Evergreen Farms and Cookie Weekend

We left Gary and Julie’s house on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and stopped at our favorite Christmas tree farm on the way home. I say "favorite”, but it’s Texas so the pickin’ is slim. :) I didn’t tell Steve, but on the way there I was considering skipping the farm and buying a faux tree from Hobby Lobby instead. I’ve always wondered if maybe that would be a more “green” way of sporting a tree for the season. Really I'm just lazy and wanted a good excuse to go the faux route.  It would certainly be easier. As if it were a sign, within minutes of this thought, I turned the page of the magazine I was reading only to find an article about this very subject. Sure enough, the article stated that cutting down a tree from a local farm is the most green you can get. Darn!  Fake trees will eventually end up in a landfill and harmful gasses are produced in the making of them. Trees bought at a local grocery store are hauled around the country using a tremendous amount of gas and emitting harmful toxins into the air. Local farms are not only sustainable since they replant each year, but you also get the bonus of supporting a local business. By participating in your local tree recycling in January, you leave very little in terms of a carbon footprint. Good to know.

And for you smarty-pants out there thinking, "What about purchasing a potted tree and then planting it after the holidays?".  Well, the article went on to explain that these trees don't do well in the humidity of our homes and rarely survive planting.  So there you have it, my dreams of a pre-lit beauty went out the window.

Anyway…we’ve made a family tradition out of cutting down our Christmas tree from Evergreen Farms in Elgin every year. It’s a quaint little farm where you pick up a saw and measuring pole from their entrance and take a tractor ride out to the trees. Mabel always gets to go, so I walk alongside the tractor while the boys ride. There’s a sweet little gift shop which sells handcrafted items as well as beautiful firs shipped in from other states. Past the shop is a snack bar complete with Frito Pies, hot dogs, and smore’s kits. The proceeds of the snack bar go to a local charity and next to it is a fire for making your smore’s and craft tables set up to paint pinecones. There are also goats to pet and other fun games to play. Sometimes there are even train rides. But back to the tree-cutting…

My family does this up North, and I love the tradition, but quite honestly it’s just not the same here. Something about people wearing sleeveless shirts (not an exaggeration) and breaking a sweat just doesn’t quite measure up to the memories of stomping through snow and the need to sip on hot cider to warm your freezing body. And no, the Virginia Pines here certainly don’t compare to the gorgeous firs you find in the Northeast, but it’s our family tradition and I’m sticking to it. I won’t lie, at one point during our search for the perfect tree Steve asked for my opinion on a tree. I told him Home Depot’s trees were looking mighty good. But we lowered our standards a bit and within minutes found a good one. Perfect? No. Good enough? Yes. After all, perfect is boring, right?

My hunky lumberjack of a husband. :)

Stong man!

The hayride back.  It was a long search.

***"C" is for COOKIE***

Oh, my beloved Cookie Weekend.  I should probably be honest and admit that it is not my Cookie Weekend, but rather a weekend that my family started and I just happen to really enjoy.  Some might even say I have hijacked it a bit, requiring organization, spreadsheets, and note taking...don't ask.  But really, who wouldn't enjoy a weekend of staying in pajamas, eating bowl after bowl of escarole soup, drinking spiked cider, hanging out with family, and baking TWENTY-TWO different kinds of cookies?!  Did I mention that many involved refer to it as "Cookie Hell"?  It might not be everyone's dream weekend, but it is darn near close to mine.  I'm pretty sure this year set the record for most cookies baked.  Not only were 22 different recipes made, but most were double batches.  Now, that is a lot of cookies!!!  At one point, so many people were in the kitchen and so many doughs were being produced, that we (I say we, but I assure you it had nothing to do with me) :) actually mixed two -- already ingredient-full -- recipes together.  This produced a Cranberry Oatmeal Pumpkin White Chocolate Sam Adams Cardamom Cookie which the group then decided to ice.  Ick!!!  Actually it was a hit with some. And yes, only my family would try a Sam Adams cookie recipe.

Taking a break from the baking to cut down their Christmas trees.

Romy and Ozzy

It was snowing and cold.  At this point I was thinking all the trees looked great.  Just pick one already!

Family pic. 

Well, not quite.  FYI, that young boy on the left was not with our group.  Joe Jr. has a way of making friends wherever he goes.  Really.

And just like all Cookie Weekends, there were antics.  People chasing each other around with sticky fingers, a mean game of putt-putt through the house, Texas Hold 'Em, lots of sharing (wink, wink -- you know who you are), and wedding planning.  You know, the usual.

Proof that the guys got in on the action.  Matt, I'm sending this out to all your buddies. :)

Did I mention that I went sans children?  Wow, was that something!  To be on a plane, by myself, without an enormous bag full of snacks, treats, and DVDs.  To read a magazine, take a nap, and use one of my free drink tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines (it was only 1pm -- shhhh!).  The flight was a treat in itself!

Of course, halfway through the weekend I started getting reports that the boys were sick.  First Zach, then Steve, and finally Luke.  Bummer!  I felt guilty, terribly guilty, but there wasn't much I could do.  They all survived.  See, life can go on without moms.  Just not quite as well. :)

Bad picture, but proof that the guys really were playing golf in the house. And proof that Matt has really bad taste in pants. :)

Pop, possibly wanting to call it "Cookie Hell".

Lindsey rolling her caramel something-or-others.

Now that is a happy little cookie baker!

One of the chases I mentioned earlier.  Mother and daughter, no less.  I think "Mother" won -- Ash had bruises.  Ouch!

A big thanks goes out to Barrett for helping me change my settings to make Blogger a bit easier.  Now I can't find spellcheck.  Rats!  Oh, well.  It's late and I'm tired.  Leaving tomorrow for a Boese Family birthday celebration.  The cooking is done, but the bags still need to be packed.  No time to edit.  Until next time...

xo,

Jess