{baked}

I find the title of this post funny.  In many ways, I am right real baked once the k.Mac holiday making is complete.  This Christmas season has left me wonderfully blessed with business, but equally blitzed beyond the studio doors.

{my favorite cook books given to me by Kenny and my brother, Adam}

I took a personal timeout the day after the last k.Mac package shipped out.  I did this with intentions of baking with the boys in preparation for Christmas's arrival.  Goodies really are kinda nice to have around when Santa comes, you know?

And, what ended up happening?  I baked.  The boys would mingle in & out of the kitchen for taste tests and a few dough drops on baking stones.  They would roll & coat and then they were off.  Christmas music played all day in our home.  I worked at a happy pace with a sweet peace surrounding me as if my kitchen was anxiously awaiting my arrival home.

{candy cane fudge}

I concocted the above creation.  Candy Cane Fudge we like to call it.  Next year's batch will have a tiny tweaking to ensure a secured & prolonged softness in texture.  Its taste is nothing short of divine if I do say so myself.

Each family member requested a baked goody from Mama's kitchen.  Eli's request:  traditional and rich.  From scratch chocolate chip cookies.  The recipe I use is found in the cook book my brother gave me for Christmas in 2000.  

I made 2 batches as the quantity yielded is not nearly enough when living with 3 boys a tad shy of what one would call adequate.  These morsels are highly coveted in our home.  How about yours?

Next up was one of Kenny's requests.  Crock Pot Candy  Easy as pie too.  I couldn't believe how nice it was just to dump, time, stir and then glop onto wax paper.  

This was the first of our goodies to expire in our home too.  Can you say goner?  I knew that you could.

Kenny's 2nd request was lemon cookies.  Again, these are so simple to make.  I love those go-to recipes that are easy and equally delicious.  This recipe is from the Betty Crocker cook book Kenny gave to me one Christmas before we had kids.  Like, when was that?

Ahh, peanut butter fudge.  Say no more, huh?  I used this recipe only with creamy peanut butter.  Easy. Melt in your mouth yummy.  There ain't much by way of peanut butter that I don't approve of.

My goody of choice was white chocolate pretzel sticks with sprinkles.  I opted to die the almond bark green for more of a festive flair.  You know me and color by now, don't you?

The Face opted for white chocolate covered pretzels straight no chaser.  These are never pretty if I'm making them.  But, they taste glorious regardless of their curb side appeal.

Tradition, in our home, is to use the hand baked goodies to give to our neighbors and loved ones nearby as Christmas gifts.  We did just that.  Brown bags were filled with tiny wrappings of homemade goodness from our home and delivered to theirs.

Twine twirls were the finishing touches to these gifts.  We gave these goodies along with our family Christmas card & letter to our neighbors beside us and across from us.  Eli also gave this gift to his horseback riding teacher, Mrs. Beeler.  Additionally, a hit-n-run drive by drop off was successfully accomplished to Mom-Mom and Larro's house.  Papaw and Nana along with Kevin & Tash as well as Sydnie were also recipients of the brown bagged happiness.  My Dad-daddy and Aunt Sharon were also gifted some goody love on our trip down to see them on the 23rd.  In all, 9 bags were dispersed from the heart of my kitchen.  

I love the simplicity and methodical-ness of making homemade goods.  It's tradition.  It's time invested in creating something from your home, moreover, your heart. It was magic to my soul watching dropfuls of dough fall only to rise and taste tests time & again tried from my little men running amok around me.  The music and the memory of this day was just one of the precious gifts I was given this Christmas.

.mac :)