Christmas Baking

Crazy baking lady is back....for a moment. I got in the mood last night to bake, and boy did I ever!

I baked 3 loaves of pumpkin bread (from scratch) last night, and made the dough for my Grandma's sugar cookies to refrigerate overnight (from scratch). I also made my favorite holiday treat, chocolate-dipped peanut butter ritz crackers. My grandma makes them every year. I did all of that last night, and tonight I'll actually be baking the cookies.

When I was in college, I had a dear friend, Stacey, who loved to cook and bake. I used to go over to her house and she would teach me how to make all kinds of things, and my favorite thing to make was chocolate chip cookies from scratch. I haven't done much of that since Stacey and her husband moved away, but last night I thought about her as I was mixing and making a mess! I also thought a lot about my grandma--luckily she was home when I called her twice to ask advice!

This weekend, my friend Melissa's son turned 7. I couldn't believe it! Melissa and I have been friends since high school, when Cameron was born. I was with her through all the hard times she went through being 16 and pregnant, and I went to see Cameron the night he was born. He feels like my own kid and now he's in first grade. He's tall and gorgeous, a great reader and he wants to be an artist when he grows up. I don't have kids of my own, but it must be overwhelming to a parent how fast they grow up. Of course, it doesn't feel like it's been 7 years since high school either! Anyway, Happy Birthday Cameron--it's so much fun watching you grow up!

It's going to be a busy week. Love the holidays! Stop by my house anytime--it smells like yummy baked goods.