Happy HOlidays and a list.

Ho, ho, ho!  Tis the season!  The season of being able to say HO!!!!!!!!!! whenever you damn well please.  The season of snow days.  The season of workouts in the form of shoveling (sit down, Southerners).  The season of (over)indulgence! 

Vegan chocolate-chocolate peppermint cookie buttons.  That half-nibbled specimen?  Nobody did it.  MOVE ALONG NOW.

And?  The season of GIVING, you greedy little buggers!  Pro ho (ho ho) tip: the next time you make cookies, freeze half of the batter.  That way, you'll always have back stock of dough for easy gifting, or whenever you want your kitchen to smell like heaven on earth.  Bonus: you won't have 60 warm-ass cookies all at once whispering a siren song of sweet everythings to your from the pantry.

Quiet down in there!

It's also the season of thankfulness.  While I was putting together the above batch of seductive little vixens in cookie costumes, I got to thinking about the things I have in my kitchen that I'm so thankful for.  I'm talking about the things you might overlook, the things that aren't reeeeeeeally staples (in this economy!), but when you do have them, you're so glad you do.  So glad, in fact, that you wax poetic in a web log.

GREEK FEASTER'S GREEDY LIST OF THANKS

kitchen edition

1. Ziploc baggies.  They don't even have to be name brand, go on witchya bad self and let your Best Yet flag fly.  Sure, they're a waste of plastic (oh hay Earth, I'm thankful for u too really), but they make portion control so easy.  Last night I made 5 little bags of almonds to bring to work.  No washing, no problem.  I always get cranky when I don't have these and then I walk to CVS and shell out the $3.49 that brings me to a higher state of being.  Bagged bliss.

2. Paper towels.  Sometimes you have a nasty mess and you can't be bothered to use a nice kitchen towel.  I'm talking moldy fur, sticky spills and microwave splatters (you hear that roommates?  IT COMES OFF.).  Again, wicked wasteful, but sometimes you're in a pinch and only a lowly paper towel will do.  Like when you need to nuke a cookie and there isn't a clean dish to be found.

3. Hand soap.  Because sometimes dish washing liquid just won't do.  (I think I am going to put that on my new masthead)

4. Flour.  How many times have you gotten partway through a recipe only to find 1/2 cup of flour in the tin?  

5. Jars.  Bell, Kerr, Mason or no-name, they all work.  I'm fond of portioning out leftovers and freezing them.  Also good for bulk items.  On cold mornings, I eat oatmeal out of a jar on the way to work.  Stay classy!

6. Baking soda.  The unsung hero of the culinary set does double duty as a sick kitchen cleanser, deodorizer and facial exfoliant.

7. Parchment paper.  I. love. this. stuff.  Great for lining cookie sheets or wrapping a sandwich.  Upgrades any leftover or baked good to patisserie-chic.
8. Small brown paper bags.  For popping popcorn and ripening avocados and bananas! 
9. Spice mill.  Like a food processor, but small-scale.  Great for grinding flax seeds and coffee beans as you need them (the way both ought to be consumed, thank you very much).  Also produces a very satisfying noise. 

Honorable Mentions: soy milk, glass straws and a friend to wash the dishes.

Your turn!  What are you thankful for in the kitchen?  I wanna know like Joe.