Christmas Baking

I love to bake.  I REALLY love to bake, and I'm pretty sure most everybody reading this already knows it.  Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I typically make at LEAST 20 or 30 different things each year over the course of only a few days and then package them up and give them away.  This year, I was not up to the challenge.  With the doctor still insisting I stay off my feet for a good portion of the day and my lack of energy and persistent queasiness, I had to take a break this year.  I only baked once, and truth be told, Justice did more of the work than I did.

People keep asking me if I'm disappointed that I'm having another boy.  I quickly reply "absolutely not!" and I look at them like they are nuts.  People think I should have a little girl roaming around so I have someone to bake, sew and craft with.  I've already raised two girls, and while I love them with all my heart, they are both completely useless in the cooking, crafting, and sewing department.  If given the option, Shandi would rather change the oil in her car in a snowstorm than do anything remotely crafty or cook anything.  I have however, raised another son.  Jamaal is 22 now, but he was a trooper in the kitchen come Christmas baking time.  He can't cook to save his life, but he was an awesome assistant.  He stuck by me in the kitchen the entire time I baked, handing me this and that, putting stuff away, and whatever else he could do to help me.  My boys are sweet, and very helpful.  My girls?  Not so much on either account.  I was very sad when Jamaal grew up on me all of the sudden, but Justice is sweet just like he is and is always willing to help me out.  Especially when food is the reward.  

Since I was only baking a few things this year, I let everyone pick two of their favorites and agreed to make only those things.  A couple favorites were duplicates, so I only ended up with seven things this year.  Shameful, haha.

Unwrapping Hershey's Kisses.  Clearly not his favorite thing to do.

Making Fudgy Bonbons.

Piping white chocolate on his finished bonbons.  Look at his tongue, he's obviously in deep concentration here.

A little break-dancing in the reflection of the oven glass in between batches.  

Making Fudge

Pleased with his accomplishment.  He made both batches of fudge all by himself.  

And here is Shandi's contribution to the event.  She snatched Justice up and forced him to dance with her in the dining room on her way out the back door.  He looks thrilled, huh? 

Breaking up the peanut brittle.  I was hesitant to allow him to help with this one because it gets SO FREAKING HOT and I was scared he was going to burn himself.  He didn't though, he did a great job.

 This is one of my Christmas presents.  I got to open it early since I needed it to make one of the types of cookies.  This is the most awesome food processor ever.  Joe the awesome gift giver never goes half-way on a gift, and he knocked it out of the park on this one.  My old food processor literally CAUGHT ON FIRE the week before Thanksgiving.  Rightly so, it was a wedding gift that I received for my FIRST marriage over 20 years ago.  I figure it was about time for it to go.  

Food processors have come a LONG way in the past 20 years. 

I really enjoyed my time in the kitchen with Justice.  I'm sure there were a thousand other places he would have rather been and a thousand things he would have rather been doing than helping his Mom bake and make candy.  But just like his older brother, he never complained or let me know he didn't want to be there, because he knew it was important to me.  (And also because he knew if he wanted Christmas goodies he was going to have to pitch in and help).   Listening to Justin Bieber's Christmas album on loop for 8 straight hours was an easy sacrifice to have had his help and made those memories with him in the kitchen.