Cookie Bake

I have become addicted to the Food Gawker website. Every picture is a beautiful image of what YOU possibly could make. I am always motivated in the culinary category by photos. Give me a cook book without images and I will probably only open it upon referral.  Give me a cook book with some bang-up photography and you may actually get me in the kitchen!

Both cookie photos via here.

Let's talk Holiday Cookies.  What an assortment of possibilities!  All the options may make me break the mold on the annually typical thumb print and sugar cookies. For my office cookie bake on Monday night I found the recipe for "Magic Middle Cookies" which lead me to this most amazing foodie blog, Gonna Want Seconds. These cookies are unreal. UNREAL.  They are like a brownie cookie with peanut butter centers. Warm them up in the microwave and they are irresistable.  I made about 3 batches and I can tell you each batch (due to my inexperience in the kitchen) was a different concoction.  It didn't matter, as they were all scrumptious.  I definitely think this recipe will become a new holiday tradition!

Holy Holidays

I look at this blog and just cannot believe I haven't posted since Thanksgiving.  It is going to seem like all I do is celebrate holidays. But, in all seriousness, I feel like I have been on festive mode overdrive for the last 3 weeks.  And it is fabulous.  As I write this I am sitting cozy in front of a fire in my fireplace, listening to some Christmas jams (thanks, Pandora), watching a wet, strong snowfall outside and eating chocolate covered oreos (thanks, Julie).  Oh, and I have this scented candle lit. It is so amazing.  The scent is almost exactly like the Slatkin & Co. Holiday candle. I think the scent combined with the $13 dollar price tag & mercury glass looking container has contributed to it being sold out in every Target I have visited.  I guess we all can sniff out a good deal!

Here is the photo montage of what mega holiday spirit looks like. From the lights in Birmingham  to trimming our tree to the Advent by candle light dinner in the St. Dunstan's chapel at Christ Church Cranbrook to wrapping parties, sweater parties, dinner parties and anniversary parties.  This is the most wonderful time of the year!  Hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am.

The most gorgous and festive Gracious Living on it's 2nd year anniversary!

And for today's gorgeous snow fall as seen from the back patio of Oakland Hills...

Nothing says Christmas like....

It's Sunday, White Christmas is on TV and I don't have any place to be besides my couch.  This is my all time favorite Christmas movie.  ALL TIME.  I have always loved old movies,  so much so that I was probably the only eight year old who's mother drove to every Blockbuster in the Metro Detroit area to pick up each video in the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney partnership. Anywhoo, that is a different story for a different time.  Back to the topic at hand,  White Christmas is the best holiday movie.  I love it so much that as that over zealous eight year old I actually wrote Rosemary Clooney fan mail.  I think I did get a letter back from her... I would have probably written the entire cast had any of the others still been living.  Now, excuse me, I am going to sit on my couch and sing along with Bing and the gang for the next couple hours.

God Jul!

Getting out my Christmas decorations this weekend, (aka raiding my Mom's basement storage closet) reiterated the fact that the tradition in Christmas is what makes this time of year so comforting and merry.  For years our customary décor has consisted of Swedish "Tomtes".  My Grandma Ingrid always had a grouping in her home.  My mom started me on my own collection this year, but basically everything else jolly had to be swiped from her castoffs.  I always love the different ways families celebrate the holidays.  From a Chinese gift exchange to midnight mass, all families have their unique twist to what makes the holidays distinctivley their own.  What do you all do to celebrate the season?

The Tree

Christmas spirit time!  Duncan Fuller is ready to begin humming holiday tunes, sip on egg nog and deck the halls!  I think we all officially have our trees now.  On my way home from work today I stopped by the Ho Ho Ho stand on Woodward.  Let the holiday trimming commence!