Cookies. Christmas cookies to be more exact.

Every year, at Christmas I bake Christmas cookies with my young learners. One of the things I want to teach my students is part of my Canadian culture. When Christmas time rolls around each year, part of my cultural background is the foods that formed my Christmases back in Canada. Food and culture are deeply intertwined in my belief, and sometimes learning is better learned by doing than by seeing.

I grew up with a mother who was a prolific baker, and who still probably does more baking than I do. My mother would continually but slowly bake and bake leading up to the Christmas holidays. She would freeze the goodies until Christmas time, leaving just a few delicious morsels for the family to devour, whetting our appetites for the upcoming holidays. My only effort at helping her in those days was eating (happily) her cookies/cakes/sweets whenever possible. Yes, it was a tough job, and I tried my best!

Each year I bake cookies with my children. Some are needed to give to Santa when he visits the house before Christmas morning. I’m sure he appreciates them, as each year the plate of cookies (and the milk) are finished. Some cookies are also needed for dessert after Christmas Day’s dinner. Some cookies are needed in case visitors come by and we want to serve something with coffee or tea, and finally some cookies are handy to have just for munching on.

Usually the students and I make 2 types of cookies and then they can bring them home and share with their families (or enjoy alone). In the picture above students are finishing decorating some butter cookies before we slip them into the oven for baking.

Over the last week I’ve helped to make and bake a few hundred cookies. With the odd sampling here and there (for quality control purposes!) you can probably understand why I need to go cycling for exercise. If Arlen doesn’t exercise, he’ll start to look like a cookie himself!

Sweet cookies. Sweet memories. Sweet wishes for the holidays!