Whisking Generations Together

Hey y'all! Welcome to my first book! Inside you will find a collection of recipes from my family's yearly Cookie "Day" tradition. Did you notice those quote marks? Yeah, that's because Cookie Day tends to happen over multiple days.
It all started when a five year old little red headed girl asked her Nana if they could make cookies for the neighbors on our tiny little dirt road. Folks, my Nana was just the best person. When it came to children and encouraging creativity and goodness, she was so on it. So, a new family tradition was born.
The tradition has grown exponentially over the years. Our family has grown up and had a lot more children, even a grandson for me! On top of that, did I mention that my Nana was amazing? Because she was. Nana loved everybody and love shined through her and right into the very center of every heart she ever focused it on. So our family didn't just grow, it gathered. Our Nana reached out and loved and brought every wandering soul that needed it right on into our family. My family reaches far and wide and encompasses folks I haven't even met yet. I am so lucky. So our little tradition grew, and it grew, and then it grew some more until Cookie Day was more like cookie week!
I remember my sister and I both getting sent off to take naps when we were young mothers and obviously exhausted and cranky. The other ladies kept an eye on the kiddos. You see, Cookie Day has never really been about cookies for all of us. This is a tradition that brings our family together in love and support while we show our neighbors that we care about them through this exceptionally enjoyable and yummy act of service. There's just something especially healing about being surrounded by people that love you while you work together to show other people that you do, in fact, love them too.
So I hope you enjoy these recipes. Please, make them with someone you love. Invite that lady down the street that always looks so lonely. Ask that tired mom if she'd like to bring the kids to help decorate. Trust me, she would love to keep the kids happy and spend some time with other adults. And hey, if you mess something up; My mom is absolutely convinced that all cookie plates ought to have a "bad cookie." Sometimes we battle her to toss out a burned batch, sometimes we just put the dern cookie on the plates no matter what it looks like. She is hilarious and can be infuriatingly stubborn when she's in the right mood! I really hope I get accused of being just like her one of these days. So anyway, just know that we burn our cookies sometimes too! It's gonna be ok. Promise.