Homemade Treats the Easy Way--Host a Christmas Cookie Swap! by Cyndi Roberts Do you love to give goodie bags or cookie trays full of homemade treats at Christmas? But do you get tired of all that baking? A cookie swap may be the answer--you just invite several friends to make up their favorite recipes and get together and share! For example, if six of you bring six dozen cookies each, you will each take six dozen cookies home. But, instead of six dozen of the same cookie, you will have six different kinds of cookies. Are you a working wife or mom? You can still host a cookie swap at work -- have it in the breakroom and everyone can come taste on their coffee break. Everyone should have a little fun at work sometimes! The first thing you'll need to do is invite people. On your invitations you will need to explain just how your swap is going to work. Ask your friends to let you know if they are going to participate, so everyone will know how many cookies to bring. If only five friends wish to participate, then each only needs to bring five dozen cookies. Give a deadline for responding. A fun way to make invitations is to cut gingerbread cookie shapes out of brown paper. Paint "icing" trim on with White-Out pens. Then just print your instructions on with a pen. You can fold them in half and place in an envelope to mail, or just hand deliver if possible. You will need to contact all participants again after you know how many are participating. You can call or drop another little note, or maybe an e-mail. A fun thing to do is ask them to let you have a copy of the recipe they will use and you can make up a booklet of all the recipes for everyone to take home as a keepsake. Ask everyone to bring their cookies already wrapped up in packages or bags of six or twelve cookies each. Your friends may surprise you with how creative they can be! Another nice touch is to decorate baskets or bags for your friends to use for taking their cookies home. Spray garage sale baskets gold or silver and glue on a Christmas ornament or silk flowers, etc. Trim with raffia or ribbon. It's your turn to surprise your friends with how creative you can be! On the day of the swap or "tasting party" have tables set up for the cookies to be displayed on. You might want to make labels so everyone will know the name of the cookies and who made what. Have a holiday punch bowl or hot spiced tea or wassail to drink. If you are at work, invite everyone to taste during their break time or lunch time. Adapt your party to the circumstances of your particular work place. You can keep your wassail warm for a long period of time by putting it in your crockpot. A cookie swap is a fun time to visit with friends, exchange recipes and sample goodies. But it's also a timesaver -- for the time you spend baking you go home with a lot of different cookies! **A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand!**
 Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name. Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill". Please post your ideas for Christmas on the Holiday Message Board Thank-you to J. S. Magic for the graphics
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