I made biscotti! It’s a family tradition- it wouldn’t be Christmas without my orange-chocolate chip biscotti. (Well, it’s not really mine- the recipe is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Veganomicon cookbook.
The way I made time for this was, I told the family I would make biscotti if someone else cooked dinner. That worked great! And I’m doing the same thing tomorrow night, because I have to make gingerbread men and sugar cookies (to decorate on Christmas Eve, another family tradition). It turns out there’s lots of time if you don’t have to cook dinner.
In that same vein, I’ve announced that we’re going to start a new, super-fun tradition called the “Christmas Chore-athon.” I’ll put various chores that NEED TO BE DONE before Christmas Eve on post it notes, and people can pick one at random and get it done.
Strangely, this wasn’t quite as popular as making cookies, but I’m convinced it will work. It always baffles me that if I just ask someone to clean the living room, they look around at the trash on the floor, junk mail strewn on the coffee table, shoes scattered all over, dirty glasses and plates on every surface, and ask “What exactly do you want me to do?”
I mean- seriously??? Clean up the mess!!! Is my entire family blind? I’m hopeful the Christmas Chore-athon will be a success, but my son had an even better idea for next year…
The Advent Calendar of Chores! Every day you open a door and find a job to do. Oh, December 13th- scrub behind the toilet! By Christmas Day the house will be cleaner than ever.
I’m pretty sure my son was joking, but I’m seriously thinking of doing this next year. I could make each chore sound humorous and festive… I have a while to work it out.
Lastly, my card display is coming right along…
Tragically, my own cards have not been sent. Here’s what happened- I bought cards on sale last January that I really liked. They have books on them! I was so excited to send them out- surely no one else would send reading-themed Christmas cards… right???
Ha. I was so upset to get the exact same card in the mail, from a blogger who is probably sending out cards to the same people I am. NOOOOOO! I got some different cards, but then decided I don’t really like them. Should I send out the cards I don’t like, or the cards that will probably be duplicates for a lot of people? Meanwhile the time is ticking down, and I need to get SOMETHING in the mail.
Do you have traditional cookies you make every year?
Should I send out the cards I like, even though it will probably mean a lot of people will get two of them?
33 Responses
OMG—a chore advent calendar is brilliant. I may need to sneak that idea for myself, except I don’t really have anyone to share the door opening with.
Yes, that would be a drawback, if it just meant you had to do the chore every day. On the other hand, maybe it would be fun anyway! And your house would be nice and clean for Christmas.
I would love to make biscotti this weekend too, maybe try a ginger bread version. That’s probably my favorite cookie in the entire world!
Yes, I also have a recipe for gingerbread biscotti and they’re really good. In previous years I’ve made several different kinds of biscotti, but I just don’t have the time this year.
I’d happily take dinner duty in exchange for orange–chocolate biscotti — that’s an excellent deal. They look fantastic.
Here in South Africa they have rusks, which feel like biscotti’s cousins. I keep telling myself I’ll make them one day; they seem straightforward.
Rusks- I’m intrigued! Just the name kind of sounds like biscotti, since biscotti are meant to be a little hard (I think you wold ideally be dipping them in coffee).
Yes yes yes – send the cards you have! For those of us that got 2, we will think – gosh we know the best people who have so much in common!! (They are J’s right?). Send them send them send them! (Said in a sweet, chanting manner).
I like the advent calendar of chores idea. lol. What wonder lurks behind this little door? I am glad my kids are getting to an age where they can do more but dang they make such a mess at times! We are getting out of peak ‘all the plastic toys’ stage and with our Christmas tree up, the toys we had in the corner where our tree is are downstairs now and I think I’d like to keep it that way.
Yes- my house always improves when the Christmas tree is up. We obviously are done with plastic toys, but somehow everyone manages to make a mess anyway.
I love the cookies-for-dinner exchange! I wonder if the chore advent calendar would work… it sounds very appealing!
Send the cards, Jenny! Any cards! I promise even if I got the exact same card from two people I probably wouldn’t even notice – unless I got them on the same day, which seems very unlikely. Even then I would think it was charming and that I had really picked friends who were in sync.
Okay, I seriously doubt you’ll get the cards on the same day. I’m sending them!
Yes. Send the cards.
Great idea to do chores. Not fun though.
I used to make chocolate truffles.
Oh yum. I was standing in line at the grocery store and someone was telling me about Oreo truffles- you mix ground up oreos, cream cheese and then maybe dip them in chocolate? Anyway they sound insanely good.
Unfortunately the Chore-athon is necessary. We’re having friends over on Christmas Eve and the house is borderline unsanitary. SIGH!
I’ve never made biscotti but yours looks so good! My mom always makes vegan shortbread cookies with chocolate chips and cherries so I’m looking forward to another batch of those — she made some earlier this month — along with some vegan peppermint bark!
The chore Advent calendar is a great idea to make cleaning up more festive. I would have to do all of them myself since I live alone but maybe it would motivate me to actually do some things that I usually avoid doing, like mopping!
Yes, even if I end up doing most of the chores myself, it might be more fun- and if it’s just one thing a day it wouldn’t feel so overwhelming.
Shortbread is a great cookie to make vegan, since they don’t have eggs. I made an orange cranberry shortbread last week. Chocolate chips and cherries sounds REALLY good though!
I think your son is onto something with a chore advent calendar — you could sell printables on Etsy!
I might make a batch of cookies tonight instead of dinner — thanks for the inspiration!
Yes, but the only problem is, someone else has to make dinner! Unless you want to eat cookies for dinner (in which case, I won’t judge).
i wish I were more crafty- I would definitely make a printable of the Chore calendar!
I think I know the cards you’re referring to and they are lovely so definitely send them!!!!!! Great minds think alike, Jenny <3
A chore calendar is great. I do not think my kids would feel that way about it, though. Haha.
I make peanut butter balls every year and I try to make Ginger Sparklers (making them today!!!) and now Belle has taken over saltine toffee (Christmas crack). I guess out of that only Ginger Sparklers are true cookies.
Ooooh…. Christmas crack. I might have to make some of that. It’s not hard and it is SO GOOD.
I am having secondhand stress at you not mailing out your cards. That would NOT work in Canada. Things take a long time! I factor in at least 2-3 weeks, more if things are going to the States.
Hahaha I love your advent calendar of chores. Scrubbing the toilet! Mopping the floor! Very festive.
That biscotti looks great!
It could be described as “Merry Mopping!” “Scrub the toilet till it shines like a Christmas star!” I’m totally doing this next year.
Girl, send those cards out and don’t give it a second thought! Just congratulate the other blogger on having great taste!
I like the Christmas Chore-A-Thon! It always baffles me when I ask a family member to clean and they look at me like I have two heads and ask what I mean. Did you do that to your parents? I did not. Oh well.
Um… I MIGHT have done that to my parents. I’m having convenient amnesia right now, ha ha.
The chore advent calendar actually sounds a little genius!
We always do a massive deep clean *after* Christmas/right before New Year’s, so we’re starting the year off with a super clean house.
I don’t think I have a specific baked good that has to be made every year, because I love so many of them, lol … I’m planning to make pistachio + German chocolate cookies next week to take to a family function, and may experiment with some shortbread.
I also want to make more shortbread! I just found some cute stamps that were mixed in with my cookie cutters, and they would work perfectly for shortbread.
I think after Christmas I’ll be so exhausted, I probably won’t clean for a week. Which means by New Year’s the house will be in bad shape again. I guess we’ll need. New Year’s chore-athon as well.
SEND THE CARDS. I mean, really, who is going to notice? Plus, it’s sort of fun that great minds think alike, right?
I make molasses cookies and peanut butter balls every year. And every year they are delicious!
I usually make molasses cookies, but this year the family told me to skip them. WHAT??? In fairness, I make gingerbread men to decorate on Christmas Eve, and they pointed out that those are very similar. I WILL be making peanut butter balls, though!
Definitely send the cards. The Christmas advent calendar might at least spread out the cleaning tasks instead of a giant rush before Christmas when people come over.
I’m trying to decide if I want to bake Christmas cookies or just make chocolate chip cookies instead. Your cookies sound good. Nice trade off between making cookies and cooking dinner
I always want to make something Christmas-y, but the truth is, you can NEVER go wrong with good old chocolate chip.
I hate that I ruined Christmas cards for you! And that you bought them on sale while I payed full price! SEND THEM. I want to get one, and some of us use cards for gift tags, what could be wrong with having two?
I’m sorry about kitty’s pink pee. 🙁 I hope everything is OK.
I love the idea of a chore advent calendar! LOL, DO IT.
Well, you did ruin my cards, but I forgive you. I’ll send out the duplicates! Actually, yours is already on the way : )
See, had I known, I would have sent you a perfectly lovely different card, and you would have never known that I was sending the book cards to our blogger friends! HA!
I think it’s totally fair that you BAKE and other household members do other chores! I haven’t baked this year but we do have a few traditional cookies (and I still might bake some in the next few days).
I think the Advent Calendar of Chores is a great idea for families. Everyone can participate, not just mom/wife! 🙂
I love that you and J had the same Christmas cards. I loved hers so much that I was looking for something similar to send, haha. I would not have minded to get two of them!
I swear that there’s something about kids and understanding mess. I am SO TIDY now, but when I was a kid, my room was constantly a pig-sty. Is it some sort of maturity!?!? I don’t know! But I do love the idea of a chore advent calendar, hahaha.