As I continue my social media sabbatical, I've been trying to do a few new-to-me things. This week, that included baking Italian cookies with my dad.

(my 70-year-old Sicilian dad making "wands")

As part of a $25 International Center of the Capital Region workshop, we learned how to make and got old recipes for five traditional Italian cookies that are particularly prevalent around the holidays. We made ricotta genettes, walnut balls, amaretti cookies, biscotti, and fried cookies called "wands".

(sadly, I didn't make these)

The class also included some Italian cooking/baking trivia and a couple of prizes.

We saw baking demonstrations, helped with the recipes, and all walked away with a lot of delicious cookies. On top of this, we met some fun people and I got to spend some quality time with my dad, who is 100 percent Sicilian.

I definitely recommend checking out the ICCR's programs.

Buon Natale!