This post represents the second of three on the topic of starting up your own cookie exchange. Do keep in mind that if the holiday season is too busy for you, this could be a really fun February activity. Who doesn't like to get a sweet treat on Valentine's Day? Especially the men and children in our lives!

• Plan your supplies. Will you use real or disposable? Get those ready well in advance, so you're not racing out at the last minute for cups, napkins, etc.

• Buy plenty of ice!

• Plan your food. I primarily include numerous appetizers and very few sweets. We will all sample the cookies before we "vote" on the winners, so you really don't need a lot of additional sweets. Some of my favorites that my friends expect each year are:

•  Bacon Wrapped Dates (similar to Rumaki, but with dates instead of a water chestnut in the middle)
• Cranberry Meatballs
• Artichoke Dip or Artichoke Cheesecake - My friend Joan brings this for me every year, and it's always a huge hit!
• Curried Chutney Cheeseball
• Triple Chocolate Brownies from Dean & DeLuca - Yes, I cheat on these. They are about $2.00 or so apiece and worth every penny. I cut each brownie into four small triangles. They look elegant, and everyone loves them. Few people don't know that I haven't made them myself!
• Chocolate Truffles from -- are you ready? Aldi! $1.99 for a whole box. I'm not kidding. They are amazing. Stop laughing. Every single time I serve these truffles, someone asks me if I got them at Dean & DeLuca. They are that good. You have to get the right ones, though. They look a bit like the droppings that Santa's reindeer might have left behind -- little lumps of brown chocolate, dipped in unsweetened cocoa.

• Plan your beverages. The beverage choice is, of course, entirely up to you. For years, I simply served wine, soft drinks, coffee and water. If someone asked for a beer, I always had one available. However, the last couple of years, I have had a good time offering one specialty drink (holiday martini or a winter sangria), along with the other choices. This has been a big hit with my friends, who are always wondering what I'll come up with next! There are tons of great drink recipes on Whattodrink.com. You can find beverages with or without alcohol, hot or cold.

• Decide how you will receive the goods. As my party has gotten larger (some years, as many as 30 to 35 women attend), I have searched for ways to expedite getting people in the door and into a drink! They walk in loaded down with their cookies. This year, I'll have one of my daughters, my niece and my nephew helping me out. The kids (a.k.a. elves) will take coats, offer the beverages of choice and show the guests where to put their cookies. Next, they'll give the guest a small paper plate and a plastic knife to cut up 4-6 of their goodies for sampling. (Have the guests cut these really small since everyone will want to taste some of each cookie!) They'll also need to write the name of their cookie on a card. I like to use place cards for this.

The "elves" will assign each guest's offering a number to coincide with their cookie/treat. This will come in handy later when everyone is voting. The kids should also record the name and number on a running list, so they’ve got it later when tallying the votes. By the time the guest has finished this small task, one of the elves will have gotten her a drink, and she will be ready to party! The sample will be placed on top or in front of the guest's goodies, along with the place card, so everyone knows what they are tasting. The goodies cover my dining room table and one additional table that I set up in that room.

My last post on this subject will cover voting, prizes and other miscellaneous details of your party. Stay tuned!

More about my cookie exchange:

• 300 Christmas Cookie Recipes
• Holiday Cookie Exchange Reverie
• Planning Your Holiday Cookie Exchange!
• Planning Your Cookie Exchange: The Details
• Planning Your Cookie Exchange: Final Words of Advice