Gramma Keck's Christmas cookies = success

Yea for cookies!  I actually got them baked and iced last night, thanks to some fabulous girls by the name of Chelsea Johnson, Emily Brown, and Mary Gundel.  While the boys socialized in the living room, we gals socialized around the kitchen counter.  The cookies turned out perfectly, which is a relief considering I haven't made them in so long and considering they're not your typical roll-into-a-ball-and-bake kind of cookies.  I thought I had floured the flour mat well enough, but I obviously did not, as I quickly discovered that my flattened dough, already impressed by the cookie cutters, would not lift from the mat.  Fear not!  Scrape the dough off the mat with a spoon (or fingernails,) and pour massive amounts of flour to avoid further sticking - that is the key! 

I have to admit, I take pride in what I do in the kitchen.  I always say I'm not a creative cook or baker, but I can follow a recipe pretty darn well.  It's one of the traits I'm known for among my friends and family, and I sometimes have a hard time allowing anyone to share in my glory.  That said, I had a small battle within myself last night, trying to decide if I should solicit help with the icing or just do it on my own.  Icing the cookies is super easy, so it's not like I needed the help. However, I wanted it out of the way last night, and I also wanted to be a sociable hostess and not leave all of our guests in the living room (even though the living room is visible from the kitchen - they're practically one room.)  If I chose to ask for their help, I couldn't take pride in having successfully made Gramma Keck's Christmas cookies all by myself.  Hmmm... what to do?!  In the end, I decided that giving up some of the glory would be totally worth it, and it was.  We chatted in the kitchen, each with a cup of red, green, blue, or yellow icing, and talked girl talk.  I even gave in to Chelsea when she offered to help mix the icing and clean parts of the kitchen, and I discovered that sharing the kitchen duties isn't so bad after all and that it was, in fact, quite enjoyable. 

At the end of the night, I was thankful, as I always am, for my wonderful husband, for our friends, for our crockpot and John's excellent chili-making skills, and for Gramma Keck's cookies that turned out great and allowed for some precious time with great girl friends.  I got a text from Chelsea after she had gone home, saying, "You have such a warm home."  That truly is one of the highest compliments anyone could give me.  I don't ever want anyone to feel unwelcome in the John & Katie Sims household.  It thrills me that I'm married to a wonderful man who enjoys entertaining like I do.  It thrills me that I've been blessed with so much.  While a crockpot full of chili and some Christmas cookies may not mean much to some people, it meant the world to me last night.  Pictures to come...

oops - not enough flour the first time around

Emily had to check to make sure it wasn't poisonous.

Hard at work

Yes, I'm wearing an apron, and yes, that's flour on the collar of my shirt.

Nate came to make sure we were doing it correctly.

Aren't the pretty!

These are a few of my most favorite girls - left to right:  Mary, Chelsea, Katie, Emily.  The boys are laughing in the background because they stole cookies, and then they made fun of me for "fussin'" at them in my southern accent.