How the Cookie Crumbles

This morning I (and 72 home made peanut butter cookies) attended my first ever Christmas cookie exchange. There were three reasons for this.
1. We don't bake or buy Christmas cookies in England.
2. I don't celebrate Christmas.
3. No one's ever invited me before.
However, when you're invited by Dolly McCarthy, NCTV's news anchor, you don't say no. (It's the Naperville version of being invited to Oprah's Christmas party).

Dolly judges the ugliest Christmas sweater competition.

Which oddly enough I didn't win.

The ghost of Christmas future meets the Rockettes.....

(The lady on the left is Annette Wehrli, usually seen driving the Naperville Trolley. Her sweater featured the state bird the red cardinal. I have no idea why. I've never seen one on a Christmas card in place of a robin).

Dolly's home looks like something out of a magazine. It fact it often is something in a magazine. Here it is all decorated up for Christmas for the Cup of Cheer house walk.

The Cup of Cheer is a local event where people can walk through decorated houses to learn tips and raise money for charity. Apparently Dolly had 2,000 through this year. Hopefully not all at the same time!

Little girls always dress the part here in Naperville.

But when no one's looking they're just like normal children. Only polite.

For the uninitiated, a cookie exchange is where everyone takes along a batch of home made cookies to admire. At the end they go round gathering up a selection to take home. That way you get a large variety and a chance to show everyone what a wonderful baker you are.

Of course being Naperville, I wasn't surprised that they all looked like they'd been made by master confectioners, just even more disappointed that the ones in the stores look so tacky.

For those of you who still haven't put up your trees and decorated your house within an inch of its life, this is what you should be aiming for. (If you still have time after baking all those cookies).

You can't be too twee in Naperville at this time of year. It's like living inside a Christmas card.

Here's a special wish for all of you needing to improve your hearing. (Read the letter racks carefully).

The ironic thing was I played hooky from volunteering at Loaves and Fishes food pantry this morning to attend this food fest. Guess this is how the other half eat.

This toffee is the pride of Naperville. It used to be made by the old Cock Robin store before it went out of business many years ago. However, the recipe lives on and is now made just at Christmas to be sold in some of the local stores.