M & M Cookies

This is the time a year that traditions & memories seem to fill the air. The time that we all gather together with all our family & friends. As with many of you we have do have a couple of traditions. M & M & No Bake Cookies.Yes we have had Rice Krispies bars, haystacks, cakes but nothing seems to be more of a tradition at Thanksgiving as M&M & No Bake Cookies. Well with the lifestyle change & thinking maybe others are getting tired of the M&M & No Bake Cookies I have entertained the thought of not doing them any more. To me this would be hard to do. Then I start thinking of all the memories that have come because of 2 little letters. M&M
When I was 8 years old my mom presented me with a recipe book. One of the first recipes I baked was one called Colored Cookies. The few times I was able to make them I liked it. Why? Was it because it was the first cookie I ever baked? My daddy smiling when he had his first bite?
Bryan & I were married on November 26, 1975. During the first couple of weeks of our marriage I was telling him about these cookies I made as a chIld. He in turn was telling me about a cookies his mom made that he called Dog Food Cookies (No Bake Cookies) we decided to bake some Colored cookies since I had my little recipe book. What fun we had making them & eating them.
I usually try to stay home the day before Thanksgiving to get everything ready for the wonderful day. One year I went into Jennifer's room to ask her what time she needed to be at work, & she told me, I took the day off so we could do our traditional baking together. REALLY?!?! I always enjoyed our time baking. Munching on the M&Ms while putting a few more on the cookies. Talking. Eating the right out of the oven cookie. I was not sure she enjoyed it as much as I did. Well I received my answer that day.
I have a niece that loves my cookies. One year she was not able to come to Thanksgiving or was it Christmas? Anyway, I wanted to let her know how much I loved her so with the help of her sister & mom I sent her a tin of cookies. I loved doing it because even though she was miles away we were still sharing the holidays. I try to be sure she leaves after Thanksgiving that she has a bag of cookies to go.
There was a time that Bryan & his partner in crime, I mean friend/co-worker worked from the house. I loved baking the cookies & taking them a sample cookie from each batch as they came out of the oven. I think they enjoyed it. I know I loved the critics comment, Mmmmmm
Amy & her family stopping in for a moment to drop off Boy Scout Fund raisers to go on to Mike's family thanksgiving then come back & have left over Thanksgiving. When they came in they always asked where the M&M & No Bake cookies were. Hey it was a long trip & they needed something to keep them going.
Jennifer went to London 4 years ago. This was one year I had to work the day before Thanksgiving. What a night. I needed to talk with Jenn about some pretty important things, but had no way of getting her. She finally called me to see how the baking was going & say she that even though she was glad to be in London she missed baking cookies with me. We were able to get everything handled & worked out. Thankfully I had the cookies keeping me busy. Yes, I saved her some cookies so when she got back. :)
3 years ago while Jenn & I was baking, Cary called. Jenn said she would need to leave for a few minutes if that was OK. Of course I understood, I knew what the errand was before she told me...they went to get their marriage license.
Well this year we had a great time with the cookies. Jennifer on one side of the counter & me on the other. Cary running after Brylee & handling supper for us. Bryan making it in from his business trip just in time to eat with us & sample the cookies. This year was special not because we had all of us gathered but it helped me to make a decision. Brylee did get to sample the cookies. She loved eating them with her Poppy/B-pa. When I finally was able to get my hands on her for a minute, she started signing & looking in the direction of the cookies. She was signing eat & more. I went over & broke off a piece of cookie & gave it to her & handed the rest to her Poppy/B-pa. Yep that is what she wanted.
Remember me mentioning at the beginning of entertaining the idea of retiring the cookies? Well the decision has been made..........M&M cookies stay! As long as God will allow me to bake cookies for the moments like this I will.
I know what the M's stand for on the candies. Do you??? Moments & Memories
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!