First Annual Cookie Exchange

So, I've always wanted to do a cookie exchange. About 4 years ago the Relief Society in my ward tried to do one, but it didn't go very well and I ended up just taking my own cookies back home. Weird, huh? The beginning of this month was nuts for us with The Boy's birthday and my parents in town, so I didn't have it as early as I would have liked, so some of the people I wanted to come have already left town for Christmas, but we carried on.


I ended up with 2 sister in laws, my mother in law, my cousin and two friends attending and swapping cookies. Will's Grandma, his youngest sister, and his sister's friend also came and enjoyed the storytelling and tasting portion.

We had a great variety of cookies. I made egg nog creams - they are SUPER tasty and probably in my top 5 favorite Christmas treats. We also had Peanut Butter Blossoms, Gingerbread Men, Sugar Cracks, Heath Bar Chocolate Chip cookies, Pinwheel cookies, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies.

First we munched on hummus, bean dip, rolls and jam. Tasty! Then we went around and shared how we chose our cookie and one of our favorite holiday traditions. Then, the swapping began. we decided to take 10 from each person and that would leave you with some of your own to keep. Then we tasted a little bit (well, some of us started out eating the whole cookie and then figured out that wasn't the best choice when you had 6 cookies to tast) and voted for our favorite.

We took a group picture, but started out a little wacky. One of the girls said, "Tell me if my gut is hanging out" and right at that moment my cousin put a gingerbread man on her head (instead of bunny ears) and I said, "Or if there is a gingerbread man on my head!" This was the ensuing photo.

We had to take another one because J was acting all crazy in this one.

Finally.

Once the votes were in, this J was declared the winner with her Gingerbread cookies. They were super cute! So she won the flirty cookie baking apron.

(Yes, I made it. Yes, I take orders. LOL)

The guests were also instructed to dress festively. This J really got into it and she won a cute pair of earrings.

I can't wait for next year and the 2nd Annual Cookie Exchange. However, if there are more people, does that mean we have to make more cookies or just exchange less? Hmmm . . . decisions, decisions . . .