The last week of school before Christmas vacation was thankfully a bit slower. No activities or parties to attend. So we had time to concentrate on family things, like the kids making gifts for each other with my help, and baking treats for friends and neighbors. I just wish the kids had more time off before Christmas rather than after to do all these preparation things.
By this time, most of the candy was gone from the gingerbread houses, so they started in on the door and roof. It helps keep them out of the candy I am making for other people as well.
We bought this Playmobil Christmas Market scene a couple years ago, and we all look forward to setting it up every year. It isn’t a fancy ceramic village, but we sure love it!
This year I made my usual candy treats for friends from church and the teachers up at the school, and something different for the neighbors in our apartment building and across the street.
In years past, I have made individual packages for the kids’ teachers, but this year I just made one giant tray and brought it into the teachers’ lounge. Almost every teacher in the school interacts with my children in one form or another, and this seemed a good way to include everyone and not make myself go crazy. 🙂 It was very well received, but I felt bad accepting their thanks. I mean, I made the treats to thank them for being such awesome teachers. But at least they didn’t think it tasted bad. haha
I used to try out different recipes each year, or trade off. But over time, certain recipes have become “The Christmas treats” and so I end up making the same thing every year. I am allowed to add new things if I want, but definitely NOT take any away. Secretly I love that they look forward to it and am happy to oblige. 
From top left to bottom right we have almond rocca, divinity with walnuts, Mounds bars, lemon drop cookies, buckeyes, buttercream mints, and peanut brittle. I told Chris that I am so grateful he never says boo about me spending the money on the ingredients or even complains about the chaos that is everywhere for the 2-3 days I am making everything. It is one of my favorite parts of Christmas and I am so glad the family just lets me do my thing. 🙂
For the neighbors I made an extra batch of almond rocca and then these really cute cookie trees.
I bought star cookie cutters in descending sizes and used them to cut out gingerbread, lemon and spitzbuben cookies. (Those last ones are swiss sugar cookies that you stick together with a layer of red currant jelly.) After I had my cookie forest all finished, I discovered a bunch more spitzbuben cookies I had baked and forgotten to include in the trees. The children were more than willing to help me dispose of them. whew! 🙂 We have such caring, loving, patient neighbors and I just want them to know how much we appreciate them all. Not everyone is so lucky, I know.