Tales of a Cookie Baking Extravaganza

I had fond memories of cookie baking parties from my time in Boston before I moved to DC.  Lots of single girls, drinking and baking, and sometimes in that order of priority.  So having moved back I asked if they were still doing the annual cookie baking, and offered to host at my house.  Two ovens and tons of counter space seemed like a good combo for the event.

At first it seemed pretty much the same as years past, women showing up with their recipes and prosecco.  Then after the lunch/nap time the husbands and children started arriving.  My friend Stephanie (of cupcakery Hankerings) became the pied piper, leading the cutting out of the cookies, making of the icing, and the decorating extravaganza.  Wow, were the kids into it!  And pretty calmly focused on their task.  They were definitely fans of the "more is more" school of cookie decorating! 

Once they were decorated there was definite shift towards cookie eating.  My trusty farm set was broken out for some temporary entertainment value, and then the sugar kicked in.  Whoa.  Turns out there is a perfect figure eight route through the living room and dining room and then back into the kitchen and family room.  Running this pattern can be greatly enhanced if you have 5 other kids doing it with you and squeal and scream with delight.

Miraculously there was nothing broken - stuff or kids.  Stephanie resurrected her role as pied piper and led all 8 kids on a neighborhood dog walk, where there was much talk of poop.  While they were gone, all the parents sprung into action as a cleaning swat team which was greatly appreciated by the host. :)

After everyone had left, I sat on the couch enjoying a sugar high of my own.  I had a vision of future birthday parties and family holidays.  It's definitely what this house was built for.  Can't wait for Christmas to start a new Gage tradition when family and friends come for dinner.