Comments for The 30 Minute Dinner Party

Comment on Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap by Sniffly Kitty

Sniffly Kitty — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:00:17 +0000

My favorite holiday cookie are the christmas themed sugar cookies. They’re just so cute!

Comment on DIY Gingerbread House Recipe by Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:35:14 +0000

When I got home last night someone in my building was baking gingerbread. It smelled sooo good. I told Aric I was really disappointed that it wasn’t him making me gingerbread. Perhaps I’ll make my favorite gingerbread cake (it has ground, crystallized, and fresh ginger) when I’m home.

Comment on Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap by Sela

Sela — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:34:21 +0000

I love the pepperment oreos (or joe-joes or something) from Trader Joe’s that are only available this time of year. But in terms of actually baking — gingerbread.

I was invited to a cookie swap this week but sadly it’s not in Boston so I couldn’t go. . .

Comment on Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap by Kaye

Kaye — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:34:46 +0000

I love cookies, my favorite to make is no-bakes–the chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter ones that you drop on waxed paper. My friend Becky brings me dutch cocoa and dutch oats from PA when she visits me in VA and she makes the no-bakes and leaves them with me and Chris when she goes back home. We tried to have a cookie swap at work but ran out of time this year, maybe next year!

Comment on Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap by Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:07:26 +0000

My favorite holiday cookie is date pinwheels. So good and they look cool. My family’s other standbys are a pumpkin raisin cookie (which i already made and brought to work to share) and peanut blossoms (the peanut butter ones with a Hershey’s kiss…though they’re not my favorite because I just pull out the Hershey’s kiss).

No cookie swaps for me, but my mom and I will make those date pinwheels next week when I get home!

Comment on Guest List Guide: Who Do You Invite To Your Holiday Party? by Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap | The 30 Minute Dinner Party

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:46:18 +0000

[...] time to really hang out with your good friends this holiday season. Not all of them, and not the balanced-for-maximally-interesting-conversation group you would invite to a holiday party. Just your four or five closest [...]

Comment on Guest List Guide: Who Do You Invite To Your Holiday Party? by Fashionably Old-Fashioned: Bringing Back the Cookie Swap | The 30 Minute Dinner Party

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:46:18 +0000

Comment on Gingerbread House Party – A Creative Contest! by Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:19:29 +0000

I’m going to answer my favorite cookie question here! My favorite holiday cookie is date pinwheels. In my family only my mom and I like them and they’re somewhat time consuming to make, but we always had them. In fact I was just talking to my mom on the phone and we were planning to make them when I’m home next week! Luckily Aric actually likes them, too!

Comment on Gingerbread House Party – A Creative Contest! by Jessica Gioglio

Jessica Gioglio — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:44:05 +0000

My recommendation is to have multiple “glue” bowls for sharing. While waiting for people to arrive, put a damp cloth over the glue bowls to keep them from hardening. It also doesn’t hurt to purchase some store bought, just incase .

How do I know this?

I may have had a Gingerbread house making birthday party a few years back . And sadly, my house imploded, so I would also recommend using mini milk or OJ cartons underneath. They’re harder to find than I had thought, so it’s not a bad idea for the host to supply those as well.

Goodluck! Jess

Comment on Gingerbread House Party – A Creative Contest! by Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:37:35 +0000

This is a lovely idea! My friends and I have never done a competition, we always do a collaborative group gingerbread thing (I say “thing” because it has included a train crashing through a house, a tribute to The Lord of the Rings, and a house of ill repute with a pile of burning tires).

My tip is to encourage creativity for the candy/decorations. We found some type of moldable candy in different colors at Target one year and were able to create really cool things with it. I think the variety of candy and decorating things really inspires people. Teddy Grahams make good decorations and are a nice size to be people (or Orcs) for a smaller gingerbread house. Cereal with shapes are good as well. I always make lots of different colored frosting and have piping bags with different tips ready for decorating.

Also, if your friends are anything like my friends, cover everything in newspaper or plastic or something! We make a huge mess every year.