Baking date and lots of mini fun

I've spent a lot of time recently going over blogs to find things to make. Especially since I picked up those ramekins. I just want to make everything small!! Plus, I make enough and then James has something to take to work for lunch for a few days. And he doesn't complain.

First off, when I was off for Thanksgiving I made another batch of pretzels. They came out better and less phallic looking (thank god).

His and mine.

James crafted these two.

Mmmmm...pretzels....

I love pretzels. Probably more than I should. I can't make them for a while now, mostly because I have a million and a half other things that I want to make. The bad part of the holidays, all of these delicious cookies and treats, not enough time to make all of them.

I took my hand this week at making homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. It came out delicious. It was even better the second day. The noodles were just right the second day. I mean, they were pretty fantastic day one, they just got better.

Perfect. In every way.

I also made mini apple pies. Warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream they are just perfect. Maybe it could use a little bit more apple, but the flavor was excellent.

Mini pies!!

When James came home and saw these on the cooling rack he said "Chicken pot pies? I thought we were having soup?" He was happily surprised when I told him that it was pie.

Remember what I said about the awesome recipes that are flooding in with not enough time to make them? My friend Morgan and I have found so many that our to do baking list is way more than a days worth.

So today, well, yesterday, we had a baking date. On the list:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Christmas Cherries:

Festive!

and How Sweet It Is: Cake Batter Chocolate Bark:

Pretty bark...

with SPRINKLES!!!

All bagged up.

The bark was really yummy. I ate a few pieces because they just happened to fly off when I smashed the bark. The rest of it I bagged up. It will end up in some treat boxes with some of the other goodies that I am going to be making the rest of this week.

And the cookies. THE COOKIES. Oh. My God. I have this obsession with lemon as it is. I think it has something to do with me using a lot of Pledge when I was a kid. But I love it. And those cookies are to die for. We loved how the dough smelled, and then, well once we tried it I think that we would of rather eaten the dough than made the cookies. I made them for my work Christmas party, but, I will have to make some more. With a lemon glaze. Morgan whipped up a lemon glaze and put it on hers. Oh man. It was a lemon explosion. I stopped by the store afterwards to pick up some more lemons to make more cookies.

I think I have a problem. Why do all of these wonderful recipes come out around Christmas? I have 3 more things I'm going to make PLUS another round of those cookies. All in the next 2 days.

And we still don't have our tree up. James has had a cold the last week or so, and that makes it so he doesn't want to do a lot of stuff like that. But I'm feeling a little less than festive. The only decorations I have out right now are the 4 Christmas cards that I have gotten from friends and family. It's pretty sad. I need lights. And a tree. Maybe something that sparkles. Maybe I can talk him into doing that tomorrow.

It is worth a try. Besides, the presents I need to wrap would look awfully silly just sitting on the floor.