Thursday, March 28, 2024
46.0°F

Holiday sweet treats' secret ingredient is LOVE

by Kerri Thoreson
| December 8, 2021 1:00 AM

So many of our treasured Christmas memories and traditions take place in the kitchen. We made sugar cookies and then, with little bowls of powdered sugar frosting in green, red, yellow and blue, decorated to our heart's content. My own daughters enjoyed the tradition, their creativity often taking on a Picasso-esque quality. Red Hots, silver balls and brightly colored sugars and sprinkles were all that was needed for a fun day.

Over the weekend Kathy Johnson Hlebichuk was joined in her Coeur d’Alene kitchen by her daughter-in-law Sarah and Kathy’s three grandchildren, Hannah, 8, Lukie, 7 and Charlotte, 2, to make Christmas memories. The fact that Hlebichuk’s kitchen features two ovens is a plus. She said the children were troopers, engaged and eager all day.

Kathy’s mother, Charlotte Johnson, owned Fowler’s Cafe on 4th Street and Lakeside Avenue back in the late '60s. Kathy said she learned a lot from her mother, who made everything from scratch. Time spent now with her own grandchildren is a sweet reminder of her late mother during the holidays.

Sheri Archer of Post Falls loves to make Spritz cookies with a press and Pizzelles using a special iron. Both are works of art. When she was about 30 she said she was feeling blue around the holidays and missing her childhood traditions. So she began making cookies for her friends and found joy again. For the past dozen years Sheri has been joined by her mother, Jean Suponch, who spends a weekend helping her daughter to count, stack and package the cookies that become gifts of the heart.

“This brings me the most happiness,” Sheri said. “Time shared with her.”

Tracie Olin recalls her mom dedicating the entire month of December to making Christmas candy, cookies, all flavors of fudge and divinity and popcorn cakes.

"We’d wrap nightly and deliver to neighbors and family the following day, then come home and start again. The best of Christmas traditions.”

Dianne Ansbaugh of Post Falls shared this story of a longtime cookie exchange she’s participated in since 2018.

“The cookie exchange celebrated their 25th year, one year late because of COVID-19. Shelly Christensen, membership services at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, loves parties. She began the cookie exchange as a loving fellowship for women to begin the 'sweet holiday season.' Each woman brings a bag of cookies to share with each guest attending. This year there were 16, and it's been more in previous years. We laugh that there is a waiting list to be included.”

“Most important is the extra bag included specifically for Sally's House Emergency Foster Care facility for children two to 12 years old. Shelly and her best friend, Ruth Hochberg, bring the tray of cookies to those special children each year.

“The amazing thing about paying it forward with this group is the young girls who have grown from babies to young adults. They’ve watched their moms, aunts, neighbors and the cookie-making and -giving process through the years. They now tell Shelly they want to start their own cookie exchange to continue the loving fellowship among their peers and continue the tradition.”

Dianne’s 2021 contribution was Swedish almond butter cookies.


Hayden’s aptly named Cookie Hardy’s favorite cookie? Mexican Wedding Cakes. Most interesting and surprisingly tasty ... Cyndie Hammond’s ammonia cookies! Note: baking ammonia is not to be confused with cleaning products!


If you’re fortunate to receive a gift of homemade cookies or baked goods the next few weeks, know that they’ve been made with love and wrapped in tradition and sweet memories.


Happy Birthday today to Tammy Schneider, Kelly Ferguson and Becky McIntire Bufeuillet. Tomorrow Tammie Peacock, Cecilia Fehling, Brandon Quigley, Cheri Banta, Melissa Williams and Cindy Jarnagin celebrate. Dick Wandrocke, Shannon Clark, Richard Carlson, Burt Bachelder, Matthew Lemieux, Gavin Broadwater and Donna Cushman put on their party hats on Friday. Come Saturday Christina Petit, Kathy Hughes, Duncan Menzies, Stephanie Hunter, Michael Matt, Katrina Mayer, Kym Hamby, Shawn Gunn, Leigh Sales and Aleta English (70!) blow out the candles. On the 12th day of the 12th month Margot Mitchell, Alexis Davis, Sialas Tripp, Mary Sanderson (70!), Amy Alderman, John Austin, Mary Finley, Teresa Capone, Mark Orlowski, Konrad Hochhalter, Monte Miller, Richard Stevenette, Colleen Williams, Dave Sayers, Lynn Knapp and Jessica White take another trip around the sun. Special birthday wishes to Catherine Jacobson (96!), Jim Freeman, Austin Lee, Kim Buer and Denise Higgs on Monday. On December 14, Eve Knudtsen, Kyle Siegert, Angie Hatch, Jeannette Conroy, Sybil McCormack (70!), Sandy Clemons, Amber Briles, John Medlock, Vicki Peoples, Karen Kastning, Tammy VanBrunt and James Forster enjoy frosty birthdays.


Post Script: One kind word can warm three winter months.


Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.