No weekly workout round up this week, because I had a sad week of workouts that can be summed up in about two sentences. I did a 30 day shred workout a couple of days this week and ran a 5K on Saturday. I also kept up my daily planks as part of the 30 day plank challenge and am up to 90 seconds now.
‘Twas the weekend for baking Christmas cookies and that’s what I spent the afternoon doing on Saturday! My specialty is gingerbread men. Basically that came to be when I realized no one on my or Barry’s side of the family make gingerbread men, so I made them last year and declared them my thing. They fit my personality pretty well, if that makes any sense.
Luckily Barry got home around the time I was struggling to roll out the dough (it was too dry and wouldn’t stay in one ball). Barry is a master of stepping in and fixing my kitchen blunders. He did what he does best and took over getting the dough rolled out and cut into gingerbread men shapes. It worked out pretty well since I love decorating cookies and he’s not such a big fan. I spent the rest of Saturday night getting the gingerbread men decorated.
Don’t you just love a cookie that smiles back at you? We will be mailing these to family members. I made a second batch on Sunday to take with us when we go to visit family for the holidays. There were no issues with the dough that go around, which is good since Barry wasn’t home.
While Barry was busy solving all of my gingerbread dough problems on Saturday, I kept busy by decorating a gingerbread house while watching Elf. You know I have to share this picture again…
This was my first time decorating a gingerbread house, and I think I did a pretty good job.
It helps that every craft project I attempt turns out looking like a first grader made it. In the case of the gingerbread house that works in my favor, because it makes it cute.
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| The icicles were the hardest part |
I’m very proud of my work, but now I’m not sure what I’m actually supposed to do with it. Are we supposed to eat it? Or are gingerbread houses just for display? I have no clue. I am almost too proud of it to actually eat it, though.
Do you have a “signature” Christmas cookie or treat that you make each year?
Have you ever made a gingerbread house? What do I do with this thing now?
Are you good at crafty things? (I put decorating cookies and gingerbread houses into this category)
Turkey Runner 
Fun! I love baking cookies! I like sugar cookie cut-outs with green and red sugar sprinkles on top. Easy and simple, yet delicious. Don’t worry about having a light workout week. You had a race and still need to take it easy,post-marathon.
Thanks for the reminder 🙂 I have to keep on reminding myself about that.
Your gingerbread cookies look so cute and delicious!! Peter’s dad makes 3 types of cookies for Christmas and they are amazing! I’ve offered to help him this year in hopes of memorizing all the steps so I can make them something sometime 🙂 I never know what you do with gingerbread houses either!
Thanks, Becky! We taste tested a couple and I’m happy with how they turned out 🙂 I hope you’re able to master Peter’s dad’s cookies! When I was in high school, I would sit in the kitchen with a composition book and take notes while my dad cooked. I still have the book and it’s full of recipes now.
Congrats on running a 5K this weekend! All of your gingerbread cookies are so cute and there are, oh, so many of them. What a great post-race treat!
Thanks, Tina! When all was said and done I made a little over 70 gingerbread cookies. That’s a lot of arm work decorating them.
I’m not a big fan of gingerbread cookies, but yours are so cute! Don’t you feel bad when you bite into those smiling little faces? Of course not! I’m with Amy. I love sugar cookies. This weekend we made cookies (Pillsbury dough) and covered them in cavity-inducing icing (homemade). And sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles. Bean really loved decorating the cookies. Your gingerbread house is AWESOME, but you should totally eat it. Then give whatever’s left over to the birds and squirrels.
I don’t feel bad at all 🙂 I love seeing Christmas cookies that kids decorate. They’re always over the top!
Your gingerbread men cookies are adorable! I saw running gingerbread men cookie cutters on Buttercream Bakehouse’s blog. They were adorable! Totally something we need to buy!I love your gingerbread house! One of my clients gives me a gingerbread house or kit every year for Christmas. This year she sent a pre-assembled one from Williams-Sonoma since she knew how crazy my life has been.
I thought running gingerbread men would be so cute, but I got my cookie cutter from Wal-Mart so it’s just a standard one. I guess I’d probably have to order a running gingerbread man online. Hope you enjoy your gingerbread house!
All of my baking is “signature”. Mixed up my first batch of cookies last night. In the fridge resting. I will hopefully get them going tonight. 12 more types to make and then I am done. Let me know if you want to take any of those over.LUD.
That it is! You make so many cookies and I love helping make them disappear. Good luck with your baking! I think I’ll just stick with my gingerbread men for now.
Holy cats those gingerbread men are awesome! Mine always look RIDICULOUS but I love gingerbread, so I make them anyhow. The house looks great too!!
Thanks, Jan! I want to see a picture of your gingerbread men so that I can see what ridiculous gingerbread men look like!
I am not the crafty person in my family – my Mom passed those genes to my sister! BUT I do love cookies, so generally I prefer drop-and-bake types: chocolate chip, or peanut butter kisses are two very popular varieties. Although last year, we did make melting snowmen, and they were really quite fun.But my parents are coming for Christmas, so maybe we’ll try making some gingerbread men. Could be a fun family activity – and Singaporeans don’t really bake – so any baked goods are met with crazy amounts of enthusiasm and appreciation. Awesome ego boost. 🙂
Melting Snowmen… hm… what is THAT all about? Sounds fun (though I don’t care HOW many times I’ve seen it or HOW old I am… I always cry when Frosty melts ~ hello? I know he’s coming back! Doesn’t matter.).
I’ve never heard of melting snowmen. I’ll have to google that one! So exciting that your parents are coming to visit for Christmas! Sounds like the Singapore locals are going to give you a big ego about your baking 🙂
Ha! I just Googled it, and melting snowmen cookies are really cute!!
You are so stinking cute. When I was reading that you were making a gingerbread house I thought, “what in the world is she going to do with it?!” It cracks me up that you were thinking the same thing! Your gingerbread men look fantastic!My dad loves when I make him Ritz crackers, PB in between two of them, dip the concoction in milk chocolate, and that’s it. I make these for him and he hides them from the rest of the family! 🙂
Hah, thanks Stephanie! I am still a bit undecided about what to do with that thing. I think I may try to eat it, but it may be a sad day when I do so. We went to visit my running buddy, Kim, who just had her baby (and got home from the hospital on Saturday). While we were there she brought out some Christmas cookies that she made and they were those Ritz crackers ones, except hers were dipped in white chocolate.
I LOVE Elf, BTW!
Oh me too!! There are just so many great lines to quote from the movie.