To All A Merry Christmas!

It's officially the start of Christmas for me!  As of today, I am off work until January 3rd.  That fact makes me deliriously happy because I get to spend all this time at home, doing things I've been wanting to do since we got here.  The holes above the fireplace are now patched where the lazy butts didn't nail the dry wall nails in far enough.  So I'm all set to paint "the hole" tomorrow.

Today, I baked our beloved Spritz cookies (recipe at the end).  Tasty fun-shaped almond-flavored butter cookies that we HAVE to have for it to officially feel like Christmas.  We've found our DVDs for the weekend:  The Princess Bride, Monsters, Inc., The Polar Express, The Blues Brothers, and Beetlejuice.  Some of these aren't real "christmasy", but we still love 'em.  Might even throw in a little There's Something About Mary.  Can't go wrong with that line up.  So what about you?  What movies do you always want to watch around Christmas time?

I have to share this awesome picture.  The big dog 3 levels above me emailed this to our department, and it totally made my day yesterday.  Enjoy!

Spritz Cookies (and I *always* double the almond extract and you must use REAL butter):

      1 c  Butter                            3/4 t  Almond extract
    2/3 c  Sugar                               2 c  Sifted flour
      3    Egg yolks                     

  Cream butter. Add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly. Beat in egg yolks
  and almond extract (and coloring). Gradually blend in flour. Fill cookie
  press. Use ungreased cookies sheets. Cook 8-10 minutes at 375.
  Remove at once to cooling racks.

We are munching on green trees, blue snowflakes, and red ornaments.  Yum!