'Tis the Season

Please overlook the messy kitchen. :-) 

I don't know about you, but these days I find myself humming Christmas songs and doing almost anything but sitting at my desk and working. Christmas has filled the air--and the house--and I love living in the season.

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Last night our neighborhood had its annual progressive dinner, and hubby and I were the "dessert house."  I know you've probably been wondering what in the world I was going to do with all those macaroons, and I'm happy to say that I've found mouths for almost all of them.  I made dessert plates for my family, I made the same plates for the volunteers who work in my husband's ministry, and I gave gift bags of macarons to the ladies in my book club.  Last night I made a small tray of them as part of the dessert at the progressive dinner, but because most people looked at this with a raised brow ("what are those, funky little hamburgers?"), I made gift bags for my neighbors to take home. And on each little bag I attached a little note printed on cardstock--a lovely snippet of a Madeline L'Engle poem immortalized in song by Carolyn Arends.  (Unfortunately, I couldn't get Carolyn's voice on the card, but I hope the poem sufficed.)

Click to enlarge. 

Aren't they adorable? So much fun!

My neighborhood is filled with all kinds of people, and hubby and I have simply made it a practice to love each of them where they are.  So our home is open to all, and I was happy to give them little bags of macarons, joking that my new goal was to one day be able to make them all the same size.  :-)

On Saturday--backtracking a day--two of my young friends (Christal and I study the Bible together) came to the house for baking.  I thought it'd be fun for them, and I was eager to share some of the recipes I'd gathered from my cookie class.  We had a great time, but we baked all afternoon.  I can't speak for them, but I was pretty well worn out by the time they carried their portion of the haul out the door.  Lots of delicious treats--I don't think I'll have to make another cookie during this entire Christmas season!

But we are planning an open house for next Saturday . . . and my ambition is to create a Buche de Noel, or a Yule log.  I watched Julia Child do it on The French Chef (those old videos are available to watch via Amazon.com), and she made it look so easy I think I might be able to pull it off.  I've never made a sponge cake in a jelly roll pan, though, and since she started with the rolled cake, I'm pretty much on my own.

How about you?  Have you ever made a Yule log?  Any tricks I should know?  And what is the one thing you're eager to bake this holiday season?

~~Angie

P.S.  A whoop and a holler of thanks to SANDY in Navasota, TX who sent me PECANS just when I'd run out after my baking session with the girls.  My favorite nut!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  :-)
(And pecans are my favorite nut.  Sandy is no more nutty than I am.)  :-)