Winding down a last-minute PTO day to catch up on holiday tasks. Got apple butter simmering in the slow cooker all day, then made 2 pounds of candied almonds and three batches of fudge (walnut and ube, with and without coconut).
Need to get more almonds to glaze because C and I taste-tested too many. And I still have to can the apple butter, make numerous other fudge batches, and bake several varieties of cookies.
Decided to curb most of my mail shipments of treats this year; I may be traveling to the East Coast for work in a couple of months, so I can bring treats with me then to share with far-flung coworkers. That decision alone allowed me to relax a little about my annual holiday frenzy.
Even though I enjoy this yearly ritual, it also can induce anxiety and exhaust me. Limiting distribution to a handful of colleagues, family, local friends, and the annual parish bake sale (plus whoever F wants to gift at school) is a lot more of a relief than it sounds.
Hoping for another PTO day next week to run errands and package treats. Devoting the weekend and early next week to more fudge (i.e., mint, snickerdoodle, Mexican coffee, milk chocolate), cookies (shortbread bites, Biscoff butter with cinnamon chips, oatmeal raisin, magic bars), and possibly toffee and/or caramel.
It’s not as crazy at it sounds, I swear. A lot of last-minute editing of the treat agenda happens, thank goodness.