Claire, I don't make anything for my house, but I bake cookies for the office potluck, I help Amanda make cookies for her in-laws, I bake cookies for the family party on Christmas Eve and I bake cookies for Elery's family party. Oh, and I make some fudge too.

Other than that I bake homemade rolls for the Christmas Eve party, I always make the turkey and Elery and I have some Christmas dinner that no one else in the family would eat. Last year it was cioppino, the most expensive pot of fish soup I've ever made, LOL. This year he works Christmas night, so we'll have breakfast instead, before he leaves....

Annie

Nope, you are not the only one. I typically only make sweets, appetizers and such if I need to bring them to a party, or am having a gathering at my place.

The cookie exchange at my work nest week is actually the first one I have ever participated in to my recollection.

I really don't like to have lots of junk food around or I will eat it! LOL

Linda

I am making lots of goodies but not for my family. I love to make treats but try not to keep them around. We have many Christmas parties to attend between now and Christmas' Eve. I always bring a treat to a party. Not that they needed my treat but it's the best opportunity for me to make things that we don't normally have at home, let hubby and little man have a few then give the rest away. Perfect! Al

I'm not making anything sweet this year as sugar is not allowed on my diet but since the bakeries are full and the German supermarkets have imported tons of Wolf's favourite sweeties (gingerbread, cinnamon stars, Christstollen ... etc. ), and the Spanish supermarkets are full of turrones, chocolates, pulvorones and toffees and there are still specialized chocolate shops full of truffles in all flavours.....need I make anything in my kitchen?

Besides my main oven is broken and I'm still looking for the right replacement: gas burners with an electric oven and a metal lid on top for closing. Haven't seen one yet online.

I'm glad that I won't be baking this year, although I'll miss the scent of mince tarts cooking. (Well maybe I can do a few in my little oven just to keep up the tradition.)

We're going out for roast duck Christmas dinner this year on the 25th and if I don't get my oven fixed or a new one in time then I'll make roast turkey breast with all trimmings for Christmas Eve or Boxing Day in my small counter top oven.

SharonCb

Annie, that seems like a lot of cookies to me! Fudge...well I simply have to abstain because I would eat it. It sounds like you should turn your home-made rolls into cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Linda, me too. Slowly, but steadily.

althetrainer, it sounds like a plan!

Sharon, since you asked the question, I think the answer is no! I hope you can find the right oven at some point, although you're too good a cook for that to be much of a problem. Even so, I know you'll probably be glad when you find just the right one. I think you should definitely keep up the tradition of minced tarts; if anyone would have no problem baking in your little oven, it would be you...not to mention beautiful pictures to go with them!

I don't bake anymore, it started with me not wanting to have the goodies around. I do eat sweets I buy at all the good bakeries surrounding me,
but one piece at a time and I try to have just one treat a day. ( key word:try )

I do remember my baking days though, very fondly.
I used to do Jehanne Benoit's Bûche de Noël ; she's our canadian julia child.

I rarely make special baked stuff just for us, but I am making dozens of cookies for the trays I give to friends and neighbors. Like Al, it is really nice to have a huge variety for my guys to taste, but the majority of it leaves the house so we dont eat it all.

Alexa

Claire, I'm with you. At times I will get ambitious & make my grandmother's banana bread - one year I made & froze 13 loaves for gifts, a real biggie for me. Other years, zilch. This looks like an other year.

If I make goodies I eat goodies, so you are definitely not the only one!!

Nope. Haven't done it in years, mostly because everyone who would enoy it lives out of state. We've pretty much stopped pretending to do Christmas anyway. I send out a few cards and get something for the nephews, and call it done.

LOL Bean!

It makes me laugh thinking about the big "show your love for your family by cooking for them discussion," because that just does not work with my family, my dad does not enjoy eating, he is the antithesis of a foodie. My family does not even notice if I bake anything for the holidays. They are too busy buying every fancy sweet kind of thing they can get their hands on, now with the excuse it is Christmas. Both my folks grew up in the Depression with no possibility of buying these fancy store bought treats, so for them it makes it specials around Christmas to indulge in lots of store bought stuff. My dad enjoys shopping and bringing home the booty, and does not even seem to notice that half of it never gets opened. So I show my love for him by sending him out to the store to get ingredients for Christmas dinner, lol!! I used to make this or that Christmas cookie to bring home, but when I got there the table was so laden with store bought stuff, WAY more than ANYONE in our family or who comes over would EVER eat, that my little tray went unnoticed and uneaten, just like half the other stuff.

I personally don't care for lots of sweets, so without anyone who really wants or appreciates homeade stuff, I don't bake much. This year for the first time I am going to make some cookies, but because I want them around, I feel like making them. I have a lot of less than perfect plum jam to use up so I'm making jam filled cookies, and I feel like making some rolled gingerbread cookies and using Grandma's old cookie cutters.

I will make a nice dessert if I have company or get invited somewhere where the host/ess doesn't bake, and I often make quick bread because I like to eat it for breakfast and yet if I have company, it is nice with tea and punch and the like. But I have definately given up on the cookie train. If I had kids or a niece or nephew I would make and bake the decorated kinds with them. We always had fun doing that wiht mom as kids. But now, many of my friends eschew sweets, and a lot of the oldsters are diabetic, so don't really appreciate sweet treats. Kids and cookies are a great combination though! I think traditional Christmas stuff is mostly for kids, and if you don't have any, I think it makes it a lot easier just to look at it as a really nice break from work, and kick back and enjoy what you want to do with the extra time. I've also tried to cut back on my gift giving too. One gift per person for the family, and cards for my friends unless I see them in person in which case I bring some small home canned something or other like jam or applesauce for a hostess gift.

Lpink, Lots of foodies in this family, but the ones who don't have diabetes or who aren't on a restricted diet for medical reasons are in another state. :) That means I'd end up eating what I'd cook, and I might as well just glue it to my hips! DH and I both like to cook; we just don't have any attachment to Christmas itself.

I just re-read my post, and I hope no one thinks it was directed towards the religious aspects of Christmas, which was not the case. It was related to the FOOD aspects of Christmas. I WISH I had a big family and circle of friends to celebrate with, but since I don't, baking is falling by the wayside and the best way for me to enjoy the holiday is not to sit around feeling sorry for what I don't have and can't do, but to busy myself with other pursuits, that's just what I meant. And like you Renee, if those other pursuits included baking, might as well paste those goodies right on the hips. I make soup instead!

I am with lpink and have fallen off the baking and candy making bandwagon. Family doesn't eat it or appreciate it so will just be making some goodies for the neighbors and friends who will appreciate it and with the girls who love to help. This season is supposed to be happy so why stress about things you can't control, and enjoy what you can.

Stacie

My mom always does big cookie trays for friends and family, but I haven't ever picked up the habit. I just got "cookie craft" on a whim so I'm going to try to make some pretty decorated sugar cookies. I expect them to look horrible but taste pretty good... :) It's a learning process, right? Other than that, I usually make a pan of caramel nut brownies for work and that's about it.

Definitely won't be baking- We can't have it around. I make spiced pecans as gifts and call it a day. DS & DD don't like most sweets, the grands could care less if it's homemade and DH and I can't/shouldn't eat them so what's the point? Also now that my dad is in a rest home, he's not around to appreciate them either.

I have to say that the way we were brought up has to to do with how we carry on our traditions today (or don't'!). Times were tough for some of our parents and grandparents -- giving food gifts were more affordable and were a special thing because of the lack of food items during the depression. Baking fruitcakes and shortcakes and family candies was a very special gift to give; and a gift of fruit or a turkey was a great thing, indeed! My father became very successful, but always, always gave boxes of fruit, turkeys and monetary donations to those in need. We don't need it, ourselves; but delivering to others in need is a very satisfying experience and keeps dad's legacy moving on.
Annie'71

That's why my father BUYS so many things over the holidays Annie. He ALAWAYS gives a gift of food to neighbors, friends and family whom he visits or has over to the house over the holidays. He goes around town and gives things to people to this day, and people would ALWAYS get food at his house growing up in the Depression. It's just the way he was brought up. But that doesn't mean he can bake or likes to bake, or likes to eat home baked goods.

I may not bake a lot, and the stuff may not be fancy, but today I'm making oatmeal cookies, just like my grandmother always used to bring to our house when she visited.

I gave up on the Christmas baking several years ago. Truthfully, to me it is too much work and too much money and everyone seems to have so much anyway. I wonder how much Christmas baking ends up getting tossed.

The "cookie" weekend I have with my niece is as much baking as I do. I don't even make dessert for Christmas Day, I let others do that.

I do make several different appetizers to have on hand but honestly I do that all year 'round not just for the holidays.

Christmas dinner for the entire family is here every year and we host one holiday cocktail party. We also usually have some sort of open house at the cottage between Christmas and New Years. That's plenty of cooking for me!

I just spent a couple hours in the kitchen playing with icing and food coloring and dragging out all my piping tips (most of which I've no idea how to use!). It was mostly for me to see if I could decorate cookies with some semblance of skill and less about HAVING to bake for Christmas. Was just convenient that I had all the Christmasy cookie cutters!

Please ignore the smoosh on the red stocking. I just about dropped it putting it on the plate and messed it up.

Bri those are adorable!!!
Thanks for sharing.
I'll bet it was a lot of fun too!

Bri,very cute, great job! You must have the patience of Job....

Bri, good for you! I like the looks of your cookies; sugar cookies are something I don't do anymore unless I choose to do Nothing Else. Even then, I have to bake them the day before I ice them, as it's very labor intensive.

I'm SO GLAD to hear it's not just me. I was wondering if I was turning into a Scrooge!

I have pared down my baking significantly as far as cookies and treats go. When the kids were home I made tins and trays of cookies for bus drivers, teachers' lounges, older folks in our neighborhood who no longer baked for themselves, etc.. My group of 6 close women friends looked so forward to them because they didn't bake.

Then the kids grew up and moved, we moved from the old neighborhood and all my women friends started South Beach, WW, or Sugar Busters diets and I didn't want to undermine their efforts.

A couple years ago when my Mom was diagnosed w/ breast cancer (her 2nd time) right after T-Giving I was overwhelmed w/ her care over the holidays and just didn't do the baking that year. The world did not come to an end, and I discovered that I could choose to keep the tradition - or not.

These days I bake when I choose to, when I have guests and when asked to bring dessert to a gathering. Like someone above noted, it's not like in years past when people really seemed to treasure the homemade baked gift. The cost in time and ingredients seems greater than in the past. I'm delighted to bake for those I know enjoy it, but I don't dole out the homemade treats the way I used to.