This weekend is the annual Pops concert at Austin College put on by the Sherman Symphony Orchestra. It is always a festive and fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. We opt for a table which means that we sit up near the stage and we have a place to put our hot chocolate and cookies during intermission. I always make gingerbread men for this event.
I had Elanor and Jack over yesterday morning and I thought it would be fun to let them help with the baking. I am now going to admit to something that not every mother or grandmother will admit to: I do not bake well with children.
I do not have fond memories of baking with my boys when they were little and that is probably because I have erased those days from my memory. My husband has always been better in the kitchen with children and I've decided that I really don't need to try to do what he already does so well. I made a promise to myself – never again. None of us needs the stress that was generated yesterday by doing what was supposed to be fun.
However, at the end of the day, we did have lots of gingerbread men and women (both with gluten and without) and everyone was very happy. FYI – I use red hots instead of raisins on my GBM. They add just the right sweet punch to the cookie.
We used to make gingerbread men all the time when my kids were little and decorate them with frosting. Yum!
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I can relate! My husband is much better at baking cookies than I am. He says I leave them in the oven too long. I’m always trying to do dishes and pick up at the same time. We made cookies recently with the grand kids. I helped with frosting and sprinkles.
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Oh dear,my dgd Annika is 20 months and I have been fantasizing about baking Christmas cookies with her next year! But you’re right, I have erased my experiences with my own kids and truth be told, they would not be pretty memories…sigh. You’ve brought me down to earth!
PS the Cookies look great though!
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Oh Becky I know exactly what you mean. We have 4 year-old twin great-grandaughters and I love them so dearly, but deliver me from ever being in the kitchen with them and calling it fun. I just no longer want to have that much “fun”?!@#. I decided all that “fun” belongs to Nana, my daughter, to enjoy and cherish. I will just sit and watch and be “great”, afterall, isn’t that what great grandparents are suppose to do?
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I would love to have your gluten free recipe. My granddaughter is 1 year and needs gluten free and we have just starting searching for recipes… please email me!
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Its funny because my husband said, after he read my post, that honestly he doesnt like cooking with children either. Weve both sworn off that activity for good and we are not feeling any regret.
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When my great grand children come to visit, almost before they are in the door, they get out the step stools to stand on and are ready to “cook something”. It isn’t my most favorite thing to do but as my husband says they are building memories. Your children and grand children probably have fonder memories of baking cookies than you do.
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