December Day Four: Cookie Fest!

Cookie Party!  I just love our annual cookie party.  It’s great to get together with our friends from college and their adorable children, and I get to play!  Try new recipes, crafts, and games.  This year I set up a cookie decorating station for the kids and an apple cider bar.

Here’s the apple cider bar!  I went all out and actually purchased silver polish for the fancy tray my Mama gave me.  Then I went nuts in the grocery store!  Here’s what we had to choose from:

Torani Syrups in Almond, Pumpkin Pie, and Irish Cream flavors.

Butterscotch and Caramel sundae toppings

Maple Syrup

Apple Slices

Butter Pecan and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

I think my favorite was almond syrup, cinnamon whipped cream, and apple slices.  I also loved butter pecan ice cream with caramel sauce!  Yum!  I found a tip online to keep the cider warm in the crock pot, and it worked perfectly. 

The cookie station was a blast!  Serenity and I had made the cut out cookies the day before (Cinnamon shortbread, mmmm) I put icing into Ziploc baggies and cut the tips off when the kids were ready to design with them.  Even the two year olds could easily squeeze the icing out!  Granted it usually ended up in a big puddle on the cookie, but hey, still delicious. I had a bunch of candies to decorate, but I think the mini M&Ms and the mini chewy fruit slices worked the best.  Oh, and sprinkles of course. 

I made each of the kids a little chef’s hat using this extremely simple pattern.  I just happen to have a bunch of muslin on hand, which I’d purchased to make curtains for Serenity’s room.  Actually this is the second time I’ve bought muslin for that project and used it for something else, I should just keep a bolt of the stuff on hand! =)  

The table for people to put the cookies they brought on.  I put out the veggie tray to balance the sugar a little. =)  Next year maybe I'll think signage earlier, but today I put out green tags for people to write the cookie variety on. 

Saw this in my family fun magazine this month, had to make it cause my husband loves parsley =)