Seems we are in a straight on gallop to Christmas. i have come to a few decisions that are easing up the pressure to make everything perfect. One thing is the baking. every year I bake and bake and bake and by the time the season is over the squirrels are having a lovely party with all the leftover cookies. This year I have scaled the baking down. Of course there are shortbread cookies, 

What is Christmas in a mostly Anglo Saxon family without those crumbly melt in the mouth goodies? There is fudge to put in the gift bags as well. And yes there are marshmallows 

to put in the hot chocolate prezzies for neighbourhood kiddos and my hair stylist's kids. The rest of my baking is heavy on vegan sweets Chocolate Crinkle cookies  and Vegan Pffernause... the whole family can eat those and they are delicious. Of course there is Tortiere ( a wee nod to my French heritage) for the Bird count day supper (December 27th th). Geesh reading back over this it still seems like a lot but believe me compared to other years it is not. Making Jamie Oliver's get ahead gravy this week. Over the years I have put my own tweaks to it so its's probably Zaza's get ahead gravy now with a wuz up nod to Jamie 

Last weekend was the annual lunch and cookie decorating. 

 

I feel it may be becoming less and less interesting for Miles and Riley who are 10 but going on 20. I may have to go back to houses and see how that goes. All this started with houses and then morphed into cookies but I'm thinking houses may hold more interest. It was a fun day just the same with all of us together. It is quite a house full and now with Holly's new beau , Nick, makes us 10. 

There is evidence in the snow that we may have a homeless kitty or 2 around. 

J

We have also seen a big ole Tom cat scurrying through the backyard. I have picked up a box of "crunchies"  to put a bit of sustenance out there. I also have a bird bath heater in the shed that I may try to drag out. May be quite the task cuz the shed is pretty full of summer things ---- packed to the gunnels as they say.

I have started making my winter suet for the birds ( which I posted about last time)which they seem to enjoy immensely. I thought I would bougie it up a bit and pick up safflower seeds. Well I think our birds are not bougie enough  and will not touch them at all. Give them good ole black sunflower seeds and some millet and they are in heaven. The finches are enjoying the nyger in the feeder altho they seem to be quite happy with the white millet. I guess this is good cuz it won't break the bank. If you want the suet recipe type suet recipe in the search bar above. Duhhhhhh!!! Hahahaha.

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Check the highlighted cookie names. Links to recipe.