Best purse award goes to Erin Donovan, whose pocketbook, designed by Betsey Johnson, was shaped like a gingerbread house and actually lit up!
Our annual cookie exchange is in the books once again and I have the crumbs on the floor to prove it! Actually, this party is a group effort each year and I don’t mind sweeping up a little bit afterwards.
And, as usual, the cookies were superb! I don’t think Santa himself fares any better than do the women at this yearly event, held this past Sunday for the 22nd time! The historic J.C. Penney Building on Gay Street, where my husband, Alan, and I have a condo, turns out to be perfect to accommodate my enthusiastic friends group. Because the space formerly housed the furniture department at J.C. Penney, it has large open spaces that allow for gathering, eating lunch, and displaying literally hundreds of cookies!
A special thanks to my pals Susan Brown and Katie Kline, who pitched in as bartenders — Susan on the wine and mimosa front and Katie churning out Bloody Marys. And thanks to Gay Lyons who brought homemade pimento cheese as one of the appetizers. And another big shout out to Alan, who staffed the doors downstairs to help the women — and their cookies — get to the party on the fourth floor.
As usual, we’d like to encourage everyone reading this to put together your own cookie exchange. It’s a blast! And, in addition to the attendees, their families and co-workers will become big supporters of the event. After all, they are the beneficiaries, as well!
Here’s a look at this year’s fabulous cookies.
Wow! Close-ups later.
But, first things first: gathering! From left, Margie Nichols Gill, Mintha Roach, and Monique Anderson.
Kathy Hamilton, left, and Cheryl Bartley.
Kathy Darnell, left, and Susan Brown.
From left, Gay Lyons, Dawn Ford, and Cathy Briscoe. (And I see Kathy Darnell in the back there!)
Mary Pat Tyree, left, and Jennifer Holder.
Julia Bentley, left, and Katie Kline examining the label of the Bloody Mary Mix! (I have no idea why. Ha.)
Tami Hartmann, left, and Gay Lyons in the kitchen.
From left, Christi Branscom, Maria McHale, and Kathy Hamilton.
From left, Margie Gill, Julia Bentley, and Lynne Fugate.
I love this photo of Kristin Grove, left, and Erin Donovan. Kristin’s side-eye is hilarious!
OK, lunchtime! We usually serve four salad dishes. Plus warm bread. This year the salads were, clockwise from right: Parisian tuna salad which Alan and I discovered a few years ago during a trip to France; macaroni salad from a recipe in the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer about 50 years ago; macerated berries (with Amaretto); and tossed salad with apples, walnuts, blue cheese, and dried Michigan cherries. (I originally had planned to use dried cranberries, but our friend Sara Rose, who spends her summers in Michigan, showed up with dried cherries from there as a hostess gift. They were delicious and greatly improved the salad!)
Enjoying lunch and conversation. From left: Margaret Rodgers, Lynne Fugate, and Michelle Hardin.
Lunch is always the calm before the storm!
And then — cookie time!
Don’t they look delicious?
Everyone has her own system for selecting and packaging cookies!
Such a wide variety every year.
Cheryl Bartley contemplating a cookie commitment.
Those top right ones are lemon cookies from Ham & Goodys. Two people brought them this year. We make it clear to everyone that the “cookie police” will not be in force at the party. You can buy your cookies if you want. Or get someone else to make them for you.
You wouldn’t believe how quickly the process goes! From left, Tasha Blakney, Kathy Hamilton, Margaret Rodgers, Michelle Hardin, and Tami Hartmann (barely!)
One of my favorites was the bottom cookie with big blobs of caramel in each one! Julia Bentley brought those.
Dawn Ford, left, and Kathy Darnell. Very serious business.
Those adorable ones on the left came from Whimsy Cookie Company in Bearden. They were a huge hit.
Here’s Maria McHale posing with my sainted husband, Alan Carmichael. He helped everyone get upstairs with their cookies. He’s been doing that task for 22 years! Thanks, Honey.
We made everyone select one of these napkins. You can see which pile is shorter!
Some of my favorite ornaments.
There is a request in the comments for the macaroni salad recipe. Here it is, straight out of the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer about 50 years ago:
What a wonderful event — a holiday gathering of good friends and selection of delicious cookies. Congratulations on continuing this event each year. Happy holidays!
Your Parisian tuna salad looks delicious. Any chance you will share the recipe?
Bill: Thanks so much! Same to you!
Donna: Sure. Happy to share. We found it at a restaurant in Paris called Le Dauphine. Thus, the name for it!
Tuna Le Dauphine
Dump these things together:
(Drain them, but reserve the liquid.)
4 (5-oz.) cans imported tuna in olive oil (I used Cento)
3 small jars (6 oz.) quartered marinated artichoke hearts. Cut each quarter in half.
Half of a 16-oz. jar of deli-sliced roasted red peppers. (Mine were in water, but I have used those in oil and they are fine.)
Half cup calamata olives (halved)
Small container of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
About 4 tablespoons capers
Heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Squeeze in the juice of two lemons
Now, the part where you have to use your judgment.
Pour a good glug of olive oil over everything. Add some salt and good grinding of pepper and gently toss. Taste.
Now, you will start to add things. I added several tablespoons of the reserved artichoke marinade. It’s nice and garlicky and has other spices. I also added a lesser amount of the roasted red pepper marinade (water or oil, either one you are using). You might want to add more olive oil or lemon juice. I added more thyme. See if you want to add more olives or capers.
When you get it where you want it, serve in a pretty bowl. Garnish with some fresh chives. Serve with sliced baguette.
Thanks so much Cynthia. This really sounds delicious!
Happy Holidays. Donna
Cynthia,
Your cookie exchange is such a nice tradition. Looks like great fun and food. Thanks for sharing the tuna recipe. I plan to make it.
Happy holidays,
Janice Slyman
Always love seeing pictures of cookies I think I might try yet this year, but definitely next year (I never get it done)! And thanks for posting the recipe for Parisian tuna salad; we’ll all thank Donna for asking and Cynthia for sharing. Merry Christmas!!
Donna: Hope you enjoy it. A great thing about it is that it is olive oil-based rather than mayo-based making it a better choice for picnics when you might worry about heat affecting the mayo.
The cookie party is one of my favorite traditions. It’s such a great way to kick off the holidays. I love the tuna salad. Cento tuna is a must for it. How about sharing the macaroni salad recipe? It was delicious!
Donna, Janice, and Sandra: Thanks for reading! And happy holidays!
Gay: Will post that macaroni recipe shortly.
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