Christmas Cookie Korea Tour... Day 1

Sometimes I have favorite children. I know most parents say that they don't, but I think that maybe they are lying. Or better people than I am. Probably the last part. We were up SUPER LATE last night after an entire week of staying up late. And then this morning, one of my dear, sweet children woke up early. Pre-dawn early. And climbed into bed with me carrying a bowl of crunchy cereal which she then chose to eat while simultaneously trying to determine how close she could get to my ear. When that game of fun got old, she decided to try force feeding me the cereal by poking it through my decidedly closed lips with her pointy little fingers. My oldest child was sleeping very quietly in his bed. Favorite child? Yes. I have favorite cookies, too. These are my favorite of the 12 Days set. Don't tell the other cookies.

First, you need to make some transfers. (This might be part of the reason why I love this cookie. Transfers make decorating seem so much easier!) Once you get your icing ready ... just drop some blobs of yellow on wax paper to make pears. Make a circle with red icing, and pull it out into a tail for the partridge. And then... the bow... I draw the two outside edges and pull them toward the center with a toothpick. Then I drop a little dot in the middle. The I make the ribbon ends by starting at the bottom and going toward the center. Which is all ridiculously complicated now that I'm actually saying it out loud. You can, and should, make it however you want to. You don't even have to have a bow if you don't want to. Let them dry overnight.

1. Bake your cookie.
2. Outline the pot and the tree stem with a #2 tip and thick black icing.
3. Fill in the pot, dirt, and tree spaces. You can do it all at once if you are careful not to overfill the lines.
4. Alternating between medium and dark green thick icing, pipe on leaves around the outside edge using a #67 leaf tip. (The key is to start on the inside, pipe a little blob, and then pull it out toward the edge... creating a point at the end of the leaf.)

5. Keep going until the tree is all filled in.
6. Add your bird and pear transfers. Give the bird a tiny little beak and add the tiniest drop of black for an eye.
7. Pipe a line of red across the middle of the pot.
8. Drop your bow on top.

KOREA TOUR DAY 1

I know you are all just too shy to ask... so we'll get this one out of the way right now and talk about toilets and rest stops in South Korea. Rest stops are huge here. Both metaphorically and physically. They are basically a small town.

They are about half of a mile long. They often have small arcade games, picnic areas, a playground... I've even stopped at one that had a small amusement park on the side. 

They almost always have a work out area as well. You know... for the kids.

This particular rest stop had TWO food courts. Off to the right is actually a clothing store. They also sell purses there.

They don't mess around with food there. You can't possibly eat while holding a screaming baby. So... you can just put that child here in the crib while you eat.

And instead of selling newspapers, they have a couple of them in a wooden binder so you can peruse them as you like. There is also a bookshelf to the left in case you want to read while you eat your lunch. And right behind my children is a lactation room. America, please take note. You should have these.

In addition to the 2 food courts inside, they also sell more food....outside. You know, like grilled squid. They put the rocks on the heads so it... actually, I don't know why they do that.

I ADORE this guy. He saw my camera and asked me to take his picture with the potatoes. And then he gave my daughter a potato. And she swooned over it because it was little. And little things are babies. And she loves babies.

Moving past the food... to the most likely reason you had to stop in the first place...

And this is the point where you decide I have lost my mind. A toilet. On a cookie blog. And it won't be the last one. They have tiny toilets at all the rest stops. To the right is a baby sink that is about 18 inches off the ground. And to the left is a regular toilet. It's a family culture here.

And yes... they have the squatty potties here. And also, I want you to know that I cleaned a public toilet in South Korea just for you. FOR YOU. That's how much I love you all. And since this is not the image I want to leave you with...

They also sell beautiful bonsai daisy plants here. And fuel and shiny giant gold necklaces and snacks and jeans and other things that you don't need but always want when you see them.

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