Christmas cookies time

It is that time of year again - time to make (and eat) lots of Christmas cookies. When I was little, Mom and I would make cookies and give them to the neighbors. We always made 3 or 4 types of cookies and decorated them all. I remember it as being a lot of fun, but then, I didn't have to do the cleaning up! These days, I tend to stick to one kind at a time, and do minimal decorating. Yesterday, Benjamin and I made our first batch of the year - gingerbread shapes. They weren't men, since I don't actually have a man shaped cookie cutter. Instead, they were hearts, bells, trees, armadillos, and geese. They turned out really yummy. Once they are gone, or next weekend, I am going to try out a recipe for almond crescents that I saw in the Joy of Cooking. And 0n Christmas Eve I am going to make our traditional sugar cookies with icing - teddy bears and cacti...Good thing we played racquetball today!