Holidays in FULL Swing: Magic Cookies and Gorgeous Crafts at the Truck Stop

The Truck Stop – one of Ambergris Caye’s most happening spots – is currently BUSTING with Christmas cheer.  Decorations…balloons…a gorgeous Christmas tree…even delicious holiday ice cream flavors.

Yesterday they held the VERY POPULAR Holiday Craft Fair & Cookie-Bake Off and let’s just say that the Truck Stop REALLY:

• kicked it up a notch
• made me say Yum-O
• made this blogger feel like the Mayor of Flavortown

(Can you match the “chef” with the annoying catchphrase above?  Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri and Rachael Ray.  Random, I know)

I was there selling copies of my book.  In case you are wondering…I sold 22 copies.

And I am quite pleased.  I used some of my profits to buy crafts…

I bought these pretty earrings from Zest Handcrafted.

These SUPER cute handpainted wooden trolls for under my Christmas tree (the three cuties in the bottom left corner).

And a stained glass Santa/gnome ornament.

And I took a bunch of pictures.  It wasn’t easy.  The place was jam-packed.  There were cookies for sale and cookies for judging.

I hardly had a chance to taste any!  In fact, I have one solitary peanut butter cookie.  Delicious.  But there were at least 15 more to taste.

Very cool birds made from PVC pipe.

Pretty beaded ornaments.

More fun earrings from Zest.

Bottles of Kombuca.

Pretty sea glass jewelry from Ale’s Beach Treasures.

But this was my view for most of the event.   (There were LOTS more people once the event actually started…)

The cookie judging came and went…I think 18 cookies tasted by almost 100 people AND the judges.

And one was declared the unanimous winner of both the judges AND the people.

WHAT IS THIS WONDER COOKIE?

It was a chocolate chip cookie STUFFED with cheesecake.  AND I MISSED IT!

Almost…

As I was pouting at my station, Ben brought over the one remaining WINNER.  It was the display cookie that was used for judging appearance.

HOOOORAY!

WOW.  It really was THAT good.

Pecans.  And caramel.  How does this cookie even get made?

Congratulations to the winners.  And everyone that baked hundreds of cookies for this event.  Firing up an oven in the tropics.  Buying imported butter for $15bzd a pound.  Chocolate chips for $12bzd a bag.  Pecans for…well over $30bzd a lb.  It’s not easy.  CONGRATS!

Now I must get ready for my next round of shopping.

Two of my favorite ladies are doing a Pop-Up shopping event at Belizean Arts today at Fido’s in downtown San Pedro.

I wasn’t going to buy ANOTHER thing since I bought this from Rebecca at Twig & Pearl just last week.

And these earrings that I LOVE from Kaj Expressions at the same time…

But then I saw this shopping bag (the pockets!  the closure!) on Rebecca’s website and just…one more thing!

See you there.  AND at the LoveFM parade tonight (it’s one of the best events of the year!)