Hi Robin:

On Saturday the 12th I hosted my 7th annual Cookie Exchange. There were 13 women, 10 who were bakers. The party started with the arrival of Santa Clause (my dear friend Karoline.) Karoline also plays Santa for our GFWC Blue Mountain Women's Club at one of the personal care homes in our area.

We enjoyed a buffet consisting of Shrimp with Cocktail sauce, Buffalo Chicken, mini quiche, baked brie with fruit, deviled eggs, Shrimp Louie Spread with crackers, port wine cheese, Minerva's famous Cheese and Salsa dip, mini turkey, roast beef, and ham wraps, Watergate salad and deviled eggs, The Cupcake Tree, mini pastry and a wonderful chocolate caramel brownie cake. A Cranberry/Orange punch, wine and soda.

We had a wonderful variety of cookies this year:
Christmas Butter Cookies
Lemon Ricotta Cookie with lemon glaze
Old Fashioned Molasses
Peppermint Chocolate Chip
Biscotti
Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookie
Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Oatmeal Toffee Cookie

We played the Scavenger Purse Game, several games of Christmas Bingo and How many Hershey Kisses in the Christmas Candy Jar?

My parting gifts were handmade holiday tags, and homemade Peppermint Bark.

All the months of planning and the exchange seems to go by in a flash, the cookies are wonderful, the food delicious, the games and laughs are fun, but the Friendship is simply the best.

Thank you again Robin, Wishing everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~Janice Maeditere