Christmas Baking

I had so much fun baking with Emma this Christmas!  Even though she can't help me very much, she still loved watching me make the goodies.  She would help "stir" and cut out cookies, but she had the most fun decorating the cookies with sprinkles (well, and eating them of course!).  We made lots of sugar cookies, peanut butter balls, and brownies.  I usually go all out with Christmas cookies- experimenting with new recipes, and sending the goodies off to the neighbors and Jared's co-workers.  But, as you know, my time is a little limited now :)

We had a little drama in the midst of all the merry making.  One day when we were getting ready to decorate cookies, Emma was sitting on a chair and playing with the cookie cutters on the kitchen table.  I was trying to get everything together...I turned around and the next thing I know she is screaming on the floor holding cookie cutters in her hands.  When I get a good look at her face, I discover that the edge of a cookie cutter put a deep gash in her chin.  Sooooo, I put everyone in the car and we head to the pediatrican to get it looked at and probably get stiches.  Thankfully Dr. Brian thinks he can just "glue" it back together!  I don't know why exactly I thought it would be okay for her to play with cookie cutters by herself.  Where was my brain???  Ohh.  Right- it is being sucked out by two precious babies! :)  I think I'll be investing in some good plastic cookie cutters. Although I think they would still do some damage if she fell on one.

I am so glad that Emma likes helping me cook.  Some of my most precious childhood memories are times spent in the kitchen with my mom and my grandma.  I remember making sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls with my mom when I was probably 3 or 4.  She showed me how to cut the cinnamon rolls with dental floss and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.  I even had my own little rolling pin and cookie cutters for making sugar cookies!  My grandma was an amazing cook also, and I remember helping her bake cakes (always something southern, like carrot cake or red velvet), and watch her put them together.  I hope that Emma one day looks back on these moments as some of her favorite memories.