Cookie rescue: Christmas edition

Christmas Eves are busy where I live - it's a good thing I don't have to be in an office today.  The crazy starts with a skating party, moves on to a cake party, and at some point there will be a baking party as I try to pull together at least one batch of chocolate chip meringues in time to serve as Christmas Day dessert. 

(Also, even when filled with the scent of evergreen, a house needs the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip meringues to really sing.)

I was getting a bit worried about not being motivated to make these - they were a staple in my house growing up, so this year it just feels less fun to make them - and then last night friends came by with a bag of goodies  they'd spent their day making:

WHEW.  Christmas Day dessert: saved.

And something similar happened on Friday night, when another friend turned up holding a huge tray with a gorgeous apple cake on it, surrounded by chocolate-drizzled shortbread stars. 

"I thought you might be having a hard time this year," she said, "and I wanted you to know I was thinking of you."  I knew that with every bite (which is why you are only getting a picture of the cookies.)

Sock News

I don't know what I was thinking, but in all the mayhem of trying to avoid baking cookies I neglected to wash any of my handknit socks.  So instead of official Christmas Socks, my skating party attire is leaning toward lime:

We still have a tiny bit of snow left from the other day's mini-fall, and word is we might get quite a lot on Boxing Day! I expect to see some pretty overexcited children at the skating party, because we haven't had a proper long-lasting snow in Toronto for quite a few winters now, and there are an awful lot of sleds and snow-brick kits gathering dust as a result.

Before the weekend I mentioned I might work on the small-person socks with a view to having at least one pair done by Christmas Day.  I was actually on track to be done them on Saturday night but then there was a disaster involving a bottle of salad dressing that ended up throwing off a lot of schedule, so the socks are still on needles with maybe two hours to go.  Think I can make it, between the parties?

Household Tip Corner

One last thing before I go: if you have any idea how to get balsamic vinegar stains out of dents in a hardwood floor, do tell. 

In return I can share a household tip of my own: a gravy separator makes an excellent watering can for a Christmas tree.

I hope you have a wonderful few days filled with love and companionship, and I'll see you again after Boxing Day!