December 14, 2010

To Do...Ta-Dah!

With the exception of a few things for family types, my often-mentioned Christmas baskets are done.

Done.

I need a moment to savour the feeling.

Okay.  Let me take you on a tour of fulfilled intentions - and more! - that would never have happened without the support of my dear son Jr, whose birth has enabled me to stay home (at least for now) and do all sorts of lovely homey things.

First, the assembling chaos:


Every basket has bread, of course; pumpkin spice, cinnamon swirl, honey oatmeal and thanksgiving dinner.  Then there are dilly beans, strawberry jam, and apple butter.

After the canned goods, some cookies: gingermen (I know.  But that's how Miss says it, and the rest of us are powerless to stop repeating it), and Mr's super-fantastic fresh chocolate chip cookies.


There's also boter koek - more on that some other time, since for reasons I'll get into it truly deserves a post all on its own - and The Best Shortbread In The World (even the articles need to be capitalized for this).


Let me spend some time loving on this shortbread.  It's the only thing in the basket not made by me or Mr, and it is pretty easily the best thing too.  It's made in a little tea shop here in town.  This is the chocolate-dipped espresso flavour, and the Christmas basket we made for ourselves contains only this.

Mr has delivered some already and I'm excited to get the rest of them out of my house give the rest away.  I've been working on this project off and on since July, when I made strawberry jam, and as you can imagine, my little freezer has been bursting.


 So my freezer and I are breathing a sigh of relief right now...


But pretty soon this gingerman won't be smiling anymore.