This afternoon we hosted 20 people at our house. Half were women and half were teenagers. Part of the festivities was a cookie swap. This is what ONE table looked like. There were so many cookies we had to set up a second table. Every person brought three dozen cookies to share with the other ladies. Cookies were everywhere.
As I was taking pictures of the table I thought this would make a terrific topic for a December weekend blog. This time of year these types of events are rampant. How do you handle events like this?
Do you:
♥ Not go
♥ Go but don’t bring cookies
♥ Bring cookies but don’t take any home
♥ Another option ____________________________
There are many ways to handle sweet events like this. I don’t think there is just one right answer for every person. And sometimes the right answer for you at this point in your life may look different a year from now. Or twelve years from now.
When I was in the midst of my journey I took the easier way out and skipped the cookie exchange my church was hosting. I didn’t feel ready for the assault on my willpower and senses. So I skipped it. Over the next several years I chose several of the other options. Sometimes I went but didn’t bring cookies or take any home. Other times I brought cookies and didn’t bring any home. And still other years, I brought cookies, and brought a few home – but not the dozens that were available.
It’s so important to know in advance what you will do and what makes you comfortable. Even more important than your comfort may be learning to make choices that move your forward in your life’s journey.
What’s your plan for these inevitable sweet offerings? Diane
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I eat some and freeze some. Last year we actually threw out some cookies as we had had enough (first time ever that happened).
I don’t feel too bad about christmas cookies, because it is just once a year.
I would go, be thrilled to take cookies, and politely take some, and as Lori mentioned, freeze them.
Every time I have had an itching to make baked goodies throughout the year, I make it and immediately put 1/2 – 3/4 in the freezer, so as not to over indulge. Its been working like a charm, plus provides a nice variety to thaw out some when we want something, but I am not in the mood to bake.
That table looked amazing! What fun!
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The cookie table looks beautiful!
I’m finally at a point (again) where I can enjoy a cookie or two and then stop. For a while there, I had told myself that eating lots of cookies was okay during the holidays (or lots of food on “special occasions”). I think you are so right, the way you handle a cookie exchange (or other occasions with lots of food), depends on where you are at in your journey. There is not one right answer for everyone…
I would go with cookies, but only bring cookies home if I had people to share them with. Seeing as I live alone – a dozen cookies would not bode well with just me to eat them! Usually when I go to events with big dessert tables like that, I choose one or two cookies that look especially delicious to me and enjoy them in all their glory. It’s a rare treat that I get to enjoy homemade goodies like that, and indulging in them is important for my sanity!
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I’m in the bake, take, receive, and freeze group NOW, but during the weight loss phase I would’ve opted out of the event completely.
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Diane, that would have been tricky! I probably would have taken some and either shared with my family, or made up a plate for someone. I’m curious what type of group you had over. Are you by any chance LDS? Just wondering.
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All I can say is I’m glad we don’t do cookie exchanges LOL
Probably wouldn’t worry me as I’m not a big cookie person but the kids wouldn’t need that much sugar either.
So what did you do with all the cookies?
I’d probably go and bring some, but try to make my husband take most of what I brought home to work so there isn’t too many temptations in the house. Freezer wouldn’t work for me as I like cold food!
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Diane, I agree with you. People are on different parts of this journey so some may be able to handle this better than others. At some point though, we do have to learn to get thru these things. ME, I plan ahead for things like this & what I will & will not eat & do.
Now saying that, you know I am a cookie fan!!!! OMG, I love cookies! That is my treat every weekend! So, I would bring some & then look thru the offerings & decide which ones I jus HAD TO HAVE! I don’t need them all BUT I certainly would eat what I really really wanted without eating every single one AND I just probably would take some home to freeze. I always keep a stash in the freezer. I have learned to not get at them unless it is a weekend & I might be somewhere I can’t get my beloved weekend treat!
For me, I have been at this long enough to navigate these temptations. It takes time & it took me time to learn….
PS: I almost ate thru the monitor screen to get at those cookies!
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This is something that I’ve struggled with a lot, and I’ve had to continually work on dealing with. When I see something like that, it’s hard for me to not be in a “panic mode,” I guess b/c I don’t want to go overboard. I’ve always been an “all or nothing” and to have just a little makes it difficult for me. I would probably just avoid, but I want to get to a point where I can not feel out of control in a situation like that. It’s a work in progress.
I felt fear inside of me trying to think what I would do, thank goodness this is something I’ve never had to be faced with – so maybe why the fear as I am wondering what I would do.
I have noticed at home if I have a packet of cookies in my kitchen cupboards I keep going and having one, then later another one, and so I go till its over…a packet will take me 3/4 days to complete now where before it took me an hour…so I suppose there are changes, but still not big enough for my likings, I want to look at them and not want one, I wonder if that is at all possible.
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I have never done a cookie exchange, but if I did my answer would be the same as for any other sweets we have received in this house on the journey- enjoy the event, eat in moderation while there, then send what you bring home off with my hubby to put in the company break room as a freebie for anyone to eat. Either that or give it to our apartment management staff . We may not eat them , but we can still be a part of the fun and sort of share the wealth with others. We do the same with gift cookie plates we receive.I don’t freeze them as I do not have a chest freezer and our freezer is filled with real food pretty much year round.
The party looks like it was a lot of fun – I hope you had a great time !
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I go and eat. The part that would make me uncomfortable is bringing my own cookie creation. Because, er, I can’t cook/bake that good.
But I go and eat and enjoy because this type of event is few and far between. Like once a year, right? =)
And I haven’t told you so already, but I love you lots, Diane! You, the blog, your accomplishments. They’re all very wonderful. xoxo ~Josie
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For an event like this, I would bring cookies, take cookies home, then take them to work and give them away. Of course, I have never been invited to an event like this, so I am not too worried about it.
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Like Steve, mine would go right to work. Paper mill guys will eat anything.
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This ranks with left over Halloween candy….I have to get it out of the house pronto! So, send it to work with the Hubby or drop it off at a food pantry (Though I don’t know if they can take home made cookies??) but out, out, out it goes! I don’t bake Christmas cookies because I would just eat them in a moment of weakness. Growing up, my mom would make dozens and dozens! And I ate and ate them. Putting them in the freezer doesn’t work for me! They still taste good!
Me personally – would not particate (if it was just me and I didn’t have kids).
If it was important to one of my kids to participate – then I would go with kids – have them only pick out ones that they loved and take a small quantity for each kid (in their own zip lock bag).
I don’t do any ‘up for grabs’ NON-food. Kids is counted and bagged and identified.
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Bring cookies and don’t take them home, or just avoid the table. I went to two parties last night and did a great job avoiding the food tables. I believe I was extremely successful! I hadn’t eaten much during the day, but stocked up on fruit and lean protein before setting foot into either of the parties. (I did drink a lil’ more than usual, but all things considered…)
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Luckily we don’t have cookie swap
But I would bring some cookies because it’s a polite thing to do. Then I would eat one or two there but would not bring any home or maybe a few for my hub. But not a lot because cookies have the habit to scream at me: “eat me, eat me”
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For me its “not go”. Since I cant eat gluten, refined sugar and a few other substances, I have no business going.
I may go just so I can socialize though, and its not tempting to me to eat those things.
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I would bring a healthier cookie variety and NOT take anyone’s cookies home! I’d try to get a good workout in and some healthy, low-calorie meals that day…and stick to a certain # of cookies. Say…4-5? It’s probably hard to eat only a handful!
Great question! It’s funny because I saw the title of the post, clicked, and saw the picture and went, “Ohhhhhhhh…..”
LOL
So. I guess it depends in what phase of the journey I was on. When I was at the beginning, I would have made it my “free day” because I was on Body For Life and it granted me a free day. If I already had a free day, I probably would have skipped going. When I was at a healthier weight but still trying to lose, I’d have tried a way to figure out what the calorie count was on the cookies and only eat my “alotted” calorie amounts or I would have made cookies that I knew the calorie amounts of already and only made those. Now, in a more maintenance phase, I’d work out in the morning for sure and make healthy choices for the rest of the day surrounding the cookieness.
It’s all about which phase I’m in, I guess! Love your posts because they make me think about my choices more!
I’m going to go and I’m going to eat some cookies. Yum, yum, yum. Granted I won’t be eating a tray of cookies on my own, but I’m definitely going to be eating some cookies!
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I see myself going, baking some cookies to share and then bringing a few choicest morsels, or ones that looked like my family would like, home.
If people were eating cookies there I would sample only a few that looked the absolute best to me. If I bit one and didn’t like it, I wouldn’t finish it.
By the way, I love the photo you took and your tree in the background looks beautiful!
I went to one last night. (Lovely photo, by the way!) I brought a few home but they are not the real problem. The real problem is my OWN cookies which I am making for my family to send in boxes. I really, really like my own cookies. I am hoping to launch the boxes tomorrow and the next day. Meanwhile, I covered them up with towels. Out of sight really does help though I certainly have not been perfect.
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Bring cookies but don’t eat them, or bring someone who will eat the cookie for you.
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First, those cookies look delish!
I try to avoid events where there’s alot of temptation, but that’s not always an options. When I am in situations, I go with sheer will power.
I would go to the party to socialize, but I would bring the cookies for my students at school the next school day and share them so I would not eat them at home
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Hi Diane! Just catching up with your posts
I would go, bring cookies, and take a few home to share with family and friends. I would try to limit myself to a cookie each night or something if there were really recipes that I wanted to taste.
Great post topic with the holidays upon us!
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