ChristmasShare with us your family's traditional favorites, what gifts you'll be making from your kitchen, and any other goodies you love this time of year!
I would like to have a Cookie Exchange with my girlfriends this year. I have never had one...any ideas or suggestions from those who have done this before would be appreciated!
Thanks
peace,train
we did this at work one year. those that wanted to do it signed up. say 10 people sign up including yourself. you then make enough cookies for 9 people. (10 if you want to keep some of your cookies for yourself.) then on the decided upon time, you exchange cookies with everybody. you should come home with 9 differnt kinds of cookies. it's good to add that everyone include the recipe for the cookies they make. printing it out on the computer will save time with that. it's nice if they are packaged in containers that are easy to carry. and don't forget a bag to bring them all home in.
Depending on how many cookies you want, invite as many people as you can accommodate and tell each to bring a dozen of one kind, or even two dozen. Place all the plates around the table and each person goes around and fills her plate with one of each kind (or however many you have decided).
It's so much fun to go home with all the varieties and new recipes. If you like, printed recipes may be made and placed by each cookie.
My friends and I have done a cookie exchange for several years and tried several different ways. What we have found to be the most fun both for us and our kids is to get together and all make our cookies together! We decided ahead of time what cookies we are making and assigned each friend a shopping list. One friend's list includes kid Movie rentals and snacks for the little ones. Then we all bake our cookies in the largest of our friend's houses while the kids have like their own little party. Then after we are all done we split up the different cookies evenly (6 gingersnaps, 4 oreo balls, 12 sugar cookies, for example, each) It is much more fun both for the kids and the friends, baking isn't work if you can gossip while you mix!
I have been in a cookie exchange for the last few years. The woman who puts this on, makes some hordourves (like cheeseball and crackers, salsa and chips, sliced pumpkin,banana, etc...breads, punch, coffee, tea, and some of the cookies everyone brings. We all sit around and visit and catch up on everyones news, have snacks. We all bring our cookies in a separate container, and bring a big empty container to gather our cookies in. We have a large group of women(and a couple men), so we take a half dozen per person. This is an invitation and RSVP party, so the hostess lets us all know how many cookies to bring. We all go aroung the counters and tables and gather a half dozen cookies of each persons cookies. We usually have 20-24 people in the exchange, and you would be surprised to hear, that there are usually no duplicate cookie recipes. Everyone usually comes up with something different each year. Most of all, it's a fun time for all, and you have your cookie baking done in one afternoon, with a variety of Christmas cookies to serve to family and friends at your get togethers.
What do you do if there are not many of you, say 5 or less? I guess in this case, either you could make a lot of 1-2 kinds or just enough to eat that day .
I have participated and hosted cookie (bake) exchanges for almost 15 yrs! I love them! First decide on baking or cookies or both. Decide on the participants and the place to hold the exhange and the date. You can have 5 people or 50. I personally like 5-10 people, its more intimate. Now the fun begins. for under 10 people we make a dozen cookies for each person and a dozen to eat on the exchange night. We also set standards for the baking, like, something you would put out for guests, because it is really unfair for one to bring broken cookies while one has made a gorgeous slice. We bring them on the night in separate plates and everyone can take a plate home. Oh yes, don't forget to include the recipe! The hostess usually makes a crock pot of spiced coffee, and we supply the cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, nutmeg, candy canes etc. We play Christmas tunes and have wonderful homemade goodies! It is a great way to start the holidays! Have fun with it!
I was thinking about hosting a cookie exchange this year only adding a little bit of the twist to it. I want to have mine early enough to also have a gift wrapping party. Everyone brings their gifts, wrapping paper, ribbons, bows ect.... and wrap gifts while eating cookies and visiting. This allows you to use several different wrapping papers and ribbons types without going to the expense of buying all the different types. Also wrapping gifts goes by a lot faster when you are talking and visiting with other people.
__________________
Know God, Know peace
No God, No peace
Depending on how many cookies you want, invite as many people as you can accommodate and tell each to bring a dozen of one kind, or even two dozen. Place all the plates around the table and each person goes around and fills her plate with one of each kind (or however many you have decided). 
.
