Grandma's cookie jars

My Grandma is an avid cookie jar collector. She began her collection in 1962 and it continues to grow. It's a bit of a funny collection, but it does make gift buying rather simple. When I was a child we told her that she should bake a different kind of cookie for each jar, but that never happened for obvious reasons. I was even guilty of breaking one - a San Francisco row house... oops. Anyone who knows my Grandmother has memories of her and her cookie jars.

I love bringing friends to my grandparent's house because they are always amazed by what a collection she has. At last count she said she had roughly 300 scattered around her house, and then she has some holiday cookie jars in storage.

One of my favorite things about them is that each contains a scrap of paper inside referencing what year and sometimes date she received it, as well as who it is from and who wants it down the road. Whenever people travel she requests that they look for one, which can be rather difficult in foreign countries. I did find a makeshift handmade covered jar in Ireland, and of course a Bavarian motif in Munich.

My favorite cookie jars are the NYC taxi, from my great-grandma, and the little white 招き猫 (Maneki Neko) 'beckoning cat' that Stefan and I gave her last year, which brings luck, creativity, and purity. The Dutch girl is also quite sweet.

I should start looking now for something cute and unique to give her this year.