>
>
>Let’s work backwards with the retrospective this year. Preparing this annual post is fun; finding out what was on my mind at the beginning of each month is fascinating.
>I know, I hear you. Cookies after Christmas? Well, readers, that’s the way my life has been running lately. Sheer craziness, no time to even think or plan ahead. I’ve had this recipe sitting in the kitchen for two weeks, and I finally made it on Christmas Eve Day. The recipe says it makes 48 cookies, but I cut mine thicker and made about half that. They’re delicious.
>
>Welcome to the O.K. Chorale, our humble home. Instead of the typical home tour with tree and fireplace et al, I’ll show you the clutter. It’s seasonal and festive, but I must admit the house is really, really cluttered. First, the cards. They go in a basket that’s decorated for the occasion. To the left you see a pot of rosemary – or maybe it’s thyme. Both are growing on top of the piano, despite the limited light of the solstice season.
On your way into the kitchen, look up. You’ll see these festive little items. Why don’t I use the mug for coffee? Because I have plenty in the cupboard, thank you very much. 
To your right you’ll see a candy dish that Amigo bought me when he was young and a snowman candle. I don’t burn candles often, but this one is in a really cute holder. 
If you’re brave enough to venture up to the master bedroom, you’ll see presents stacked in a corner. Why? Come on, people. We have bunnies! If we put the presents under the tree, the bunnies will open them before we do. They love tearing paper and boxes apart.
Even farther into the room, in my walk-in closet, a few more gifts are sitting up high on a shelf. You might notice the lack of fancy wrapping paper. One is wrapped in a re-used bag, but the rest use packing paper or other creative means. If you look closely enough, one gift is wrapped in a map. 
So there you have it, folks, the holiday clutter at the home of Daisy and family! >There are two simple brownie mixes on my list; the ingredients for these two are almost always plentiful in my cupboards.
>Every year I like to give my coworkers Gift in a Jar mixes. I have three recipe books for this kind of gift, so the biggest decision is – which mix? Most of the time I choose based on the ingredients already in my kitchen. This year it’s a toss-up between two: oatmeal cookies or brownies. Out of four gifts, I decided to give the cookie mix to those with children at home and the brownie mix to those without. The recipes have two parts: the mixes themselves and the instructions to bake them, which go on the gift tags.
>He heard it first on Wisconsin Public Radio courtesy of Zorba Paster on Your Health. Then he went online and found another variation that wasn’t quite as spicy. Finally, he made the recipe his own. Yes, like me, Chuck likes to play in the kitchen and modify recipes to fit our own family tastes. He served this as part of Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s a great soup for any cold or dreary winter day.
>
