A To-Do to Die For

Peppermint Dusted Candy Canes and Ginger Underwear-Men, '08

I am genuinely looking forward to my week.  Through the magical powers of hiring my own personal Mary Poppins and the fresh baby-proofing of my kitchen, I have been able to construct a to-do list for my week that feels not only possible, but genuinely fun.

What sort of To-Do list incites SuperMommy to wax rhapsodic, you ask?

1. Make/hang curtains over dining room window
2. Make holiday cards (this involves both studio arts and fun crafts this year, so I'm particularly excited)
3. Bake holiday cookies (this year's selection: date balls, chocolate crackle-tops, ginger underwear-men, cocoa amarettis, and peppermint dusted candy-canes)
4. Make myself that skirt I've been so excited about since I saw one similar to it at Anthropologie in September and picked up fabric and buttons for immediately afterward
5. Set up Christmas tree
6. Wrap Christmas presents

 ...not necessarily in that order.

The girls have proven that they can be very cooperative while I cut and pin fabric, if not while I actually sew.  They've shown that they can be at the very least not COMPLETELY destructive and distracting while I cook, even if they are still too young to really understand the whole hot oven STAY AWAY concept.

Best of all?  M's semester has ended, and his work might be slowing down enough that I can actually imagine us sitting down to a family dinner every night this week.

Oh, it's a glorious time, all right.  It's a magical, wonderful, beautiful time.  And if my exciting and busy week keeps me completely away from you, I'm sure you will understand all too well that I'm just having too much fun to talk about it at the time.

And just for you, and the Multiples...and More! network, my signature cookie:

Cocoa Amarettis Recipe:

1c blanched whole almonds
1/2c sugar, divided
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp almond extract
slivered almonds to decorate

Lots of Cocoa Amarettis, '08

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Bake almonds for 12 minutes, turning occasionally.  Set aside to cool, but leave the oven on for baking.
2. Once cooled, place in food processor with 1/4c sugar and process until finely ground but not oily.  Mix with cocoa powder and powdered sugar, and set aside.
3. In a copper mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  This CAN be done in another bowl by adding a pinch of tartar, but I highly recommend against it.  Sprinkle in remaining 1/4c sugar, 1tbsp at a time, beating until thoroughly aborbed.  Continue beating until the egg whiles are glossy and stiff.  Beat in almond extract, and then gently fold in processed almond mixture until JUST blended.
4. Transfer batter into piping bag, or gallon ziplock with a little hole in the corner.  Pipe 1"-2"rounds onto parchment lined baking sheets about an inch apart.  Press a slivered almond into the center of each cookie. 
5. Bake for 14 minutes.  Cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.