Christmas time's a-comin....

Less than a week now. I have yet to wrap anything. Still need to decorate my dining room table. Lots of baking to do. Would like to hang up Christmas cards. Still need to mail a couple. But at least most of the shopping is done! That is my least favorite part. I'm not a typical woman, my husband says. I hate shopping. I love giving, but hate the shopping. I did most of it online, which is so convenient, especially for moms of young kids. No dragging them all over the place from store to store--just get it sent to your house. Ahhhh! The shipping doesn't cost much more than all the gas I'd have to buy and most places have holiday shipping deals going on too, like Amazon.com, where if you spend $25 or more, shipping is free. Nice.

On to other matters, haven't blogged for a while--busy, busy, and I don't know anyone who isn't this time of year. I don't know if people were too busy to respond to the Biblical ages posts or were offended. Sorry if I stepped on any toes, but still stand by my explorations.

How about some Christmas baking tips? Most people at least do a little baking for Christmas. Here's a few cookie tips:
1. Use butter flavored shortening if you want chewier, fluffier, cookie. Butter works better for crispier, flatter cookies like sugar cookies. You can buy the premeasured Crisco sticks now and don't have to do all the messy measuring.
2. Bake your cookies on parchment paper on the cookie sheet. You don't have to grease anything. The cookies will come right off and won't spread too much and you can use it through the whole batch. Best of all--no washing cookie sheets!
3. Don't overmix cookie batter. Just mix until combined. You don't want tough cookies.
4. Use cooling racks. Take cookies out of the oven, place the cookie sheet on the rack for 2 minutes (or what recipe recommends), then remove cookies to the rack. Don't cool them on the stovetop--it's too hot there.
5. Don't put your cookie dough on the sheets over the oven--again, too hot and the dough could spread before you actually start baking it.

That's all for now--I'll post more when I think of more. Merry Christmas everyone!