Holiday Baking Party!

Andi's marketing agency, Six Speed, shares an office space with a local photo studio who specializes in food photography. Inside, along with the conference room and offices, there's a large industrial-sized kitchen space with 8 large refrigerators, 4 ovens, 2 KitchenAid mixers, neverending counter space and all the kitchen essential pots, pans, spoons, spatulas and cookie sheets. Think Food Network digs!

One night in passing, Andi mentioned his officemates being cool with us using the space during non-business hours. Lightbulb moment! How fun would it be to host a holiday baking party! A great excuse for all the girls to get together and celebrate the holidays...and get a jumpstart on baking goodies for holiday parties and gifts.

So, like any good lil' host would do, I went to the internet for inspriation. I came across Hershey's Holiday Cookie Exchange Contest (and entered!) where 1,000 people will win all the goodies to host their own party. Click here to enter yourself!

In the likely event I don't win the contest ...
I set a date for my party and invited the girls.  We'll bake up a storm on Sunday, November 29!
I'm asking my guests to email me their recipe ideas by 11/18 so there's not any recipes too similar to one another (the idea is to leave the party with a variety of cookies and holiday treats)!  I'll collect and distribute a shopping list for all my guests (so everyone only has a few things to bring).

Other party essentials I'll provide:

• Christmas music
• Appetizers
• Aprons
• Hot chocolate & marshmellows
• Aluminum foil and wax paper
• Soda / water
• Wine

I want to create a station or two with fun crafts for everyone to do while we're waiting for all our goodies to bake.  I think I'll supply holiday recipe cards to decorate and take home. I'd love to supply jars and/or tins for everyone to decorate and put their baked goodies in ... but we'll see how much time and funds I have this week!

Have any of you hosted or been to a holiday baking party before? I hope this a new, fun tradition for all my girls! Yay for the holidays!