RADIO: Cinnamon Bear “Snapper Snick”, Jump Jump and the Ice Queen “The Frozen Country”, Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on the Moon “O’Gigraf the Lion”

MOVIE: Is it weird that when I think of frosted sugar cookies, I think of Gremlins? Probably yes, because I'm pretty sure the mom is baking gingerbread men when she's attacked by the mogwai that have turned evil, and not sugar cookies. But it is a great scene, and very memorable, but not really one that will make you hungry, unless you like green exploded splooge cooked in a microwave. Yum! 

Some people will laugh at me for calling this a Christmas movie, but it absolutely is. You can argue with me if you want. You'll be wrong. Billy gets Gizmo for a Christmas gift, and he's probably the cutest Christmas gift in the history of gift giving. Who wouldn't want a furry little guy who keeps you company, gets along with your dog, and sings cute little songs? He also likes old movies and

aspires to be like Clark Gable, so he's perfect in my book. Of course you can't get him wet, so if he gets dirty, too bad. (You can take him to Swan Cleaners, I guess). He can't be exposed to bright lights, so you can't take him to the beach. Who cares?--there is no beach in Ohio worth taking him to anyway. And you can't feed him after midnight, which begs the question, when does the timer start over to feed him again, because technically every hour is after some day's midnight.

I digress. Gremlins is a Christmas movie. They play Christmas music and there's a wicked Mr. Potter type and Phoebe Cates tells a really sad story about her dad literally killing himself trying to play Santa. It may be a twisted take on Christmas, but it totally counts. 

SONG: "Everything's Going to Be Cool This Christmas" by The Eels

GIFT MEMORY: My sister and I were Barbie fanatics. They were our favorite toys, and by the time we outgrew playing with them, we had accumulated 75 dolls between the two of us, not to mention the many play sets and clothes we had too.

One year when I was about eight or nine, my sister and I got a Barbie Pizza Hut set from our parents. My sister had also gotten a Barbie Laundromat from my grandma on Christmas Eve, and we took up the whole living room setting up a Barbie world to play in. It was tradition for our family to use Christmas Eve as a time to see our family, but Christmas day was strictly for immediate family and we never left the house. Therefore we had all day to enjoy our new toys, and we took full advantage. I still remember how awesome it was to make pizzas in that tiny oven and pull cups from that tiny cup dispenser. My sister and I didn’t always get along, but on that day we didn’t fight once.