Our theme this year was Santa and his reindeer and the colors were Red, Green and Christmas plaid. I had 14 guests. Three gals cancelled at the last minute due to family emergencies.

All my cookie exchanges begin with a fast and easy craft project. It's a good mixer and people can join in as they arrive. This year we made cute yarn Santa ornaments.

Simple refreshments were Potato Ham Chowder, 3 kinds of Panera Artisan bread, Cranberry/Orange parfaits, coffee, tea, sparkling cider, hot cider, hot chocolate.

We played two reindeer games. The girls had to list Santa's 10 reindeer and spell them correctly, as they appear in the the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. They earned tickets for the grand prize if they had all the nine reindeer, if they had them spelled correctly and if they had the name of the 10th reindeer....."Olive the other reindeer" Teri was the only one to name Olive so she got a beautiful picture book about Santa and his Reindeer.

And of course we had to play the antler game which everyone loved. In our game they had to wear Rudolf's flashing nose in addition to the balloon antlers. First place team each received reindeer (or where they moose??) Beanie Babies. Second place team each received reindeer antlers. Third place team each received Bath and Body reindeer mini hand sanitizer. I made little bags of reindeer food for everyone.

This is the first year I gave a prize for the best tasting cookie. Santa's helpers, Frank and Mary Lou and their granddaughter, came to judge. The winner was Beverly for her Chocolate Peppermint Meringues. She won a mixing bowl filled with unique measuring cups and measuring spoons, a hand embroidered dish towel and a wooden spoon. Mary Lou added her homemade potholders to the prize.

And it was my first year to have a grand prize...A 3 foot lighted Christmas tree with Santa ornaments. Guests earned tickets for turning in their recipes on time, wearing something Christmasy, having a cookie that was Christmasy, and just for coming. Lucky Beverly won this prize also. I kept drawing tickets and the winners could pick from the table decorations - candles, snow globe, centerpiece, reindeer. I also saved a special prize for the person who didn't win anything...Susan... your Cookie Party Cookbook, Robin.

Other prizes: Judy T and her daughter won the most festive outfit(s) prize (fancy apron and Christmas socks) for their Santa hats with leopard fur trim and matching sweatshirts.

Carissa won the most festive cookie prize (Santa Cookie Jar) for her cheerful angel sugar cookies. Her boyfriend, David helped her make them and helped her carry them in...wearing antlers. She also took home a large can of popcorn for her Mother, Debbie, who could not make it.

Teri won the most festive cookie display prize (a large Santa Platter) for the bonus chocolate mice she made for everyone. Also, she and Cindy won a prize for being the earliest to arrive. They showed up a day early.

Pat (Carissa's grandmother) won a special prize (a home made apron) for the most complicated cookie to make...Rainbow cookies.

Judy T won the latest Hallmark Season's Treatings ornament for being the first to turn in her recipe.

As always I had a thank you gift (Hallmark Chatty Kathy ornament) for my sister, Dorris, who helps me so much every year. She is my security blanket. My cookie tasters took home aprons and a tiny tree in a Santa boot.

Finally we gathered up our share of the cookies. They keep getting better every year. This year there were 3 kinds of chocolate peppermint cookies...all popular with the judges, 3 kinds of sugar cookies, cream wafers, molasses cookies, 2 kinds of snowballs, cashew crescents, spritz, carrot cookies, peanut butter cookies and last but not least, bourbon balls.

Everyone took home recipe books with this years recipes.