Author	Thread: CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES
Admin	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 07:21 AM Two of the barefoot special blessings of every holiday season will soon be shared anew in the hearts of loved ones: making and decorating Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses!!! :yay::yay::yay::hearts::hearts::hearts: So ... in the spirit of these special barefoot blessings of love, I was wondering what some of your memories are from Christmases past of making and decorating Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses with your families and other loved ones ... please share with us some of the BAREFOOT GREAT TIMES you've been blessed to share enjoying these Christmas traditions. Love, Steve Post Reply
View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 08:02 AM We never did gingerbread houses, but decorated Christmas sugar cookies -- oh, yeah. I'm famous for mine. (even if I do say so myself) They are a lot of work but oh so delicious and I love giving them away. Also in recent years I started making biscotti. Double chocolate and cranberry/pistachio are my two holiday favorites. Post Reply
riveroflife1 View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 08:11 AM We never did cookies or gingerbread houses when I was young.. Our tradition and my fondest memories of Christmas is when my grandmas house was filled with family. The week before christmas, we would come to grandmas and help with the tamales. She would always have family from Arizona staying throughout the holidays and we would just hang out with everyone in the kitchen, cooking and . Then on Christmas Eve, we would pack up all the gifts and go back to grandmas. Upon arriving, her windows would be all steamy from steaming the tamales. The house smelled so good from the food and the tree and everyone was so excited to see the family. Since then we have lost several member of our family and my grandparents were the people who brought everyone together, with them gone, it seems everyone keeps to themselves. Just our immediate family gathers now but our family is growing (thank you Lord, I LOVE big family). Today, I live in my grandparents house and I carry on the food traditions. Out of everyone I'm the only one who can make the tamales, haha. So glad I paid attention :) Bless you guys, River Post Reply
View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 11:34 AM My mom never did cookies or gingerbread houses either. My best memories are going to grandma's house and seeing all my aunts, uncles, cousins( some of them lived way off and I only saw them on Christmas eve each year). We would have a feast as good as Thanksgiving; and then open our gifts that were under grandma's HUGE Christmas tree. I've started a tradition of making cookies with my 7 year old grand-daughter. I hope she'll have fond memories of baking Christmas cookies with grandma when she grows up.:glow: God Bless, Deborah Post Reply
View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 11:55 AM Getting together every Christmas Eve when I was growing up with all my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents!!! We had a big potluck and just had so much fun!! I miss that so much! My mom made Christmas special every year with all the different cookies she would make and we would help decorate. Her delicious fruit cake I really miss it! I also liked watching all the christmas shows on TV when we were kids and going to midnight mass!! My mom was the best mom!! Then, when my kids were growing up, taking them out looking at christmas lights and coming home and having hot chocolate! Baking cookies with them!! The excitement on Christmas when they opened their gifts!! Taking them to church!! Post Reply
Elisa View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 01:36 PM Making cookies and gingerbread houses are not a big tradition in my family. However, baking candies and breads is. My favorite tradition for this time of year concerning baking was using my great aunt's recipe to create divinity. Even through today, it is such a joy to go to mom's house and make the divinity. It takes at least two of us, with three being even better. Since the climate and timing must be just right for the candy to set up, it is such a delight to see the little white puffs stay shaped. Plus, that is a straight hour of uninterrupted time with mom. Once the divinity making starts, nobody and nothing interrupts until it is done. Post Reply
View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 4 Dec, 2010 07:05 PM My family never did gingerbread houses or decorating Christmas cookies when I was growing up. I didn't spend Christmas with any grandparents until I was in 7th grade (before that we lived on the other side of the country or in a different country). On Christmas Eve we made peanut butter cookies for Santa, opened one present (usually clothes) and went to bed. We would wake up super early like 5am, although now its closer to 7am, and have our Christmas breakfast of cinnamon roles and orange juice. Then we would open presents! The rest of the day my parents would prepare the dinner and my brother and sister and I would play with our toys or watch the new movies. In college I was "adopted" into a very big family (three of the thirteen children were friends from school). They have a big graham cracker house party every December and since I was always at their house I made many graham cracker houses. Although mine were not near as artistic as my friends, they all have stories to go with them! One year I decided to make a chapel, and I wanted to put a cemetery next to it but it didn't work out so well. So I made just one big "grave" and put a gummy bear inside of it. Through the course of the night I developed a story that my friend Angie was the gummy bear in the coffin. Post Reply
View Profile History	CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS: CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES Posted : 6 Dec, 2010 07:29 PM Thanks for sharing all of your BAREFOOT SPECIAL CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS everyone!!! :hearts::hearts::hearts: WOW!!! What wonderful memories Christmas gives us to share!!! :yay::yay::yay::applause::applause::applause: Steve Post Reply