Big, Fun Day

Today was the annual craft fair at the elementary school, and the Cookie Sale at the private Christian School just up the road.

The craft fair - lots of traffic, lots of chatting with people I dodn't get to see too often. Sold some chickens, Tori made Tatos (japanese origami sewing kits - cute!) and sold a load of them. Everyone marveled at the cleverness of the fabric postcards. I sold one. Whatever, the rest can go in the mail on Monday and I don't have to make any more for my use. It's all good - after materials, I'm up about 60 bucks - guess who's going out for pancakes tomorrow? ;o)

But the cookie sale? Oh sweet jezzus! This school is operated as an extension of the (Dutch) Christian Reformed Church, and they always have the wonderful treasures I remember my own (Dutch) mother baking. Lots of chocolate and almond paste and eggs and cream, and... You ever notice adult French women are slim and beautiful and aloof, and adult Dutch women are soft and warm and huggable? Dutch pastries and French pastries - same idea. I ducked out of the craft sale to run the cute boyfriend home to watch the Grinch (again) with the other boys, swung by the cookie sale, and returned to the elementary school with a box of yummies.

I'll share pictures of the craft sale when I get around to unloading them from the camera. But the cookies? Sorry. I wasn't fast enough. An open box of cookies in a room full of mostly women? Yeah, that lasted. About 1/2 hour. ;o)

What I can share, though, are a few recipes scrounged from the web. Boterkoek, Almond Tarts, Cherry Surprise (as sickly sweet as I remember), Banket, Melting Moments. Plus some traditional (but not Dutch traditional) favourites - rum balls, eggnog frosted shortbread (oh my!), chocolate fudge, rocky road bars...

And in the shadow of all that fat and sugar, I came home and made a big salad for supper, right? Wrong. Lasagna. And it was delish.