No Cards, Just Cookies

I know that I am not alone in this as The Dotterel at Bringing Up Charlie blogged about it too.  I HATE CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Yep, I shouted.  It possibly stems from the fact I am a Christmas baby and I would rather have my measly few birthday cards up instead of Christmas cards. This issue with cards has grown year on year, especially as I have to write most of them.

It was fine when I worked, I would send out an e-mail saying Merry Christmas and that we wouldn't be sending out cards, but donating to the NSPCC instead.  MadDad still does this with his work colleagues now.

But it seems that sending cards at school is a big thing, both Mini and MaxIiMad have brought home masses of cards.  Now not only do I have anywhere to put them, but the boys cant read who they are from anyway and show no interest in sending any of their own.

So, we decided, well I decided and they had to go along with me, that we would make cookies for the teachers to hand out instead of cards. 

Ingredients

• 345g plain  flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• half tsp baking powder
• 225 g butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together and then add the rest, this will make a very loose dough.  You can either pop in the fridge for an hour and then roll and use cookie cutters or use soft by spooning on to the tray.

Bake at 180 degrees for approx 7 minutes or the cookies are golden.  They will seem quite soft, but as soon as they cool they are hard and crispy.

They went down a treat, now to convert the rest of the world that we do not need Christmas cards.

You could also decorate them too, I bought some coloured writing icing in tubes a while ago in Aldi and the boys and MadDad spent one evening this week decorating some too.

The boys had a lovely time, yes most of the icing went straight in to their mouths, but it is Christmas after all!

Kirtie's HandMade Christmas - Rant Alert

Now I love Kirstie with the rest of the country, but I feel a little reality check is required here.

I was really looking forward to this and have waited until viewing all three episodes before letting rip.  I was hopiong to be able to watch it and get useful, practical, inexpensive, handmade ideas for Chritmas and maybe that was were I was going wrong.

Yes it was beautiful, the artisans were increadably talented, but cheap it wasn't!!  Gold leafing a pear, what a precious waste of good fruit, in addition to a frivolous, not make that mad way to spend £38 on a book of 24 carrot gold.  Dear lord that would buy most peoples turkey for the big day.

I was also starting to bubble when it came to the candle making.  There are much easier and less expensive ways for people to give candle making a go nowadays.  You only need use soy wax, take a look at my post on Tea Cup candles and  see whicks n whacks for suberb and value candle making kits.  Yes they looked stunning, but who has 3 weeks to let things set and then time to top them up and melt the tops to make them all even.

Oh and do not get me started on that poor bear - £75 for the mohair, MadDad nearly fell off his seat.  He has just received a wonderful bear from Abby at Mutterings from the Moor a very reasonable price he tells me, which he has put away for my birthday.

Then let me move on to the soap, it doesn't have to take 6 weeks or however long to set and involve all those ingredients.  Just take a look here at the wonderful Violet Posy's blog and how she and her daughter made soap for Christmas this year.  I wouldnt let my children near any sort of acid!!

Right I am going to step down off my high horse and go and take a look at all the Thrifty Christmas Ideas which were posted at Violet Posy's.  You know you could do a whole lot of more economical and excellent gifts if you do too!!

I guess my idea and Kirstie's idea of homemade differ somewhere along the way, plus please Channel 4 can I have some of these wonderful people to come and finnish off all the projects I start!