Tell me about the cookie swaps you've been to

[nesser1981]

I am going to host one this year. I have been looking at pinterest for ideas,but i'd love to hear from you.

[digideb]

I've never been to one! :( Can I come to yours? :wub:

[kelley]

I've never been to one either!

[mariewilcox]

I've never been to one either but I've always wanted to do one. Here is a page (http://www.cookie-exchange.com/)that I found a couple weeks ago when I started to think about planning one :)

[taracotta7]

I have. We each had to make 3 dozen cookies. 1 dozen was on a plate for people to sample. The other two dozen were separated into baggie w/ 3 each and a recipe card attached. Then people would walk around tables and try cookies. We were able to pick up 2 dozen worth of cookies. SO I would come home with 8 new recipes and a bunch of cookies to share with my family.

It was a lot of fun. We really didn't have games or anything we played. We just enjoyed cookies and punch. We also all brought an appetizer to share so there would be something other than sweets to eat. It was just a fun girlfriend night. :)

Hope that helps!

[dgreenshield]

I host a swap every year and it is so much fun! We usually have 10-14 people and each person bakes enough cookies for everyone to take home 1/2 dozen. However, this year we are around 20+ people so I think we will be doing packages of 4 cookies each. It's enough for everyone to get a taste of a new cookie and since they get the recipes for each one, they can bake more of their favorites. I have each person package their cookies up ahead of time and everyone loves the little packages they take home with them.

Oh, we also have 1/2 dozen of each persons cookies out for people to try during the swap.

I have hosted swaps where we brought our cookies on a tray and then picked up a couple of each persons cookies but found it is just easier to have people package up their items with the recipes attached.

As for food, I just do some simple appetizers and a punch. This year I am making a Christmas sangria that I found as our festive beverage.

We also do an ornament exchange during the swap.

[nesser1981]

Yes Deb, you can come to mine. :)

I hope I get enough people interested in coming.

[Arual]

My friend hosted one (sadly it was before I ever met her... drats!)... she said that everyone gave her the cookie recipes ahead of time and she made them into a digi-album and had the mini album printed for everyone, she laminated each page before binding them together with adorable ribbon. Her album is so adorable, she did a great job - BUT I think that's a LOT of work *and cost* put on your shoulders. She said she didn't mind, she just looked at it as her gift to her friends since she doesn't really go out and buy gifts for them.

[dgreenshield]

My friend hosted one (sadly it was before I ever met her... drats!)... she said that everyone gave her the cookie recipes ahead of time and she made them into a digi-album and had the mini album printed for everyone, she laminated each page before binding them together with adorable ribbon. Her album is so adorable, she did a great job - BUT I think that's a LOT of work *and cost* put on your shoulders. She said she didn't mind, she just looked at it as her gift to her friends since she doesn't really go out and buy gifts for them.

I have thought about doing this as well but it is a lot of work!

[Arual]

P.S. I LOVE ornament swaps! They are fun! ... and no cooking/baking involved (phew! Im not a good baker, hahaha!)

[maryinaz]

We do an annual Baking Day - there are just 6 of us. We don't always bake cookies - I usually do something that does not take the oven, like chocolate-covered pretzels or caramels. We don't share the recipes on a regular basis, although we can always get them from each other. But we kind of count on certain gals to make certain things and it's special that the rest of us don't make them on a regular basis. :)

We also do an elaborate lunch with champagne (or mimosas). :)

[NeverendingJen]

Last one I went to, there were 7 people there. You were instructed to bring 4 doz of your favorite cookies- 1/2 doz for each person to take home and a dozen for snacking. you could bring more than one kind, but you had to bring 4 doz of each kind. While we were there we swapped recipes, tied off a quilt to bring to a local hospital, and played some fun and silly games-like name that song, can you remember, and my favorite, decorate your teammate to look like a tree, lol.