Ever been to one? Would you go to one if invited? How many dozen cookies would you consider acceptable to be required to bring? I want to have one at the end of this month but still need to iron out a few details before sending out the invitations. Also, is Nov 29th too soon? I figure it's before the super rush of finishing holiday stuff yet after thanksgiving, so people are putting up their trees and decorations, etc. Plus, you can freeze a lot of cookies.. So, I figured that would work. Any feedback? TIA!

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~~Amanda~~ Mommy to one Little Man (3 1/2 yrs old), TTC #2

WE'RE ADOPTING!!!
http://daughterinthedistance.blogspot.com/

Depends on who it's with...LOL. I'm VERY picky about other people's cooking. Anyhow, we've done it with Dh's family, each person just brought 4 dozen cookies. It was small scale and worked out well. I don't think the 29th is too early!

our church does one the middle of December. It works out nicely.. You bring 4 dozen and take home 4 dozen.. Not all cookies freeze well. But if you just plan on them for your family it would work. I take mine to our family christmas (40+ people) They are always a bug hit.

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Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

I've been to a couple over the years. Depending on how many people were invited, that was how many dozen you baked, that way everyone got one dozen of everyone elses cookies. We also cut up some of our stuff into bite size pieces so we could have tea/coffee and sample everyone's stuff...that was fun. I was very dissapointed at a couple of them though. I had spend a lot of time and money to make special cookies/squares and ended up coming home with some very plain things....like chocolate chip cookies.......I could make them any old day of the week myself! If you don't want that to happen at your party, I would try to add something in there about people making special cookies, not just the everyday variety. Have fun!

The cookie swap I attend is more of a party of friends than anything. We each prepare a fancy plate or tin of cookies for each person to take home as well as cookies to eat during the party. Our cookies usually have an ornament or something special attached as well. It's fun to shop for cute tins or fancy plates, oven mitts or kitchen towels to include.

During our party, we drink fancy coffees, teas, gourmet hot chocolate, etc. We play Christmas music, make cards or tags or create ornaments. It's a nice evening for the "girls" and yet I get to come home with treats for my family afterwards!

My Mom's group does this but we bring frozen cookie dough. We just mix up our dough, roll into balls and freeze. We then place a dozen in a freezer bag. I usually ask them to bring 5 dozen cookies and copies of the recipe. Any left over dough they bring and we bake them that evening. We sit around talking and eating cookies for hours. You go home with different kinds of cookies to bake when it is convenient. The dough lasts a long time in the freezer (I still have some from last year).

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Heather

I love the frozen cookie dough idea - never heard of that one before. I go to one every year and you bring however many you want but you just take the amount that you bring. My friend that hosts it always ends up with a gazillion cookies because people bring more than they take every time.

I think Nov. 29 is kind of early. I don't like to start doing Christmas stuff until December gets here.

I've been to one but it was a few years ago. We were told how many cookies to bring....a certain amount. Then we "shared" 2 dozen for everyone to try there at the party, and I think it was 4 (maybe 6) dozen we put out for people to take, and then everyone got to take the same amount home as they put out (the 4 or 6 dz). It was stressful to me before I went because I don't think I'm that good of a cook and was afraid everyone would hate my offering, but there was a wide variety from complicated to just those pretzels dipped in chocolate. It ended up being fun and we certainly had lots of cookies to eat!!

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We have one every year. It's a blast..except...we bake the cookies here. Us Mom's make a day of it. They have to bring enough to bake one big batch and then a non bake of some sort. They take the same amount that they offer.

Works great and we have a blast!

Sue

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Have you practiced a fire escape plan? It's quick, it's easy and it could save a life...

Firefighter/EMT Mom to Bryan, Morgan & Paul

This "non-bake" -- is that a no-bake cookie or is that a non-baked snack to munch on while you make cookies?

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~~Amanda~~ Mommy to one Little Man (3 1/2 yrs old), TTC #2

WE'RE ADOPTING!!!
http://daughterinthedistance.blogspot.com/