the two little pigs

In two days time, people all over the world will be surrounded by friends and family and enjoying each other's company in this festive time of the year. And presumably, this will also involve my favourite pastime: food. It's the only time of the year where it's not just justified, but expected of people to gorge themselves on a week's worth of food in a single sitting. For many, this involves Christmas ham or turkey. And for the lucky few, it involves turducken.

In our house, however, we somehow acquired the tradition of half a Chinese roast pig. I'm not sure how it started, but according to the legends (i.e. my dad), someone got sick of the inevitable ham-leftover meals and decided to order a pig from a Chinese restaurant. It turned out to be a resounding success, and now, my family spends most of the year fantasizing about the next Christmas pig. Family gatherings will inevitably lead to discussion of how much pork will be consumed, which family members are letting the team down (the dreaded salad eaters), and the next generation of rising stars.

snickerdoodles + gingerbread = gingerdoodles

failed snickerdoodle attempt #1

Hehehe. Snickerdoodles.

That's pretty much the only reason why I wanted to make them so much. I know they're quite a common cookie in the US, but up until now, my whole knowledge of snickerdoodles just came from seeing people on TV make and eat them. With a name like that, they must be pretty good, right?