Cleaning, walking and cookies - oh my!

I took a half day vacation to bake cookies for Xmas. First thing I had to do was clean off the kitchen table and counters. They tend to be a dumping ground. There were groceries that needed put away, piles of recipes and cookbooks, appliances, well you get the idea. After straightening up I finally could start making some dough. I ended up making chocolate treasures, Martha Steward French butter cookies, and almond butter balls.

Between the baking I did three loads of laundry and kept up with cleaning up the dirty dishes for each batch of cookies. I was finally done baking and packing the cookies by 7:30. I needed two smaller containers for giveaway cookies and remembered I still had some containers from some deli cheese. I had saved these to get credit back from the store for recycling, but they are perfect for cookies! One is for the postman, the small one is for a neighbor, and the red lidded one is for the fellows at work.

The weather was beautiful yesterday afternoon - 57 degree in NE Ohio! and partly cloudy - so I had to go for a walk to take a break from cookie baking and to get my steps in.

I dug around after I packed the cookies to find my pie pans. I am taking another half day to bake pies. My nephew loves pumpkin pie so I will make one just for him and another for everyone else when we get together Xmas eve. I will be making at least two pecan pies too.

My iron has been shipped. It is coming from Maryland. I sure hope it comes by Saturday although the estimated deliver is the 28th.