Hi Robin:

I am Cathie Wallace of Brodheadsville, PA and on 12/16 I hosted my 4th Cookie Exchange. There were 10 of us, 8 which were bakers.

The cookies came in super packages: my favorites being an old fashioned glass jar with handle, and the other a fluffy red stocking.

The cookie list this year was:

• Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

• Sweet Secrets Russian Tea Cakes

• Chocolate Orange Cookies

• Almond Cresents Lemon Squares

• Nut Roll and Pecan Meltaways

Our buffet table consisted of The Cupcake Tree, Lemon Squares, Mini Pastries, Nut roll, Cranberry/Apple Crisp, Cold Shrimp platter, mini quiches, Stromboli (2 types), bacon wrapped cocktail wieners, Bourbon Chicken, Watergate Salad, and Cream Cheese dip with Salsa, and Knorr dip. Wine, soda, tea and coffee.

We played the right left game with one gift, which was a cookbook called A Country Christmas. I also gave a gift for the 1st to RSVP, and a holiday basket consisting of a Santa teapot for one, gingerbread tea, a Hershey's cookbook, and Christmas slippers went to the person who was most festively dressed.

It really does my heart good to host this exchange. There were 5 newbies this year and boy they really loved it and were right in the spirit of things. I am always amazed how beautifully everyone blends, and how everyone seemed so happy to be there.

This year I made a decorated a small Christmas tree with kitchen items for the exchange.

It held gingerbread men, rolling pin, spatula, whisks, pots, teapots and some vintage cookie cutters and molds. It was fun and was perfect for the exchange. Our centerpiece for the buffet table was a snowman baker.

I give a great big thank you to my hubby John who is always there to help me. He is the official photographer, and does a lot of the decorating too.

Robin, thank you so much for your wonderful website, you have inspired so many. I wish everyone a Very Happy and Blessed New Year.

Cathie in PA