There is a powerful demographic of women out there to market products, services and ideas toward, that very often get overshadowed by the teeny bopper crowd and college kids. And this market is the "married-suburban-working-mother-whose-kids-have-grown-and-moved-out". These women have style, money, endless options for where to lunch and practically expendable husbands. They drive the trendiest of sporty SUVs, get manicures, carry Blackberries, and talk to their kids via Skype because they are living in Thailand or Australia. Yes, these are the suburban equivalent of "Ladies who Lunch".
A new trend has emerged within this group that rolls around once a year- the Holiday Cookie Exchange Party. Dozens of these moms spend a weekend baking cookies to exchange with their girlfriends. Each woman makes 1/2 dozen cookies per guest, and leaves with the same number of cookies with which they came. Only when they leave, they are toting the recipes and samples of everyone else.
It is a cute idea, something else to occupy the time of the silver-year-fabulous woman. To the point, my mother is Shaker Heights' hottest hostess. For the past 4 years, the budget of the party has risen from a modest $500 to a tight $1200. It is an occasion to look forward to- even the custom printed invitations were a cool $100. Finger sandwiches, tastefully non-Christmas oriented holiday decor and jazzy Frank Sinatra grace the cranberry-pecan scented living room, while the woman chat away about their kids, husbands and all the small chatterly gossip.
This friendly gathering, no matter how neighborly, always seems to have an underlying competition, in that the guest compare their recipes for who has "the best". There is no prize, no winner...per se. But there's always that one person who has the best cookies. This year, it's gonna be me. Thank you especially to "Every Last Cookie" blog, also featured on this website, for this delectable recipe. I will be sure to win with these babies.
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