Dances, Thank you for the cookie recipe! I no longer have the stamina to mix a big batch of cookies together and then bake them all, but this is doable. Mix, put in fridge for when I want them, bake as many as I want at a time (I even used the toaster oven for a few), and they taste great! SharonG/FL

I am the adult kid here (scary, ha) with a 16 month old and I didn't have a job to go back to after maternity leave with no prospects (I'm an architect and 80% of architects in my county are currently laid off) so things are a bit tight here as well and I am doing the handmade/homemade gift thing as well. Both of my nieces have their ears pierced so they are getting a hand painted and lined jewelry box and an inexpensive pair of earrings for christmas and my parents/inlaws are getting a book of photos of our son (blurb.com allows you to publish "real" nice quality books and I have been working on it on and off for nearly a year adding photos as I get them - this one covers just his first year). That's about it. My parents are financially much better off than we are. We moved back to a very high cost of living area and purchased a house about a year before the height of the market and now I'm laid off whereas my dad is retired with a very nice pension and my mom bought her company a few years ago and is doing well with it and they are VERY generous with us. If the situation ever flips - well let's put it this way, there is no way I'd spend money on an expensive trip while my parents were living out of a crock pot because they could not afford a new stove! (though I would not get them a Wolf). I say as a parent you need to listen to your instinct. When we make sacrifices for our children it's because it feels right and because we want them to have a good life. It sounds like you have given them a good start to a good life and they are not babies anymore. You do what makes you feel right... and my parents are pretty tight-lipped about what they do for each sibling because frankly it's no one's business except the people actually involved. I think this is a good policy - your other kids do not need to know if you are helping out one of your kids who needs it more. JMHO - and it should not be part of gifts, just something you do because you can (no raiding your own retirement fund because then the burden will be on your kids to take care of you LATER) and want to. As far as gifts, I urge you to sit down and think about what would make YOU feel good to give them. I'm sure there are things you can come up with that don't cost a lot of money. If it's just about the money making you feel good then you should probably reevaluate what the holidays are to you. There is a LOT in between "socks n underwear" and giving an extravagant gift you cannot afford.

cc, I use this one, and I use my own homemade raspberry jam, but the other layer is usually peach instead of apricot because I don't grow apricots, LOL. Italian Rainbow Cookies 4 large eggs 1 cup sugar 3-1/2 ounces almond paste, cut into small pieces 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 6 to 8 drops red food coloring 6 to 8 drops green food coloring 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam 1/4 cup apricot jam GLAZE: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon shortening Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add almond paste; mix well. Gradually add flour, butter, salt and extract. Divide batter into thirds. Tint one portion red and one portion green; leave remaining portion plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes. Bake 7-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges begins to brown. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Place red layer on waxed paper; spread with 2 tablespoons jam. Top with plain layer and remaining jam. Add green layer; press down gently. For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining glaze over red layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices. Have fun! Annie

Meltaways Cookie Recipe This buttery little cookie has a superb, melt-in-your mouth texture. 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup cornstarch 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla Powdered sugar Sift flour and cornstarch together and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and gradually beat in sugar; beat well. Add salt and vanilla; beat well. Stir in sifted dry ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate 2 or 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape dough into small balls, place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 15-20 minutes. While cookies are still hot, roll them in powdered sugar. —Lillian Stockfish Milwaukee, Wisconsin --------------- I add a cup of finely chopped pecans....making them Pecan Meltaways. I have shared the recipe many times. Everyone loves them.