Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Cookies, but please no peanut butter!

Sunday was Christmas cookie day at our house. I was so exhausted from being in the kitchen all day I'm just now able to get the photos uploaded and posted.

Here are two of my daughter-in-laws, Chasta and Olga (in the apron), with one of my grandsons, Will. What a mess we made. There was flour everywhere. But thankfully my kitchen bar is big enough to completely cover the surface in flour and use as a baking center. I would give anything to have made a picture of Will's eyes when I scattered the flour all over the bar. I guess he was a little surprised I was making a "legal" mess.

I thought the grandchildren would have wanted to help a little more, but it proved to be too much work for them. Here’s sweet Baby Devin who I know couldn't help at all but he was wondering what we were doing. Isn't he the cutest? This is his first Christmas and honestly I think his hat was a little too small for his head -- but it made a really cute photo.

For this year the cookies are made and I will package them to take to the nursing home where my mother-in-law lives. She was one of the unfortunate ones who got very sick from the Peter Pan peanut butter outbreak a couple of years ago. She never fully recovered and is confined to her bed now.

I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional Committee on Food Safety telling how the peanut butter changed our lives forever. If you google my name, Terri Marshall, it should come up and you can read her story. I also went back to D.C. this past year to lobby for food safety and am happy to say new legislation was passed to protect us all from foodborne illness. At least there is the satisfaction that maybe fewer people will suffer because of our efforts.

Here are few more pictures -- hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday week. I have decided I'm much better at decorating trees than I am at decorating cookies.











7 comments:

  1. I love the last cookie, Terri!!!! You are much better at decorating cookies than I am, and so I am very, very impressed!!! And I admire you for taking on the food safety issues!!! But I am so sorry to hear about you MIL...that's simply horrid!!!! Your grandchildren are every bit as good-looking as your daughters-in-law are beautiful!! And your kitchen island? Perfection!!! Loved getting this glimpse of YOU!! Have a Merry, merry Christmas!!! With love, Janine XO

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  2. You are doing great...and I could use a cookie.....

    Lets have a blog day soon and learn some new things.....

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  3. You win an award for beautifully decorated cookies. What a lovely helpers you had. Anyone receiving those cookies will be thrilled.

    As for the peanut butter story, I can't imagine the pain that all caused. One reads stories in the newspaper about outbreaks like this one, but to hear about someone personally who was affected is something else. What a story for you and your family. How good to have spokes people like you.

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  4. Terri, you've made some wonderful Christmas baking memories for those beautiful children! Little Devin is a doll ♥ ♥ ♥

    I'd kill for that big island to work upon. :)

    I'm sorry to read your MIL was harmed by that peanut butter fiasco & someone's negligence, but I'm encouraged that some good may come out of your actions to testify. "Good on you" as my Aussie company has been saying all week.

    fondly,
    Rettabug

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  5. Your Kitchen is so nice! rolling and cutting out the cookies is a job even without decorations!

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  6. My mother used to decorate the sugar cookies, wrap them in glad and hang them on the tree in the little country farmhouse I was raised in. Your cookies are beautiful and would defiantly hold a candle to my moms. My mom used to decorate wedding cakes.

    You have a fantastic New Year and God bless ya'll!!!

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  7. Happy New Year, my new dear friend!!! Praying for all of God's richest blessings to gently sprinkle down on you and yours throughout this New Year!!!! Love to you, Janine XO

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