10 Simple Ways to Spread Cheer This Holiday Season + Snowman Cookie Recipe

This post is sponsored by Grassland Butter.

Now that we have a little one, the holidays have a renewed sense of magic for me. Watching our daughter discover things for the first time brings me so much joy! Just the other day it was flurrying when she woke up, so I took her over to her bedroom window to show her and she lit up, saying “No-man! No-man!” I explained to her we had to wait until it snowed enough to cover all the grass and then we could build a snowman. I can hardly wait!

But until we can build an actual snowman together, Grassland Butter was kind enough to send us all the supplies we needed to make these cute little snowman cookies. Sage helped with mixing, and then I finished them up while she napped so we could take them to a get-together at a friend’s house that evening. I’ve included the recipe at the bottom of this post!

I really enjoy baking and I’ve found that good butter makes a difference! Over the past few months, I’ve tried out a few different grass-fed and/or locally sourced butters and I was excited to give Grassland Butter a try. Grassland is the first (and currently) only butter to be Non-GMO Project verified which means they follow rigorous practices for GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) avoidance from animal care and feeding to butter production. As the daughter of a dairy farmer myself, I appreciate that Grassland butter is sourced from a partnership of American family farmers. The Non-GMO Project Verified certification means that Grassland can trace it’s product to a specific farm. Grassland Butter is available at several of my local grocery stores - to find some at a supermarket near you, use the Grassland store locator!

Sage’s favorite part of baking snowman cookies was for sure sampling the candy decorations!

There are so many fun holiday activities I want to do with Sage in the coming weeks, but I’ve also been thinking about how we can spread cheer as a family this season. I put together this little list of small, simple ways we can show kindness and serve others during the holidays. I’ll be choosing a few to do this year with my family and I hope you’re inspired to do the same!

1. Make it a point to smile and say “Happy Holidays” while you’re out running errands.

   This is such a simple thing to do, but I know I tend to keep my head down and just focus on my to-do list when I’m out in public. Even a small act of kindness like this can make a big difference in someone’s day and I find that I get a happiness boost from doing this too! It’s a win-win.

2. Bake a new recipe together and share it with friends.

   Scroll down for the recipe for the Snowman Cookies we made!

3. Gift a little something to your service workers

   There are people who work hard to help us all year long that we often forget to thank, like mail carriers, teachers, landlords, hairstylists, handymen, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive, but a small token of appreciation goes a long way - maybe a gift certificate for a local coffeeshop, a packet of fancy hot chocolate mix bundled with some homemade treats.

4. Pay for the next person in line at the coffee shop or drive-thru window.

5. Take your kids shopping for groceries to donate to your local food pantry

6. Hand deliver a basket of goodies to your neighbor

7. Gather extra or outgrown winter coats to donate to your local family shelter.

8. Shovel a neighbor’s driveway or sidewalk next time it snows.

9. Leave an extra nice tip.

   I’m generally of the mindset that if you can afford to go out for dinner, you can afford to tip your waiter or waitress properly (18-20% of the bill). This time of year is very busy for restaurant workers who often have to work weekends and holidays. I’m sure an extra generous tip would spread a lot of cheer!

10. Bring a special treat to share with your coworkers.
    

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Snowman Cookie Recipe

Courtesy of Grassland Butter

Ingredients

• 1/2 c butter, softened at room temperature

• 1 c granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 c all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 2 Tbsp. milk

• For decorating: mini chocolate chips, chocolate candies, orange candy slices, sprinkles

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F

2. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Alternately add milk and this flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well blended.

4. Shape dough into 3 balls, gradually increasing in size, averaging approximately 1-inch. Roll in granulated sugar and place on ungreased baking sheet in groups of three - stacked, touching in the shape of a snowman. They will attach when baking.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set.

6. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. While still warm, press a small candy piece into the center of each cookie for ‘buttons’ and press chocolate chips on top for a hat. Cut the orange candy slices into little slivers for a carrot nose. Mini chocolate chips can be used for eyes - or get creative and decorate with sprinkles or any other candies you’d like!

8. Remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack to cool.