Wow! Our schools aren't out til the 21st. At least you'll have some helpers to decorate Christmas cookies, my helper will be studying for finals until 3 days before Christmas. It is nowhere near as much fun to decorate cookies alone.

You could make some simple truffles, this recipe was a huge hit at the schools last year. The favorite flavors were raspberry, amaretto (extract), and rum (extract).

Holiday Truffles

Melt 1 package (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips in microwave. Add 3/4 cup condensed milk and mix well. Stir in 1/2 to 1 tsp extract of choice.
Cover and chill until firm enough to shape into 1 inch balls (15 to 30 minutes). Place on a wax paper lined dish and Chill 1 to 2 hours until firm.

Melt coating of your choice (white, milk, semi sweet, or dark chocolate) and dip truffles in coating. You can add 1 tsp of Crisco to make it smoother and shinier. Let dry or decorate with chopped nuts, crushes candy canes, or swirls of another flavor of melted chocolate.

It is really very simple and most of the time is firming in the fridge so you can make them while making cookies.

Once the kids are back in school you will probably miss them!

My DD always makes loaves of white bread for the teachers... and adds in a jar of homemade jam. The teachers have always loved this.

Great ideas..Thanks..I've got the jars of jam...

We always made caramel corn and put it in buckets for the teachers, and they seemed to like it.
Another thing is the spiced tea and hot cocoa mix in gift jars.
I laughed to myself when jcrowley said that you would miss the kids after they went back to school. I love my kids, but by golly I loved it more when they were back in school. Naughty me!

oh Sherry, I'm definately with you!!!!! Infact the child that informed me said "you're gonna be tortured, aren't you mom?"...
YES I am...
January won't come soon enough! LOL

Oh, Terri, are you SURE that you were "informed" correctly? Was the "source" one of your kids or an official notice? If your kids go to public school, Dec. 14 sounds wierdly too early for holiday vacation to start. Maybe I'm just too suspicious, LOL!

I can certainly vouch for your taysberry jam! Nothing else needed; it's really delicious!

Sue

Here's something that's real easy to make--- something for the boys to help with-- they keep well too. The recipe says 2 wks but I do an extra batch each Christmas just for me & store in my back refrig -- they last way more than the 2 wks if stored in an airtight container in the frig.

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Candy & other confections

Sugarplums
==========
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped dried figs
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/3 cup sugar
. Line a small baking sheet with waxed paper. In a food processor,
combine the dates, walnuts, apricots, figs, pistachios, brandy, apricot
preserves, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until the mixture begins to clump
together.

Using a teaspoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of the mixture, press
together, and roll between your palms into a compact ball. Roll the
round in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the
remaining fruit-and-nut mixture and sugar.

Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container
in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 18 confections.

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, After Dinner, by
Kristine Kidd (Time-Life Books, 1998).

Servings: 18

Exported from Home Cookin 5.5 (www.mountain-software.com)

Terri: my DD wants to know if you're from the Woodland Hills area outside LA. Her kids start vacation on the 14th too. She's hoping I haven't shared her good idea with another mother from the same school.... because getting out that early isn't the norm. WOuldn't that be a hoot! ;^)