I love the holidays! Not only because they provide a great excuse for listening to awesome music all the time (here are two of my all-time favorites), but also because they provide an equally good excuse for eating wonderful food all the time.
Last Saturday, Five and I were invited to a cookie exchange.
It was amazing.
Here's the drill: every guest brings 2 dozen of their favorite cookies. Then, after everyone admires the copious quantities of baked goodness, guests get to go cookie shopping! I mean, seriously, what more could one ask for?
Whoever invented this special kind of soirée deserves at least 5 dozen assorted cookies.
Five made her famous Chocolate Crinkles--which are both beautiful and delicious--and I decided to make Giant Ginger Cookies--which I have always loved and don't look too ugly when you tie cute little bows around them. 
K's first masterpiece was a double chocolate cookie with fudge icing and candy cane sprinkles; the other (next to it), an exquisitely nutty ultra thin sandwich cookie filled with buttery lemon cream. Yeah, it was kind of ridiculous.
Honorable mention goes to the chocolate peanut butter shortbread and ginormous chocolate chip cookies with baby brownies living inside. So. Darn. Good.
We found that the best way to enjoy the party was to take one bite out of every cookie (except the ones which you absolutely had to finish).
For anyone planning a similar event, first, let me commend your inspired decision!
Second, I would suggest having the following libations on hand:
hot cocoa, peppermint herb tea, honey vanilla chamomile herb tea, egg nog, and milk.
They really make the experience.
For anyone not planning a similar event, either, (a) snag an invitation to someone else's function, or (b) plan your own---stat!
