'Tis the season for cookies and more cookies! And a significant portion of the cookies floating around in the universe at the moment seem to have come from my kitchen -- I have baked 19 different kinds this year, in addition to making 2 types of candy and dipping some pretzels in chocolate before sprinkling them with pistachios. I don't even want to count how many cookies this is ... they have so much love invested in them that it really doesn't matter. These are my gifts to my family and friends, an annual tradition.

I don't suddenly wake up on the Saturday before Christmas and start a frenzied baking spree, have no fear! I started a few weeks ago: sometimes I bake a batch of brownies on a weeknight after dinner, or perhaps bake several batches of drop cookies or spritz cookies over the course of a weekend. Cookies freeze beautifully, so there's no need to increase the stress that is inherent to this time of year by trying to get everything done at once. But not only that, I just simply love to bake -- it's a form of relaxation for me, and I enjoy it more than I can say. Thankfully, I am very fortunate to have many loved ones with whom to share the bounty!

Some of the cookies are tried-and-true traditions, like the Stoplight Cookies with candied red and green cherries that were once a variation on thumbprints but which accidentally bled together while baking one day. Jeremy was little when this happened, and immediately announced upon seeing them that they looked like stoplights! They've been one of his favorites ever since. Eggnog cookies are only appropriate at this time of year, of course, so I naturally bake them. Other treats are new to the collection, like the Honey Date Rounds which were originally a honey cookie recipe from the Molly Goldberg cookbook that my dear librarian friends Marilyn and Nika lent to me, to which I added chopped dates. Each cookie or candy has a story ....

But if you haven't started your baking yet, or if you don't love cooking enough to have devoted 3 days (little effort over that time, but 3 days nonetheless) to turning orange peels into something akin to sophisticated gum drops, don't worry -- here are 2 ridiculously inexpensive and easy ways to provide homemade treats at the last minute for parties or for gifts: Peppermint Bark and Pistachio-Sprinkled Pretzels. You can impress everyone with these ... and they can even be made non-dairy, if that is a concern for anyone who might be enjoying them (as it is for some of my friends, who receive individually-tailored tins of goodies to make sure that their health concerns are respected).

To get even further into the festive spirit, I'd like to issue an invitation: 90 Miles From Vegas, my son Jeremy's band, will be playing once again at the Blind Pig this Wednesday, the 23rd; doors open at 9:30 p.m. Cover is $8 for 18 and up, $5 for 21 and up. I know that Jeremy, Andrew and Jordan have been rehearsing one of my favorite Christmas songs (to go along with the originals and a couple of other covers) ... so be there and celebrate!

12 ounces dark chocolate chips 6 candy canes, crushed

Melt the chocolate and stir it until smooth. Place a Silpat (silicone sheet) or a greased piece of foil onto a cookie sheet; pour the melted chocolate onto this, forming roughly an 8-1/2" x 11" rectangle. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the chocolate, then refrigerate for 15 minutes or so until the chocolate is set even in the middle. Break into jagged pieces and serve, or place into gift bags and tie with ribbons.

6 ounces dark chocolate chips 6 ounces honey wheat pretzel sticks 1/3 cup pistachios, ground

Place a Silpat (silicone sheet) or a greased piece of foil onto a cookie sheet. Melt the chocolate and stir until smooth. One by one, dip the pretzels about 2/3 of the way into the chocolate, wiping off the excess; place onto the baking sheet and repeat until you have maybe a dozen or so pretzels dipped. Sprinkle a bit of the ground pistachios over the chocolate before it sets, then continue dipping and sprinkling until your supplies are exhausted. Let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes before serving or placing into gift bags and tying with ribbons.

Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures as she tries to win prizes, feeds hungry teenagers and other loved ones, and generally just has fun in the kitchen. The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured next to the blog's title) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15, and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here!

You can contact Mary at yentamary@gmail.com.