Chow Mein Clusters (Dedicated to Wendy)

So, not much baking happened this week. I had a one day weekend, and although I didn’t bake cookies, I did host a program for kids who decorated cookies … not that that gets me off the hook for a new recipe this week, of course.

This week’s favourite cookie recipe is the Chow Mein Cluster or Noodle Power Cookie from Jean Pare. ( I am going with the title Chow Mein Cluster since that's how my friend Wendy introduced them to me.) These are fast, easy cookies to make and they freeze well which means you don’t have to eat them all the first night. (They aren’t the prettiest cookies,so I am sure Martha wouldn’t approve!) And then there are the food-associated memories. The Chow Mein Cluster is a favourite of mine because it is one of the pieces of Christmas spirit given to me by Wendy.

I love Christmas, and I have fun with Christmas. I have my 3 vol. Christmas CD set that I play on the trip home to PEI. I love getting my lights up, and I have Christmas Movie a night in December. I LOVE buying gifts and I truly believe Christmas is for giving fun presents that people wouldn’t buy for themselves, not practical gift like RRSPs or snow tires. But I didn't always feel this way about Christmas.A lot of people (e.g., my Mother) feel that Christmas is for children. Well, I don’t think so, and as I have gotten older, I have started my own Christmas traditions that I look forward to and that are developing every year. There seems to be a weird gap between when you stop believing in Santa and say your thirties where you finally start looking forward to Christmas rolling around again.

When I was making my Chow Mein Clusters last night, I was instantly transported to Wendy’s home. I love going to Wendy’s at Christmastime. I see us in the dark, eating cookies, watching Christmas movies by tree light. Wendy always has the most beautiful tree by far. The ornaments are mostly homemade, the tree is real, and they string popcorn (which the cats slowly eat over the holiday). There is also the annual angel massacre, the debacle of the tree cutting, the Playmobil Advent calendar, the Charlie Brown Puzzle, Yukon Cornelius, and Sam Push toys. I love Wendy’s house at Christmas, and that’s how I want my home to be.

Now I realize this is a lot to get from a cookie and your experience will not be the same as mine. But it‘s a good cookie and Wendy has the best Christmas spirit.

Next post: I swear I will make the Madeleines!

-C