Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

I Am Not a Baker

001 
OK, yes, there are a few things I am pretty good at.  Skilled even.

But not baking.  I told you all I had given up Holiday Baking in an effort to make my life more sane during the Christmas season.  Well, that wasn't all of the story.  I gave up Holiday Baking because it was at the bottom of my priority list.  I don't care that much for sweets, they are way too fattening, and frankly, my baked efforts usually turn out horrible.  Easy sacrifice.

But this year…It may be the last Christmas I spend with my son, as he is moving to Ireland in January.  I felt the tug of nostalgia that we all feel under such circumstances, and wanted this Christmas to be truly special, and incorporate memories from his childhood.

One of these memories is of a special shortbread cookie that is rolled out and cut into Christmas shapes and then frosted and decorated.  They always turned out really homely looking, but I attributed that to "the kid factor".  You know, the kids were going hog wild with the frosting and the sprinkles, and the cookies always ended up looking like H***, but that was ok, because it was a kid project.

So, this year, I decided to trot out the old shortbread cookie recipe and make up a batch of those holiday cookies.

002 
Well, it has to be said, my kids made better looking cookies than I did.  Mine remind me of sweets from a Mexican bakery–those little marranito or puerquito cookies in lurid shades of pink.

Puerquitos2 

I tried.  I think I will go back to sewing. 

 

44 responses to “I Am Not a Baker”

  5. Your cookies look good to me and I’m sure they’ll taste as delicious as they did when DS was little. That is what matters!
    Be sure your computer and your son’s computer both have cameras that can connect to Skype. You can visit face to face and it’s almost like a real visit except that you cannot pass things back and forth. DS2 has such a camera as do his great aunts in Memphis. These great aunts are AMIL’s little sisters so AMIL joins DS2 at his computer for Skype visits. Sometimes DH and I join in, too. Chatting face to face on Skype is the best fun when many miles are in between!
    My DS1’s quilt is still in transit and I’m still on pins and needles.
    Hugs!

  6. Your cookies look good to me and I’m sure they’ll taste as delicious as they did when DS was little. That is what matters!
    Be sure your computer and your son’s computer both have cameras that can connect to Skype. You can visit face to face and it’s almost like a real visit except that you cannot pass things back and forth. DS2 has such a camera as do his great aunts in Memphis. These great aunts are AMIL’s little sisters so AMIL joins DS2 at his computer for Skype visits. Sometimes DH and I join in, too. Chatting face to face on Skype is the best fun when many miles are in between!
    My DS1’s quilt is still in transit and I’m still on pins and needles.
    Hugs!

  7. You can’t judge a book by a cover…I bet they taste great! And I don’t think they look bad either. I’d definitely eat them lol.

  8. You can’t judge a book by a cover…I bet they taste great! And I don’t think they look bad either. I’d definitely eat them lol.

  9. I always figure that as long as you put good stuff in and don’t burn them then cookies will taste good – the important thing is that you had a go! I’m not a big baker either – I can bake, but I guess I just don’t feel very inspired. I’m sort of hoping that one of my daughters will just take over, but so far nobody is showing any sign….!

  10. I always figure that as long as you put good stuff in and don’t burn them then cookies will taste good – the important thing is that you had a go! I’m not a big baker either – I can bake, but I guess I just don’t feel very inspired. I’m sort of hoping that one of my daughters will just take over, but so far nobody is showing any sign….!

  13. Yes!!! You put frosting on sugar cookies exactly like I do! I so much want to be like Martha Stewart, but am more like you!!! You rock in the sewing department. Merry Christmas.

  14. Yes!!! You put frosting on sugar cookies exactly like I do! I so much want to be like Martha Stewart, but am more like you!!! You rock in the sewing department. Merry Christmas.

  23. Look on the bright side, Nicole…you have, indeed, made a memorable Christmas for Ahren. I always wondered about people who had perfectly good-looking cookies. Something had to give…maybe the house or the kids or the husband. None of which are good sacrifices, in MHO.

  24. Look on the bright side, Nicole…you have, indeed, made a memorable Christmas for Ahren. I always wondered about people who had perfectly good-looking cookies. Something had to give…maybe the house or the kids or the husband. None of which are good sacrifices, in MHO.

  27. Nicole: there is a great Mexican bakery here in san Rafael that would hire you in a minute.
    I don’t bake anymore and one of my accounting clients is Divine Delights so they get my cookie business. It is truly the effort that counts.
    Lisa

  28. Nicole: there is a great Mexican bakery here in san Rafael that would hire you in a minute.
    I don’t bake anymore and one of my accounting clients is Divine Delights so they get my cookie business. It is truly the effort that counts.
    Lisa

  31. I believe that the cookies that look so astoundly professional are due to the fact that the ‘baker’ has all the right tools and the recipes that go along with them.
    It’s like quilting: tools will make or break you! ;0
    YOu can take the hobby back up when you have grandchildren. 🙂

  32. I believe that the cookies that look so astoundly professional are due to the fact that the ‘baker’ has all the right tools and the recipes that go along with them.
    It’s like quilting: tools will make or break you! ;0
    YOu can take the hobby back up when you have grandchildren. 🙂

  33. It’s the thought and the memories for Ahren that count! He will enjoy them for sure, and I bet they taste great. Now go sit in the sunshine with Sophie & Ozzie and relax.

  34. It’s the thought and the memories for Ahren that count! He will enjoy them for sure, and I bet they taste great. Now go sit in the sunshine with Sophie & Ozzie and relax.

  35. I’m with you. I’m not much of a baker either, and I don’t really like to cook anymore. So my family might be warm on the outside from my quilts, but warm on the inside from my husband’s cooking.

  36. I’m with you. I’m not much of a baker either, and I don’t really like to cook anymore. So my family might be warm on the outside from my quilts, but warm on the inside from my husband’s cooking.

  37. They still look yummy and I’ll bet that they are. Even so, they make a memory of their own, in my book.
    You’ll just have to visit Ireland, won’t you?!

  38. They still look yummy and I’ll bet that they are. Even so, they make a memory of their own, in my book.
    You’ll just have to visit Ireland, won’t you?!

  39. Who cares what the cookies look like, all that matters is how they taste! I’m sure Ahren is thrilled to have some of your homemade cookies!

  40. Who cares what the cookies look like, all that matters is how they taste! I’m sure Ahren is thrilled to have some of your homemade cookies!

  41. He will appreciate the effort for sure. I’m not good at baking “pretty” cookies either, but everyone says they taste great!
    This is not my first Christmas without my son being home, but the longest it has been since I have seen him. I won’t get to visit until February for his b’day. You definitely need to set up a Skype account and a good webcam. That helps me feel like it’s not quite as far between Alabama and California. I’m sure it would make Ireland seem closer also.

  42. He will appreciate the effort for sure. I’m not good at baking “pretty” cookies either, but everyone says they taste great!
    This is not my first Christmas without my son being home, but the longest it has been since I have seen him. I won’t get to visit until February for his b’day. You definitely need to set up a Skype account and a good webcam. That helps me feel like it’s not quite as far between Alabama and California. I’m sure it would make Ireland seem closer also.