Pink Santas

I feel like I have to give history here so you don't think this is a fly by night thing I think I'm suddenly good at. Years of trial and error. Loving cookies and not liking cookies. A very long learning curve. I could start just posting pictures left and right, but that's why I reserved a domain name, right? I've been taking pictures as I make cookies for people, and I try to make extra cookies each time I bake in a different style so that I can post to my website. Right now it is naked: www.toocutetoeat.com I'll let you know when it's been populated with cuteness.

I anticipated all kinds of set-up time. A slow-to-start sort of deal. My sister asked me yesterday how many dozens of cookies I made in March - I did about 20, mostly for St. Patrick's Day and Easter, and a couple birthdays and bachelorette parties. Then she asked how many are already ordered for April. I told her 15 so far and a possible baby shower (and 7.5 dozen chicks for the first week of May). She asked if I realized that there aren't even any holidays in April.............which makes me very scared for Christmas.

And that takes me back to the family decorating, of course. It's been fun through the years to see the kids take on different roles as they grew up. When they were little, they just decorated (and only a few before they got bored.) As they grew, some like to roll out the dough and cut, others to bake and others to decorate. And my mom made the cream cheese frosting for years and colored it using the McCormick little 4 squeeze bottle set of primary colors. And then we would settle down with our butter knives, toothpicks and sprinkles, and set out to make what we thought were masterpieces.

The yellow always looked more orange, anyone using the blue looked like a smurf (remember those?) for days, and the red was never really red. We had a lot of dark pink Santas. I guess he was showing more of his feminine side, or trying to set a trend. (Thank goodness for discovering Wilton gel colors a couple years ago!) I think that's why I use such bright colors now - because you can actually get them to be saturated enough, and mix them together. . . .without having to use a ton of color, and it doesn't change the consistency. This year, we'll be adding a new generation to the decorating, my great-nephews, who will be 2 and 3 by Christmas. I can't wait!