Baking goodies for friends has been a very fun tradition for Team Southerland. Sometimes the holidays get very busy and the enjoyment of this tradition can be squeezed out by the hustle and bustle of visitors, activities, recitals, and trips.
One thing that can bring some joy back into baking for our friends is to start baking early. Most cookies and candies will freeze very well. It's easy to bake one item on several different days and just freeze them until you are ready to assemble the goodie plates.
Packing the plates can be such a fun time! We have found pretty clear plastic plates for about $1 a piece around the holidays at the grocery store or the dollar store. They make great plates for giving away goodies. Another packaging idea is to wrap your paper plate in decorative plastic wrap. Or, use plain paper plates and use a hole punch to punch holes around the edge. Weave some ribbon through the holes to decorate the plate and wrap in clear plastic wrap tying it at the top with a matching ribbon. There are plenty of ideas online of how to create neat packing ideas for goodies.
