oh good!! It made it. Most of the cookies are based of this one recipe with it's variations - the changes I made: turned the sandwich cookies into the petals, the swirls into the pressed & glazed with added pecans, and combo'd the jumbles with the thumbprints. The citrus cornmeal cookies are variations on a recipe that okbye posted a few months ago ("lime cornmeal") and the double chocolate espresso is Ghenne's recipe. Time? lots of late nights after kiddo went to bed. Packing? I've sent a lot of care packages recently! Ziploc freezer bags, wax paper and heavy duty foil are your friends!
I owe Whisk an apology. Her gift is still sitting unopened at my house - Christmas morning was over-ridden by what seems to be the usual fantabulous luck The Hub and I have had this past year, so kiddo got her gifts, but I was going to open mine when I got home that evening - only to get snowed in at Mom's. Stayed here Saturday too as The Hub called with more "the only constant is change" type of news and I...ummm...purged all day and the snow continued to fall and drift. So...assuming I go home tonight, I'll post later.
I'm really thrilled you're enjoying everything. If you find the box of chocolates to be past its prime - let me know and I'll happily get you some more. By the time I got it in the mail and the postage time, I hope it's not past its shelf life.
Happy New Year,
Maria