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Post by Robin on Nov 25, 2008 13:21:03 GMT -5
Hi Deedle, Good luck with your 1st cookie party! If you start out with rules and organization from the beginning, then your guests will know what to expect in future years and your party will grow. Robin
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Post by Robin on Nov 25, 2008 13:16:49 GMT -5
Get a big Brie wheel, slather top with butter and sliced almonds, bake at 375 for just a few minutes, by the time the almonds are toasted it's done... You cut into it and it pours out all goey, creamy, fattening and delicious... serve with crackers or toasted french bread slices.
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Post by Robin on Nov 25, 2008 13:13:30 GMT -5
It's the same product used to make "SOS". That is... Creamed Chip Beef served over toast. The brands that make it are Hormel, Esskay and Buddig but don't buy Buddig unless you can't find the others... Esskay and Hormel are more "dry" and meant to be cooked with, while the Buddig is more like sandwich meat, which the others aren't. You've passed this item a million times in the store, it's always next to the bacon, sausage, bologna and other smoked meats. Usually hanging and up at eye level. Here are some pictures of it... images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=iqh&q=chipped+beef&btnG=Search+Images
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Post by Robin on Nov 20, 2008 20:34:36 GMT -5
My son was telling me about a Christmas theme drink to possibly have at my party called a Peppermint Patty. When looking at this site they had numerous holiday drinks. They had an Appletini that was green... good link, take a look at the site.. www.drinknation.com/drink/Peppermint-Pattythere's also www.drinksmixer.com/
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Post by Robin on Nov 20, 2008 20:27:32 GMT -5
No, she didn't.
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Post by Robin on Nov 20, 2008 20:26:39 GMT -5
Hi Judy, Did you read the first page of my site? I wrote a description of how I do it, where everyone brings open platters of cookies. www.cookie-exchange.com/index.html A different way to do it is: .....some people swap pre-packaged cookies but to me that takes all the fun out of it! We like to look at the cookies!
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Post by Robin on Nov 18, 2008 19:21:20 GMT -5
What happened to the "Decipher the canticles of the yuletide season" from the party game page? When you click on it to get the alternate Christmas song names it says that the page was removed. If someone has it can they post it to share? Thanks! Hi Jessi, I moved some directories after my site was moved to a newer server in Oct. The Canticles is here: www.cookie-exchange.com/party_games/canticle_questions.html
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Post by Robin on Nov 18, 2008 19:18:47 GMT -5
Hi Ellie, Don't put too much pressure on yourself this year. Just enjoy who ever comes. At the party, whether it's 3 others or 20, announce that it is your intention to make this an annual tradition and ask for their help! To think of others through out the year that would like to join your cookie exchange! It's also a great way to get to know your neighbors. Not all party goers are party givers... they have no idea how much work we do to create a party. Don't take it personally, is what I am trying to say. Start out with the rules from the get go and then you won't have to back track! www.cookie-exchange.com/rules_of_the_cookie_exchange.htmlAlter them to suit your needs.
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Post by Robin on Nov 18, 2008 17:33:34 GMT -5
Hi Susan, Thank you for sharing your friends response, it's quite common, actually. People do appreciate having parameters to work with. I know I do. Furthermore, I have never excluded anyone from my invitation list based on known baking habits, even if they've brought cookies that were less than perfect. I just hope that next year they follow the rules better.
My group started out mostly as NON BAKERS. Some still say they only bake for my party because they want to come. I'm pleased to say that nobody has died as a result of having to exert effort to come to my house.
What I've found is that some still ignore the rules and bring some item that I wouldn't want HOWEVER, since the majority of people brought good cookies a few less good ones can get lost in the shuffle without consequence. Also, every year I tried to add a few new faces, and I cut them a lot of slack.
It's when it becomes 50/50, that when the problems start and you'll lose your best bakers.
Everyone is busy in December, including me. I realize the effort everyone made to follow the rules and get to my house and I always start out by thanking the group for their efforts.
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Post by Robin on Nov 18, 2008 1:04:30 GMT -5
Hi cookiecrazy, Can you take pictures of your cookie trophy and send them to me? I'm sure the Newsletter list would love seeing that!
And your hubby serving you gals in his jammies!!
I want to give him a trophy ---> "Husband of the Year!"
Good Luck with your first cookie party!
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Post by Robin on Nov 17, 2008 15:28:29 GMT -5
Hi Rhonda, My suggestion would be to have your party mid-week this year --as opposed to January, when everyone is over the holidays and everything that goes with it. Robin
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Post by Robin on Nov 9, 2008 22:12:31 GMT -5
Hi Bonnie, Thanks for that link, I'll add it to the newsletter! Just clicked and explored their site... they have a new domain: www.bakinggals.com/
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Post by Robin on Nov 4, 2008 17:39:00 GMT -5
I made a Facebook account especially for the Cookie Girls! Please "Friend" this email address: robin@cookie-exchange.com Be sure to join the Cookie Exchange Group! See you on Facebook! www.facebook.com
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Post by Robin on Nov 4, 2008 17:36:14 GMT -5
I made a Facebook account especially for visitors of Robin's Web. Please "Friend" this email address: facebook@robinsweb.com See you on Facebook! www.facebook.com
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Post by Robin on Nov 4, 2008 0:35:28 GMT -5
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Jackie. It sounds easy in theory but the rigamarole to get fresh cookies to the soldiers is a lot. One of my oldest friends, Becky Campbell, is the CEO of the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund. She's been to my exchanges and she delivered cookies once to some soldiers who'd just returned from Iraq. I've asked her about shipping cookies to Iraq and she discouraged me from promoting the idea on my website, due to the same issues Jackie mentioned. There are websites where you can donate money and/or non perishable items for the soldiers. Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund www.cfsrf.org
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Post by Robin on Oct 30, 2008 22:16:37 GMT -5
FACEBOOK is a great networking tool to share photos of your cookie exchange parties and allow Cookie Exchange Hostesses 'face time' with each other, if you choose. You can make new friends, find other common interests beyond cookie exchanges, create or join existing groups and clubs and have the ability to ask questions of each other! But we especially want to see pictures of those fantastic cookies! (Facebook has a really easy photo upload tool.) Join Facebook at www.facebook.com"Friend: robin@cookie-exchange.com"
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Post by Robin on Oct 15, 2008 13:11:27 GMT -5
This will be my 7th annual exchange. My guest grumble about making so many cookies, and all of the rules they have to follow. However, I have over 25 people come every year!! Everyone has a great time!! Two years ago I put together a 'cookie exchange survival kit' as a favor which everyone loved. Good Luck! Hi Laura, can you share what your cookie survival kit is? I'd like to put it in my newsletter. Thanks! Robin
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Post by Robin on Oct 15, 2008 13:08:42 GMT -5
Yes. I meant the dried beef.
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Post by Robin on Oct 5, 2008 11:18:16 GMT -5
This was an answer to a question filed under the topic: "Pre-packaged cookie exchanges"... where it was destined to be lost inside of thousands of posts on the board. I've reposted it under it's own subject title so it will be easily findable in the future. __________________________________________ Hi Sherry, This is a question I've been asked so many times over the years... "How to do a large Cookie Exchange".... I've ignored answering it in depth over the years...because it sounds like so much work. But when I saw the request again, I decided to finally dive in, tackle it and work it out on paper. I hope it works for you and is understandable. OK, here we go. If I were to organize a large cookie swap...If everyone takes home 4 cookies each from the group of 100, that would require 100 women to bake 400 cookies. That's 33 dozen cookies! I don't think so! I was imagining what I would want as a participant an event like this. I would like to take home around 100 cookies, 4 cookies per baggie. (If you think you can get your group to bake more cookies, go for it, using the rules below, just redo the math.) ... this situation will require a lot of RULES and an organizational committee to make it work. Since you are doing this in a church, you'll have that (wo)manpower available, to organize, set up and implement a gigantic cookie exchange..... so here goes Robin and her rules again! Robin's Rules for a LARGE Cookie Swap! (100 Women)Since it's such a large group, you should probably break it up. People will want to take to a large selection but for practicality purposes, the group should be split into 4 groups of 25. 25 is a much easier number to deal with and 25 varieties of cookies to take home should be pleasing to the participants. Ask each woman to bake 100 cookies (8.3 dozen) Pre-bagged, 4 cookies per baggie. (The bags should be clear so people can see to choose what they want to take.) Divide the group of 100 woman into four groups. Have four long tables of 25 each. Example: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4 Next: Label each participant A-Z For instance: Suzie's cookies are located at Table 3, M Then for swap time, you have 2 choices: 1) Only let the women swap the cookies from their assigned table OR 2) Do a ROUND ROBIN with all 4 tables. Tell the women they can take home 24 baggies of cookies, TOTAL for the day. Why 24 instead of 25? 6 x 4 = 24. That leaves one extra bag for the church to accumulate 100 extra bags total of 4 cookies each to give away to the poor and/or needy at the church. (Variation: 5 Tables of 20, cookies divided equally, no extras. However, since it's a church I recommend gathering cookies for the needy.) At each table they're allowed to choose 6 baggies of 4 cookies each per table. You'll need a monitor posted at each table. 1) As the women check in, they are given a large paper grocery bag with w/ their name on it and table assignments. The committee in charge can do this part ahead of time, assuming there was a sign up sheet. 2) They CANNOT carry the take away bag to the cookie table, it sits on the floor on the sidelines. 3) Have a large sign on each table, with corresponding number; Example: TABLE 2 and a one way ARROW. 4) At the end of the table stands one person as a Table Monitor. 5) Have an EMCEE (main hostess in charge) on a microphone, give group instructions. 6) Have everyone take their place in front of their table of cookies, this starts the swap. 7) Instruct each participant to select 6 bags per table. Everyone proceeds one way, passes the monitor who checks each person has 6 bags and then they walk toward the wall with their named large grocery bag sits along it. They deposit their cookies into their bags. 8) Emcee then announces it time to go to a different table. Table 1, please line up at Table 2. Table 4 go to Table one. Then wait for instructions. 9) As everyone is now ready, begin swap of next Table. Repeat Process. This should happen 4 times.I have not done this party, but I can picture the scenario clearly in my head. It will be orderly as long as there is an Emcee in charge.Or you could just have a "free for all" but I guarantee that some women will go home disappointed as they see "all the best cookies" were taken right away and some will definitely walk off with MORE than their fair share. That means others will be shorted. RECIPESNext: There will be a great accumulation of recipes and people swapping the cookies will want some of those recipes. Decide if there will be a church printed cook book, or a web site where all cookie recipes will reside. Here's a way I thought of to match up the 100 cookies at the swap, to the correct recipes after the swap: 1) Buy a large box of little round price stickers, like for a yard sale. 2) Give each participant a sheet and have them fill out their table assignment and alphabet letter on each sticker and place one sticker on each of their 25 baggie of cookies. Or.... the church could get volunteers to do this before hand. 3) Be sure to state on the invitation that everyone must submit their cookie recipe to the church by email, preferably before the swap and no later than 24 hours after the swap. 4) That way each cookie can be tracked to the exact recipe. For instance when Suzie arrived at the church and she signed in, she was given her Table 3M designation. On the master sign in sheet, she filled in the name of her cookie. Suzie T., Table 3,M --Mocha Caramel Swirls. Trisha went home, sampled the cookies and decided she LOVED the Mocha Caramel Swirls and she HAD to have that recipe. On her cookie baggie, the little round sticker said "3M." Trisha went online to the church website and saw the link for recipe 3M and that led her to Suzie's Mocha Caramel Swirls. Basically it's shorthand. If you ask for everyone to put sticker labels at home with the names of the cookies, I guarantee there will be many that don't do it. This way forces the issue of uniformity, which is needed in a large group. Good Luck! Robin
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Post by Robin on Oct 5, 2008 11:11:13 GMT -5
Hi Sherry, This is a question I've been asked so many times over the years... "How to do a large Cookie Exchange".... I've ignore answering it over the years...because it sounds like so much work. But when I saw the request again, I decided to finally dive in, tackle it and work it out on paper. I hope it works for you and is understandable. OK, here we go. If everyone takes home 4 cookies each from the group of 100, that would require 100 women to bake 400 cookies. That's 33 dozen cookies! I don't think so! I was imagining what I would want as a participant an event like this. I would like to take home around 100 cookies, 4 cookies per baggie. (If you think you can get your group to bake more cookies, go for it, using the rules below, just redo the math.) ... this situation will require a lot of RULES and an organizational committee to make it work. Since you are doing this in a church, you'll have that (wo)manpower available, to organize, set up and implement a gigantic cookie exchange..... so here goes Robin and her rules again! Robin's Rules for a LARGE Cookie Swap! (100 Women)Since it's such a large group, you should probably break it up. People will want to take to a large selection but for practicality purposes, the group should be split into 4 groups of 25. 25 is a much easier number to deal with and 25 varieties of cookies to take home should be pleasing to the participants. Ask each woman to bake 100 cookies (8.3 dozen) Pre-bagged, 4 cookies per baggie. (The bags should be clear so people can see to choose what they want to take.) Divide the group of 100 woman into four groups. Have four long tables of 25 each. Example: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4 Next: Label each participant A-Z For instance: Suzie's cookies are located at Table 3, M Then for swap time, you have 2 choices: 1) Only let the women swap the cookies from their assigned table OR 2) Do a ROUND ROBIN with all 4 tables. Tell the women they can take home 24 baggies of cookies, TOTAL for the day. Why 24 instead of 25? 6 x 4 = 24. That leaves one extra bag for the church to accumulate 100 extra bags total of 4 cookies each to give away to the poor and/or needy at the church. (Variation: 5 Tables of 20, cookies divided equally, no extras. However, since it's a church I recommend gathering cookies for the needy.) At each table they're allowed to choose 6 baggies of 4 cookies each per table. You'll need a monitor posted at each table. 1) As the women check in, they are given a large paper grocery bag with w/ their name on it and table assignments. The committee in charge can do this part ahead of time, assuming there was a sign up sheet. 2) They CANNOT carry the take away bag to the cookie table, it sits on the floor on the sidelines. 3) Have a large sign on each table, with corresponding number; Example: TABLE 2 and a one way ARROW. 4) At the end of the table stands one person as a Table Monitor. 5) Have an EMCEE (main hostess in charge) on a microphone, give group instructions. 6) Have everyone take their place in front of their table of cookies, this starts the swap. 7) Instruct each participant to select 6 bags per table. Everyone proceeds one way, passes the monitor who checks each person has 6 bags and then they walk toward the wall with their named large grocery bag sits along it. They deposit their cookies into their bags. 8) Emcee then announces it time to go to a different table. Table 1, please line up at Table 2. Table 4 go to Table one. Then wait for instructions. 9) As everyone is now ready, begin swap of next Table. Repeat Process. This should happen 4 times.I have not done this party, but I can picture the scenario clearly in my head. It will be orderly as long as there is an Emcee in charge.Or you could just have a "free for all" but I guarantee that some women will go home disappointed as they see "all the best cookies" were taken right away and some will definitely walk off with MORE than their fair share. That means others will be shorted. RECIPESNext: There will be a great accumulation of recipes and people swapping the cookies will want some of those recipes. Decide if there will be a church printed cook book, or a web site where all cookie recipes will reside. Here's a way I thought of to match up the 100 cookies at the swap, to the correct recipes after the swap: 1) Buy a large box of little round price stickers, like for a yard sale. 2) Give each participant a sheet and have them fill out their table assignment and alphabet letter on each sticker and place one sticker on each of their 25 baggie of cookies. Or.... the church could get volunteers to do this before hand. 3) Be sure to state on the invitation that everyone must submit their cookie recipe to the church by email, preferably before the swap and no later than 24 hours after the swap. 4) That way each cookie can be tracked to the exact recipe. For instance when Suzie arrived at the church and she signed in, she was given her Table 3M designation. On the master sign in sheet, she filled in the name of her cookie. Suzie T., Table 3,M --Mocha Caramel Swirls. Trisha went home, sampled the cookies and decided she LOVED the Mocha Caramel Swirls and she HAD to have that recipe. On her cookie baggie, the little round sticker said "3M." Trisha went online to the church website and saw the link for recipe 3M and that led her to Suzie's Mocha Caramel Swirls. Basically it's shorthand. If you ask for everyone to put sticker labels at home with the names of the cookies, I guarantee there will be many that don't do it. This way forces the issue of uniformity, which is needed in a large group. Good Luck! Robin
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