Thanks everyone! and thanks jackie for posting yours!never would have thought to make it on my own. oddie

They make great gift wrappings. If their decoration doesn't fit the occasion there's always spray paint. Screw the bottoms into a wall (the stud preferably) with two screws so they won't turn and use them for storing season packettes or other small items in your pantry. If you have a number of them the same size you can make one of those funny looking footstools that coffee cans used to be used to make. Store Leggos or other small toy parts in them. Fill them with sand and cover the outside with fabric and use them as a doorstop. Use one to hold a first aide kit in to keep at home or in your vehicle. If you have a very pretty one you can add cabinet knobs for feet to the bottoms and one to the center of the top for a handle. If it's not so pretty you can cover it with fabric and trim to make it pretty.

Annie-- my cuccidati dough's still frozen, ran out of time before the out of town kids came for our family celebration & wanted to give them their cookie tins ( so guess I'll have a NYears treat ).They're a good one to hoard for yourself, Annie. Tracey-- my favorite cookie is the cuccidati I haven't made yet this year, of those I did favorite is the pecan snowballs. Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Cookies Chocolate Sour Cream Drops ========================== 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 cup dairy sour cream ½ c. butter or margarine, melted ½ c. shortening, melted 2 ½ cup flour 1 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon Baking powder ½ tsp. Baking soda 1 cup chopped walnuts -optional . . Preheat oven to 325 °-grease cookie sheets. Cream eggs, sugar & vanilla. Blend in sour cream, butter & shortening. Combine flour,cocoa, baking powder and baking soda-add to sugar mixture. Stir in nuts if using. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased sheet. Bake 12 min or until just set-cool slightly ;remove from sheet to wire rack until cooled completely. makes 4-5 dz. Original recipe from Brand Names Cookie Collection book * add 1 tbsp espresso power to dry ingred for Espresso cookie-- frost with glaze made using coffee as liquid ingred. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirls ============================ from Taste of Home 1 cup butter, softened 1 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon . In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until fluffy. Combine the flour and salt and gradually beat it into the butter mixture. Divide dough in two and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour. Combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a rectangle - about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the sugar mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Roll up tightly - starting at either the short or long edge. Wrap log tightly and re-chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice logs into 3/8 inch slices and place two inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

these might be just the ticket for you! i haven't made them yet but i'd trust sol and there's nothing here not to like! Angel Hair Flans Source: adapted from Sol 1 cup heavy cream 3 large eggs dash of dried thyme dash of nutmeg 3/4 tsp salt 3 shakes pepper 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 3 ounces of angel hair pasta, freshly cooked Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray six 1/2 cup soufflé dishes or ramekins with cooking spray. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Divide cooked pasta among prepared ramekins. Pour egg mixture over angel hair pasta. Sprinkle flans with remaining Parmesan. Bake until flans are set and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Run small knife around sides of ramekins to loosen. Unmold and serve.