Tuesday, November 27, 2018

VIRTUAL COOKIE DIVA!

The Virtual Cookie Exchange organized by
Carol at Just Let Me Quilt begins today!
I happen to be the first of many bloggers who will share
their holiday recipes, traditions and fun!

I have been a COOKIE DIVA since 2000



 I hosted Christmas Cookie Exchange Parties
with my girlfriends for 10 years.
This is a pic from the last year...when
I presented each sweet friend with her own 
"Cookie Diva Apron"



My party was not your typical cookie exchange!
I prepared and served a complete meal,
made each guest a "handmade" party favor,
made Cookie Recipe Books (using their recipes) for all
AND I decked my halls with as many as 17 Christmas trees.

COOKIE DIVAS had to bring 6 dozen, of 1 cookie
(no duplicates...they had to call asap with recipe)
NO store bought, NO no-bakes, HOMEMADE!



Dress in the party theme...different FUN theme each year!
Girls dressed in everything from Santa's Suites,
to this Christmas Mouse



I had wonderful prizes every year for best dressed, best cookie, etc.
Sew many wonderful memories with my friends.


The "Vintage Apron Theme" was one of my favorite parties.
I asked each girl to wear the apron and then gift it to me.
They each signed a muslin square 
with their name and the year we met.

I wouldn't tell them why!!!
I made this Memory Quilt with Friendship Stars
using those aprons and signed squares



Block close up 
FMQ on a longarm by Shirley Haller.


Here's the label



Of course, because of these parties the girls
crowned me "The Cookie Queen"
 I have a special "cookie baking" apron...




I have many cookie recipes to share with you today
They are on my Sweet Celebrations tab...
For quick access click here  !

But THIS cookie is a favorite!




November 27


Get the entire 3-day lineup here at


And as you read this I am on my way to see to see 
The Biltmore Estate decorated for Christmas. 
See Asheville, NC holiday lights
and stock up on my Biltmore Wine! 
Our 19th Anniversary is Dec 4 but this is our celebration.

I will respond to your comments as soon as I can...
Please tell me what your favorite Christmas Cookie is...



31 comments:

  1. Yum! Those cookies look delicious! You and your quilty friends look like you really enjoy being together. What fun!

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  2. Those look delicious! If I try all the cookies I like, I'll be on a diet all of next year, plus walking 5 miles a day! How fun that you had so many friends exchanging cookies for so long.

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  3. What a fun and amazing group of cookie ladies you hung out with! Costumes, cookies, and aprons sounds like a ton of work but so worth the memories. That cookie recipe looks delicious and definitely one to add to my baking list. Thanks for being a part of the Virtual Cookie Exchange Kathy/Cookie Queen/Cookie Diva! xo

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  4. What fun!!! What a fun post, love cookie exchanges and this virtual one is just the best.

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  5. I would totally call you the cookie Queen!!! THat sounds like so much fun!!!!

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  6. Your party sounds so fun, the cookies look delicious and the quilt what a great idea!

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  7. Wow, your cookie parties were awesome!!!! and the frostbite cookies look delicious! My favorite cookie is probably oatmeal chocolate chip (with the coconut and pecans that I also add). Thanks for sharing and enjoy Biltmore!

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  8. What a fun event and I love, love, love the quilt made from aprons-- brilliant!

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  9. Your cookie exchange parties sound awesome!! Thanks for sharing your fun! I love the idea of the quilt made from aprons!

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  10. Great party And Happy Anniversary!!!! I Want to Go to Biltmore! Tell me more about the wine! I will be looking that up directly! I think my favorite cookie has to be a sugar cookie/butter cookie...NO icing! ;)

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  11. I love it when I read a post that just makes me smile! And I love how you make your cookie exchanges such fun - and you put so much thought into it! Thanks so much for sharing this, it just made my day!

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  12. I can see why they call you the queen. It looks like a fun tradition for all. Thanks for the recipe.

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  13. You are a party cookie queen!! I’m so jealous that I don’t live close by and can’t join the fun! I love the mouse costume❤️ The spirit of Christmas is alive at your house for sure! Thank you for sharing the virtual fun. Merry Christmas! —Tracy:)

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  14. Oh my gosh...you girls do know how to have fun. I want to be a Diva too! LOL!! Cookies sound delicious. They are on my list of to-do's.

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  15. Your parties look like such fun. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Wow! That looks like quite the intense cookie party - and it would be SO MUCH FUN! Someday I will have the room to host something amazing like that. My list of favorite Christmas cookies includes sugar cookies, pumpkin molasses cookies and peppermint snowballs. Looking forward to start baking all of them soon!

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  17. My favorite cookie is Russian tea cakes made with pecans or walnuts and rolled in confectioner's sugar. I'd love to go to the Biltmore to see the Christmas decor.

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  18. Wow, those parties must have been something! My favorite Christmas cookie is Cappuccino Flats from a BHG cookbook called "Cookies for Christmas". I've had this book since the early 80's and it is a good one! You can often find a used copy under $10 online. And thanks for sharing your recipe Kathy. I got it from you a few years back and have been making it ever since. All my extended family loves them.

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  19. I love the Cookie Queen apron, so much fun! Thanks for sharing your recipe, the cookies look delicious... unfortunately the rest of my family doesn't eat raisins. Or maybe that's fortunate as they won't devour all the cookies right away ;)

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  20. Hi Kathy! Ohhhhhh, I love participating in a cookie exchange. We used to do that for years and then we moved and it kind of fell apart. We had to make one dozen for each person plus one dozen to share at the gathering. So we could sample ahead of time, plus we also had dinner like BBQ, etc. We never did cute, fabulous aprons!! So fun. The Frost Bite cookies look delicious! I absolutely LOVE raisins and oatmeal together in a cookie. I will be sure to PIN this and give them a try. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  21. What a great way to start the Virtual Cookie Exchange. Love your party ideas and I am convinced you ARE the cookie queen. Very fun post, thank you for the ideas and the recipe too.

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  22. Wow! You go all out. I am impressed. Thanks for sharing your cookie exchange party ideas. I loved the vintage apron quilt. Blessings. MelvaLovesScraps at NolanQualityCustoms dot com

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  23. You are the 'Queen'! What a wonderful story and seeing all the wonderful things you do to keep this festival afloat. Sounds like a delicious cookie recipe. I love cookies and it's a toss up between Aunt Minnie's Ginger Cremes and Parisian Wafers.

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  24. My favorite is a molasses cookie, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

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  25. What a wonderful kick off to this hop. Thanks for sharing your wonderful time.

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  26. I want to be invited to your cookie swap parties!!! I just love a good rolled sugar cookie all decorated for the holidays.

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  27. Love your cookie swap pics. It just isn't a holiday without crown jewel cookies. Enjoy your trip. Oh seeing Biltmore is on my bucket list, but during the holiday, would probably even put old Scrooge in the holiday spirit.

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  28. Looks like you all had a fun time at the party. Cookie Queen apron is cute.

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  29. It sounds like you have so much fun with the cookie exchange! What a wonderful way to share.

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