December Happenings - Cookie Stockpile Shortage

 I am well known to have a cookie stockpile in my freezer normally at all times. I like to be prepared for a cookie emergency. However, there wasn't a single frozen cookie cooked or raw frozen in my freezer this month. This was a real emergency according to my family. I even tried to convince them we should have a family cookie exchange. I only had one taker, and my husband had the audacity to say he would bring Oreos. I don't know what is wrong with my family.

I spent the last week trying to remedy that problem. Below are some of the new recipes I tried

Chocolate Snowflake Cookies - Lakeside table recipe from Lakeside Table. I ended up making a second batch because first disappeared. This recipe used cocoa instead of semi sweet baking chocolate. 

I made a double batch of Andes Mint cookies this is Becky Higgins Recipe. This was easy and very good.

I also made a double batch of my World's Best Cookies - Chocolate Chip/Butterscotch.

My son made ugly cowboy cookies - Recipe Cider Press Lane

My husband did come through with 2 loaves of snickerdoodle bread with cinnamon chips

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BAKE COOKIES!

except if you don't have the ingredients 

December Happenings - Someone has Christmas Spirit

 My son loves to set up his own Christmas tree and village. Many of the holiday celebrations are challenging for him in regard to change and noise etc.  He is a big fan of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. I mentioned that I had seen a Stitch blow mold.  Next time we were at Walmart, guess what was in his cart.

My son is a safety-first kind of guy. So of course, Stitch was buckled in for the ride home.

I think it looks great in his room along with his tree. Decorations are all him.

December Happenings - Tree Suprise and Confession

 My husband carved this little tree for me and left it for me to find. I am well known to have a mini tree problem See below

I have a few mini trees. This is the majority of the collection but not all of them. They are ceramic, glass, wood, mercury glass. I love them all

December Happenings - Light Up Artesia Parade

 Since moving here, I have only attended the 4th of July which frankly takes more time to wait for than the actual parade. The light parade was great.  There were many parade entries.  If you know me in real life, I am always down to go to a parade. It was a great hometown showing. I of course loved all the lights. It was my first time seeing Santa in a sombrero. No Santa did not pass out tacos. It was a missed opportunity in my opinion.

December Happenings- Keith and Helen have Arrived

 I never had any inflatables until I arrived in New Mexico. My best friend felt I needed these. They really do bring so much joy

Keith and Helen

December Happenings - Mistakes Were Made

Does anyone else watch Jennifer Gardner's Pretend Cooking Show on Instagram. She made leftover cranberry sauce muffins.  I gave it the good Monday Morning attempt. Problem was I didn't have enough coffee. I might have accidentally mixed-up cumin and cinnamon. 

I was able to dig out most of the cummin out but not all. I added the correct amount of cinnamon. I felt like I was to far in so I continued baking.  Mistakes were made. My husband said they were a bit on the savory side according to my husband. They disappeared quickly.

December Happenings- Christmas on the Pecos

 Ali Edwards, scrapbooking expert, has December Daily scrapbook. I cannot not maintain that level of commitment, but I did want to share and maybe scrapbook some of our December activities.

Last year we tried to go to Christmas on the Pecos. They have a lighted boat tour, but our tour was cancelled due to weather. We were successful this time. The pages below were done with Project Life.