December 13, 2005
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!
I survived my week of Christmas parties...3 last week to be exact. It all culminated with a Knitting Open House that my mom and I hosted on Sunday, and boy was it fun!
Here's a picture of everyone with their heads down knitting...you have to just imagine that everyone is talking, because they were! We have Kim, Cynthia, (in the back) Jan and my mom, then Sharon, Linda, and Sheila. Off to the side were Michelle and Joanne. They were actually talking...see! I do love a good knitting party, I just can't believe that those are the only pictures that I took. Hopefully some of the other ladies took some?!
In preparation for the parties, I was finally able to get over to my Grandma's house and make cookies Saturday morning! In my opinion, there is no better way to start the day than to be with people you love making cookies. I arrived at 9:00am all ready to go. We had decided on 3 receipes: Almond Christmas Spritz cookies, peanut butter squares, and the old stand by "No-Bake" cookies. Mmmm. So fun and tasty too!
My Grandma has been making cookies with this little machine for years and years...if I'm remembering correctly, she made cookies with my mom as a little girl with the same thing. How cool is that? I also thought the fact that she has kept it in the original box all these years was cool too!
So, we made a red batch of dough and a green batch of dough. My grandma told me I could have fun with the colors, so when I asked her for the yellow food coloring she was a little confused. I had a color in mind for the green trees that we were baking...and I love how they turned out!!
They are a really bright chartreuse color. (and they taste good too, this of course coming in second to getting the cookies to be the exact right color!) I don't have the receipes with me, but I'll post them if anyone shows an interest. Just let me know. I am needing to run right now, but I have pictures ready to post tomorrow of my progress on Charlotte...I promise! I am loving the way it's knitting up, and I have to say, I'm not using the stitchmarkers and it's going much better! I am totally motivated to get to the next color. I'm already on the third color, knitting alternating rows of color 2 and color 3. Speaking of which I need to go knit a little before I leave for the evening.
how cute are those cookies! I love cookies! Mmmm... And I love seeing pictures of people gathered, knitting. I always forget to bring a camera. Nice to see you didn't!
Posted by: Venus at December 13, 2005 08:09 PMYou're going to think I'm absolutely crazy ...but... my cookie press/box looks EXACTLY like your Grandmothers. I'll try to post a photo on my blog in the next couple of days. How strange. I love that kind of stuff.
Posted by: Carrie at December 13, 2005 08:13 PM!!!
That is the same cookie press my grandma used to use-- and the same damn-near-chartreuse christmas tree cookies!
Oh, the memories!
Posted by: Julie at December 14, 2005 01:55 AMThat is a fabulous cookie press. Keep that FOREVER! The new ones that are plastic don't work nearly as good as I am sure that one does. Great news on Charlotte! Keep going! I can't wait to see it.
Posted by: knitteriam at December 14, 2005 05:23 AMHi!
I'd love to know how to make these cookies. How did you colour them? I've never seen self-made coloured cookies before...
Do you have to use the press or can you you also cut the dough (sorry, it's a long time that I didn't write in English!)
spritz cookies. mmm. i woulda taken more home, but i've got my own bake-a-thon to look forward to on Sunday! thanks to you and your mom for hosting... SO much fun!!
Posted by: cyn at December 14, 2005 07:11 AMI love spritz cookies and have an old Mirro cookie press too. My favorite shape is the dog. My mom always made them when we were kids. I should pull it out and make some cookies right now.
Posted by: wool winder at December 14, 2005 08:11 AMOkay, I am so making spritz today.
Posted by: jess at December 14, 2005 08:12 AMLots of fun!! Thanks for hosting:)
Posted by: Kim at December 14, 2005 08:36 AMWe've got a cookie-palooza planned for this weekend! My mom's got the same type of cookie press, and though she curses at it almost every year, it's so much fun to do the Spritz. (It's not in its original box after so many moves, but is in a rather vintage shoebox.) Thanks again for hosting such a lovely get-together. And Charlotte's looking great!
Posted by: AmyB at December 14, 2005 02:01 PMThey look just like the spitz my mother and I made too many years ago. I can taste them in my imagination,
Li
Those were great cookies and I sure did enjoy them! It's so nice to read there was a history to the press and that you and your grandma made them. I did not know that. Thanks again for having us over.
Posted by: Wanda at December 15, 2005 08:24 AMThe bowls! My mom got those Pyrex bowls(set of 4) as a wedding gift in the 50's. I have them now, but I see them all the time in thrift shops and flea markets. And I always have to buy them. She passed away in 2000, but I think it's her way of playing with me, LOL.
Posted by: VaxGirl at December 15, 2005 01:55 PMomg, my gram has the exact same cookie press too!
the old ones are way better than the new kind