You Know It's Christmas When . . .

You know it's Christmas when the baking pans come out at my house. Naia and I headed out about noon to get the few items I missed on my late night run to Target last night. Then we cleared the decks counters, and got started. 

First up - because I got to choose - were my favorite brownies. 
I got the recipe from a co-worker, Old John, well over 20 years ago (back when I was still a dispatcher) and I've never found one that's better.  

Then it was on to Naia's favorite, Toll House chocolate chip cookies. Naia did most of the measuring and mixing on these, with just occasional help from me. 
We added the cinnamon glaze at the end, while the cookies were still warm from the oven. I think that's going to be standard from now on. Yummm!  
 
We tried to clean up as we went. Fortunately, Naia's favorite part of cooking is playing in the bubbles washing the dishes 
so she handled that while I transferred cookie pans in and out of the oven.

A break for dinner, then we made a batch of snickerdoodles - PopPop's favorite cookie - 

and last but not least, the first of many batches of zucchini bread. Naia peeled and grated the zucchini all by herself for the first time - she was shocked that there was actual zucchini in zucchini bread - then did the mixing and measuring too.

I think she may have a talent for this baking thing. 

P.S. Don't tell my kids, but all the cookies we baked tonight? I hid them in the freezer. Only way I stand a chance of having any when Christmas actually gets here.