Oh dear...the Christmas Baking List

We just wrote out our Christmas Baking list for the year. Gulp.

Each recipe/treat is so loved. It's neat how one goodie is special to one person and another goodie just cries out "Christmas!" to another. We can't leave them out, they help make our Christmas memories so special. Many of these treats are passed down from Nana or Great-Grandmas. Some are connected to special times when we were newly married or come from special friends from years gone by. Every time we make them and enjoy them, we're thinking of those dear people. We're also building such fun memories together. Funny how food does that for us.

So, I'm excited about the list. It makes me happy to think of those treats we haven't tasted for at least a year, some even longer. However, I am cringing at the thought of filling my shopping cart with all of that butter, white and brown sugar, bags of powdered sugar, chocolate chips and even corn syrup! GASP!!! (okay, I confess, I still have enough corn syrup in the bottle on my shelf to use. Yes, I just admitted to having corn syrup on my pantry shelf. ::hiding::)

I know shopping for these ingredients will be great fun. (well, minus the crazy-busy aisles and checkout lanes)  I know that making these delectibles will be totally great. I know that if I eat these abundant morsels it will be heavenly...for the moment. ;-)  So, the plan is going to be to enjoy the shopping, baking, packing and tiny-taste-testing (gotta make sure we don't poison anyone, you know!), and then: Get Them Out The Door!!!

The things I'm counting on to keep me from making this a season of Gluttony is:

1. The purpose of this baking is to bless others with the sweetness of Jesus.
2. I have two freezers that can hold those tantalizing treasures out of sight.
3. I have many other taste-testers in the house, there won't be much left for me to nibble. ;-)

So, off I go to begin the Baking Brigade. Today we'll be shopping and maybe get a batch or two done for the freezer. Otherwise we've got all next week to get our list completed. Every good thing comes with some challenges, right? (I sure wish chewing burned more calories. :-P) I just pray I'm up for it. Please give me the strength, Lord!!