Cookies, wine, and a little golf

This weekend was the 2nd Annual Cookie Baking Shindig:

Last year's cookies were such a success

that you're invited back to make another mess
the girls talked and baked their little hearts away
while the guys scratched and drank to pass the day

Ladies bring old and new recipes to share
plus all the ingredients needed to prepare
I will stock up on the basic essentials
and provide all our baking utensils

Saturday night be ready to drink and party
as we celebrate the holiday with our favorite Marti(ni)
Wii games will be won and songs will be played
while we annoy the neighbors in the drunken state we made

Saturday was dedicated to an entire day of baking. Sherry, Mom, and I baked from 8am until 5pm. We made double batches of each:

Cut Out Cookies
Linzer Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Peanut Butter Cups (which made 200 cups. Note for next year: do a single batch)
Seven Layer Bars
White and Milk Chocolate Gorp

I forgot how much thinking actually went into baking, especially when you are doubling a recipe. If I need 3/4 cup flour for one batch, for two I need, uh... hmm... uhh... Once the proper equations were figured out, remembering if we doubled everything in the recipe was the next obstacle. I doubled the oil, but did I double the eggs? All this stress called for some Red Truck. Sherry really enjoyed her Red Truck. In fact, I think it was her personal mission to finish off that entire barrel. I will say, baking and icing got easier and easier with every sip we took.

Dad brought his Wii console, so while we baked the guys played Tiger Woods golf. They had a riot and enjoy the "fresh air" on the course. We did send them out to pick up a few things, one of those things being, of course, a barrel of Red Truck to send home with Sherry.
After we finished baking it was time for me to start dinner. I really didn't think this through properly because, after being in the kitchen for 9+ hours, who wants to go back in and start up dinner? I put the guys to work on the majority of it while I supervised. I love getting to cook for people and trying new recipes. What makes cookie weekend even more special is that I get to break out the china and stemware. Ohhh... ahhhh... I know, fancy! This happens once a year, which is fine with me, all those dishes have to be hand washed, so once a year it is! We had rosemary roasted potatoes, stuffed pork chops, and a salad. For dessert, cookies! It was a fun day, but the girls were definitely exhausted by the end of it.

Sunday the guys made us waffles from scratch for breakfast. Listening to them trying to figure out how to double a recipe was hilarious. At one point Ben realized he was using a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon, so figuring out that additional calculation was almost more than an accountant could do.

We somehow managed to still fit in some shopping. Sherry, Mom and I ventured out to Macy's and spent half a day in just the one store. What can I say, good deals, coupons, and discounts makes shopping a lot more fun!

Monday I put together a tray of cookies and a bucket of white gorp to send to the office with Ben. Monday night Ben came home with an empty try and request for more gorp. Seriously?! He 'claims' that his fellow office mates are health conscious. Well, they certainly didn't hesitate when they wolfed down 4 dozen cookies! The white gorp was the all time favorite and has actually been coined a new name thanks to the office. White Trash. Appropriate I would say. Here's the recipe, enjoy!

White Chocolate Gorp
2 pounds white chocolate
6 cups crispy rice cereal squares, e.g., Rice Chex ™
3 cups toasted oat cereal
2 cups thin pretzel sticks
2 cups cashews
1 (12 ounce) package mini candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 bag mini marshmallows

Melt chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat or in microwave until just until soft. Stir until melted. Combine all the other ingredients in big roaster pan or bowl. Stir chocolate into mixture. Turn out on waxed paper. Of course anything you like can be added or substituted-but this recipe is a great combination!