My first annual cookie exchange

[Mallory]

Last Sunday, Dec 12, 2004 was my first exchange, and it was a wild success. I invited about 22 people, hoping that about 10 would be able to cttend. Well, seventeen ladies came, all with cookies and everyone was so happy to be there. I made (if I do say so myself) a really impressive spread: punch, mulled wine, baked brie, shrimp and cocktail sauce, hot crab dip, crudite, bacon wrapped scallops, etc. and I used my dining room for the buffet. After about 1 hour, I rang a little bell and "called the swap to order." I welcomed eveyone and told them to get ready with their containers, adding that if they forgot a container, I had extras. They thought that was really organized and thoughtful. I suggested we introduce ourselves and tell which cookie was ours, and add anything else that the other ladies might nee to know. It was really fun, everyone got into the spirit of it. We then moved clockwise around the table and chatted more about the cookies and the particular qualities of each, which might freeze well, how long they were expected to last in our household, etc. It was fun. People relaves and ate more, then left after about 2 1/2 hours. All the ladies said I set the bar pretty high and that they would look forward to being invited next year. Is there anything I would do differently next year? I would try harder to have the buffet TOTALLY ready before the first guest arrives, hoping that then I would at least have a few moments to chat with folks. (I felt like I was a chicken with no head all night long) I also would xerox my recipe 2 days in advance (to share) instead of 2 mintues in advance. I would add a "Rsvp by" date so I wouldn't have calls at that last minute, even though that wasn't qa big problem. I think an informative invitation was a plus, I liked the example on this website. Finding this website was a great experience and so was hosting the exchange. I got so excited on the message boards before my invits went out that my husband said "You've found your people" He was right. THanks, everyone.

[Susan]

My swap was last Sunday (12/11) and I had 19 people in attendance.

I would agree with Mallory that I would have liked to have had all the food out when guests arrived. I felt that I didn't get to socialize with guests as much as I would have liked.

I made many similar savory things on my buffet: shrimp cocktail with cilantro pesto, hot spinach & artichoke dip, crockpot sweet & sour meatballs, quiche, crudite. (The baked brie never made it to the oven as I ran out of time.) I also made a winning creamsicle mimosa that everyone raved about. It can be served with champagne or sparking cider.

Recipe from Tyler Florence here:
www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28051,00.html

In the future, I will limit my menu to those appetizers that are "make-ahead." My intention to finish things when guests are present never go the way I plan.