Mama's Inner-Martha Stewart is a Raving Lunatic!

Baking and decorating Christmas cookies was one of my family's favorite Christmas traditions and is one that I am eager to share with Anthony.

Cut-out (sugar) cookies were a very important part of Christmas baking. They are always tasty and traditionally looked *very* homemade. Something about being decorating by a bunch of kids. This year I decided to put my new-found pastry bag skills to the test. Anthony's daycare Christmas party is Saturday and I volunteered to bring cookies.

Yes, this project nearly did put me over the edge. Especially since we already had a busy week. Sunday after the train I mixed up the dough, formed it into disks and froze them. After a day in the refrigerator, Thursday was baking day. I spent about 2 more hours that night icing the green on the trees. First I had to pipe the tree outline with "stiff" royal icing. Then I filled the inside with "loose". Unfortunately my first batch of fill was a little thick which made it a lot more work. Then tonight I did the yellow stars (I only had about 2 dozen) and decorated everything with red icing.

It was a great deal of work for a child who isn't even allowed to eat a cookie. He cetainly won't notice or appreciate it. But, it was fun. And I'll probably do it again next year. The year after that, though, Anthony will have to do his share!