Baking Messes or Memories?

Still haven't had any fruitcake but I've made lots of batches of rum cake and still have a few more to make.

These "easy-peasy" graham cracker peppermint barks weren't as "easy-peasy" as the picture promised they would be. The graham crackers broke in every angle except horizontal and vertical and the chocolate drizzled outward banishing the glossy fondant image.

These partically dipped butter cookie were much easier-peasier.

Sugar confection covered the stovetop and table like snow in January.

A sweet aura glittered...until time to clean up.

Wet wipes, anyone?

Someone gave us sweet delicious nuggets of praline so I skipped my vow to attempt a batch this year and just enjoyed the gift of it.

My pecan-coconut balls weren't as glossy perfect as my mother made them but that's because I attempted making a batch between five other confections. When will I learn that multi-baking is not a good thing during Christmas time.

They are yummy though.

Pecan-coconut balls fixing to be dipped.

Annual gingerbread house is still unfinished.

Are gingerbread houses ever built without tears, frustration, and collapsed rooftops? Ever?

I now know what I am capable of and what I'm not capable of.

Construction and carpentry are not my strong poinst.

Without holiday guilt I need to leave these beautiful stained-glass replicas to craftier hands and stick to paper product creations like this darling Scratch 'n' Sniff Gingerbread Craft and Gingerbread Lapbook so as not to overstep myself.

It's a good thing to remember to "...never get so caught up in our expectations that we fail to see the beauty in our limitations." (Thank you, Amy)

I'm grateful for the reminder.

Afterall, our traditions, gift wrapping, baking, decorating, creating memories, and (Yes!) making gingerbread houses is nothing if not done with love. It's the love that's shared through the traditions and the memories that make becomes a lasting extension of ourselves.

Without the love, it becomes just a messy kitchen and I become an over-commited mother.

Lesson learned.

May your kitchens be christened with sugar, anointed with cooking oil, and blessed with loving memories.