Peppermint has been a staple of Christmas baking for a long time, so what better to bake than peppermint cookies? This recipe needs 3/4 cups of sugar, ½ cup of butter, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract, 1 1/3 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ½  teaspoon of salt, and ½ cup of crushed peppermint candy. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper, then combine the sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract in a bowl. Beat until creamy, then add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and beat slowly until well mixed. Finally, stir the cup of crushed peppermint into the dough. Roll it into ¾ inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the sheet. Bake for ten minutes, then let the cookies cool for one minute before moving them to a cooling rack. 

Chicken noodle soup is a classic, warm meal for cool weather in winter. You’ll need chicken, chicken broth, carrots, celery, chicken bouillon, butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg noodles. Prepare the chicken in any way, or use a pre-prepared store-bought chicken. Cut up the carrots and celery and add them into a large pot with butter. Sauté for three minutes on medium-high before adding garlic and cooking for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and taste it before deciding to add more salt and pepper. Add as needed and if it needs more chicken taste add chicken bouillon. Once it’s boiling, add the noodles until they’re barely tender, and take the pan off the heat. The noodles will continue to cook off the heat. Add the chicken and taste the broth again, then add seasonings as needed. 

Cherry pie is a great choice for Christmas day or family get-togethers for the holiday season. It’s extremely easy to make, too! Get a box of pie crust (two count), 2 cans of cherry pie filling, 1 teaspoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Heat the oven to 425 F and follow the directions on the pie crust box. Spoon the pie filling into the crust in the pan and then top it with the second crust. Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar before cutting slits on the top crust. After 15-20 minutes of baking, cover the crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake for 40-45 minutes in total, cool for an hour before serving.