<p>The whole purpose of this 365 Day Year of Living Curiously project is to engage in some sort of soul-scintillating activity each day.  Often, these activities include things I've always wanted to try but have procrastinated for whatever reason. </p>

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<p>10 YEARS AGO, I purchased a cookie press from Dina's (aka Dina <em>dah</em>ling) Pampered Chef party.  It has lived peacefully amongst other unused kitchen gadgets in the bottom of my pantry ever since. </p>

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<p>I'm not sure why I purchased the press.  The only time I ever bake cookies is at Christmas.  And I usually default to my old stand-by and favorite, Russian Tea Cakes.  Yum! </p>

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<p>This year, I thought I would haul out the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">holly</span> cookie press to break out of my cookie rut and try something new and different. With the cookie press, I could make delish cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees and wreaths.  I could decorate with green and red sugary sprinkles.  Yay! </p>

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<p>This was all fun and games until the cookie press wouldn't cooperate.  "Like new" and fresh out of the dust-bunnied box and the bloody thing wouldn't work.  </p>

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<p>I called Dina <em>dah</em>ling in a panic.  She told me that hers is "temperamental", but it worked the previous night.  She asked me to bring mine over to her house, and she would show me. </p>

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<p>I walked over to Dina <em>dah</em>ling's at 9 p.m.  She fiddled with my cookie press to no avail.  Dina <em>dah</em>ling then announced that mine was defective.  Great. </p>

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<p>The instructions read something like "Easy one-step method".  Bull ca-ca, Pampered Chef.  BULL CA-CA!!!!!</p>

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<p>In reality, Dina <em>dah</em>ling explained that the (not-so-)easy method is one and a half steps.  You've got to be kidding.  Dina dahling showed me how to use her "temperamental" cookie press. </p>

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<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's an idea, Pampered Chef:  MAKE A COOKIE PRESS THAT WORKS!!!!</span></strong></span></p>

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<p>I took Temperamental Cookie Press home.  It behaved temperamentally.  I started cussing a blue streak from all of the frustration and remembered these were Christmas cookies.  I nearly burst into tears. </p>

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<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">BAH HUMBUG TO YOU, PAMPERED CHEF!!!!  BAH HUMBUG!!!!!</span></strong></p>

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<p>I was determined to bake these cookies.  I popped two Tylenol and got a grip. </p>

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<p>I'm not sure how it happened -- a Christmas miracle, perhaps? -- but somehow I managed to squeak out 5 dozen cookies 2 entire Christmas albums later. </p>

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<p>Thank you, Diana Krall and Chris Isaak, for keeping me sane and reminding me of the Season during an otherwise painful process. </p>

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<p><strong><span style="color: #008000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Readers, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!  Instead, ask my mother for the Russian Tea Cake recipe. </span></span></strong></p>