Baking Day

Susie started a tradition a few years back of having one BIG Christmas baking day in mid-December. She invites several friends who each bring some favorite recipes and their ingredients. We spend the day laughing and baking and making a terrible mess of Susie's kitchen. This year was so much fun with Sierra and Ally. They were old enough to actually "help" and when they got bored with the baking, they played with Annie. Susie provided a delicious lunch of potato soup and homemade rolls. Snow flurries fell all day while we kept the house nice and warm with a busy oven. By the end of the day we had fudge, peppermint bark, frosted sugar cookies, Reese's peanut butter cup cookies, candy-cane cookies, and Russian tea cakes - my favorite!

Sierra cuts out the sugar cookies.

Ally flashes her most charming smile!

Sierra put the finishing touches on the peppermint bark after crushing all the candy canes herself.

Ally loved unwrapping the peanut butter cups...and popping some in her mouth before Mommy could catch her!

Marc's mom made these adorable aprons for the girls!