Just when you think you might have a moment to relax, store the deck furniture and relish those memories of summer, it's suddenly Thanksgiving and the whirlwind of the holidays begins.

The holiday decor in the stores is in place as soon as the Halloween goodies are put on sale. Each year there seems to be a secret neighborhood race to see who can get their outdoor Christmas lights up first. The Other Fisherman has taken note of the new neighbors who have had their home lit up for a couple weeks now. They have a baby girl and I am sure they've placed lots of bright lights outdoors to see the sparkle in her eyes when she looks at them. I forgive them for taking first place this year.

The Santa who is the light king and who I bake cookies for loves Christmas, and I am certain once he has to give up his light stringer duties on this earth, his new profession will be as an official Santa. You do realize that designates me as his honorable Mrs. Santa. I say wonderful. That means I can tie my apron back around my rotund tummy, let my hair go gray and never jog another mile again.

I will happily bake my way through eternity. No, not that kind of baking, I sure hope, but the serious cookie-baking kind for my Santa and all our little elves. Our family cookie-baking tradition has been going on in our families for hundreds of years and was serious business in my kitchen prior to my blessed union with Mr. Santa, almost 32 years ago now.

I get nervous every year wondering when I am going to find the time to get all those delectable favorites made, so Mr. Santa joins in making butter, sugar and nut-laden confections. He sees me get all crazy about how to get all the holiday chores attended to and makes sure those cookies get made. Not only does he love Christmas, but he also adores showering his family with gifts, treating his co-workers, neighbors and friends to happy holiday get-togethers and adopting Share the Spirit families. I can't let this big-hearted guy down and not bake lots of his favorite cookies.

The grocery list of many pounds of butter, eggs, flour, sugar and chocolate requires a small bank loan to procure and I thank my lucky stars Santa and I have jobs and live in a great country where we can go out and purchase whatever we need to make me worry about what the bathroom scale will indicate.

So, this weekend, once you've made your way through all the dirty dishes from your Thanksgiving feast and can relax in your warm home, I'd like you to do a couple things. Make a list of all your favorite cookies and treats for the holidays so you are ready to begin your own baking tradition. And give thanks for the wonderful life we have in this great state and our incredible country. Say lots of prayers for the military folks that are risking their lives to keep us safe. Send special prayers that they all come home safe to join their families for the holidays. We owe them more than they will ever receive. Let's send them cookies to start with.

We had a cookie preview last week when Santa requested a couple of pre-Christmas cookies. I made our all-time favorite, pecan fingers, and a new cookie not previously made in my kitchen, an oldie but a goodie: buried cherry treasure cookies. Good thing I haven't made these before, as they contain two of my favorite tastes: cherries and chocolate. It was hard to stay out of the cookie tin.

A Southern sweet potato biscuit to use some leftover sweet taters and to tuck that savory leftover turkey bird into. Add a little cranberry relish and you have holiday snack nirvana!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Oven 425 degrees. Makes 12 biscuits.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 heaping tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter

2 to 4 tablespoons milk (depending on the moisture of the potatoes)

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate, large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and butter. Add the flour mixture to the potato mixture and mix to make a soft dough. Then add milk a tablespoon at a time to mixture and continue to cut in. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and toss lightly until the outside of the dough looks smooth. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a greased pan and coat tops with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch your oven: If the biscuits are browning too fast, lower the temperature.)

Teri's Buried Cherry Treasure Cookies

Oven 350 degrees. Makes about 2 dozen depending on how big you make them.

24-30 big maraschino cherry halves or 24-30 smaller whole cherries (save 4 ounces reserved cherry juice for frosting)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve enough large cherries to make 24 to 30 pieces. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extract until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Place a cherry in each center.

for frosting: In a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of the frosting over each cherry piece, spreading to cover cherry. (Frosting will be baked on the cookies, so it should be thick. If it is too thick, thin it with additional cherry juice.)

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are firm and just start to brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

There will be leftover frosting. I won't tell on you if you want to eat it, or you could save it for the next batch you will have to make after you eat all these up in no time.

To store: Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store a room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving, and go hang a string of lights for the neighbors to enjoy.