Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

I didn't make pumpkin pie this year for Thanksgiving.  I like to try to shake up Thanksgiving every now and then.  However, I didn't want total anarchy to ensure so I made pumpkin bread pudding as a replacement.  I still had a lot of people who looked shocked when I told them I wasn't making a pumpkin pie, but the actual people at Thanksgiving were perfectly satisfied by this.

Russian Teacakes

 My grandmother used to make tons of Christmas cookies every year to give out to neighbors and friends.  I remember one year I forced my way into the process (my grandmother doesn't allow for much help in the kitchen).  As I am my grandmother's only grand-daughter, I can get away with that sort of thing.  This was probably when I was in my early teens and just starting to get really into baking and I thought it was such a great tradition. After my brothers get done with this recipe though, there usually aren't enough cookies to give to friends.

Orange-Pecan Shortbread

I am still in Moscow, Idaho for one more day and the snow is just cascading out of the sky right now.  I'm half loving it and half worrying about my flight, but it is hard to beat a backdrop of flurries of snowflakes.  Christmas just isn't the same without snow.

Triple Ginger Cookies

 Merry day after Christmas.  I am finally taking the time to post some cookie recipes.  I even have recipes left over from Thanksgiving to post, oops.  I will try to be better about that in the coming year.  To make up for it, here are some amazing cookies.