About Togetherness

We exchanged the cat door in my basement studio door for a doggie-sized door so Sadie could come in and out!  Before ---she could push the door open and come in, but she’d never shut the door…and she’d let the warm air out and the cold air in since the other side of the basement isn’t heated!

This morning Jeff and Sadie came in to visit..I love the look on her face as he stuck his head through the doggie door…like “HEY! That’s MY DOOR --- What do you think you’re doing?!

I was also talking with a friend this morning…about this, that, everything – about how Jason can’t come home for Christmas this year, because he works til close on Christmas Eve, and has to work at opening on the day AFTER Christmas….and a 3 hour drive is just far enough to make trying to drive up here and go home in the same day NOT any fun. 

I’ve done that drive….drive down to Columbia in one day, and back on the same day.  It’s 6 hours in the car.  What's the point of spending most of the holiday on the ROAD?! Not worth it. And I understand.

I’ve really felt “OUT” of it this year.  Not down in the dumps like some struggle when it comes to holiday depression --- just – I don’t know!  The kids are grown, traditions are falling by the wayside due to the age of the kids, their availability to come home or not…and just life in general.

A comment from my friend really struck me this morning.:

“Have a wonderful Christmas if you can ---Remember, it’s about the togetherness, the time with the family”

And I knew that if this was going to amount to ANYTHING I had to make a move TOWARD my family, and they to me.

I’ve been working hard down here in the basement all month.  DH is at work until late --- they’ve got Year End stuff coming due, meetings and staff dinners and all kinds of things that keep him out til later.  Tis the season!  Jeff has been doing what all 21 yr old single guys are doing…guy stuff!  Stuff with his friends, his computer, and is gone quite a bit.

This morning after talking to my friend I went up and talked to Jeff and said….."We need some TOGETHERNESS! I am downstairs, you are upstairs.  We are under this roof together, and yet we are separate.  I want to do some things to spend this time TOGETHER instead of APART."

He nodded, said "Okay ---"  and I’m sure I could see his eyes start to roll to the back of his head, but I MEAN IT!  My holiday is almost over…I’ve got 5 days past Christmas and my 2012 starts in full swing on Dec 30th!  THIS. IS. IT!

Memories don’t really just happen on their own.  Most times we have to MAKE them.

So today….we made COOKIES!  Just like we used to when he was little.  And I know he was probably not thrilled to be drug out in the rain to the store at 9am to go get the few things that we needed that we didn’t have already at home --- but we made COOKIES!  And we talked and laughed and made a mess and tasted and tested and…TALKED.  And it was priceless.

Martha Stewart, I am not! But I donned a fave gifted apron with the darling embroidery and we set to work.  Yes, It's bad when you have to do a bathroom phone pic in a mirror to show you the apron effect-- I know.  But this is how we bake around here!

These are drop sugar cookies --- and I bought a tub of cream cheese icing, divided it into 1/3s and colored 1/3 yellow, and 1/3 green.  I was out of red or blue!  And I was not going out in the rain to buy any more food colors!  We are past wanting to do the roll and cut out kind…but these are great.  Okay, I know that they are not BEAUTIFUL, I am not a professional baker and never set out to be.  I'm just a mom.  Just a wife.  And we had fun making these:

Drop Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup Crisco

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Sift dry ingredients, all except sugar, together.
   
3. Cream margarine, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
   
4. Add egg and vanilla.
   
5. Beat in dry ingredients until smooth.
   
6. Blend in milk.
   
7. Drop by tablespoon about 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.
   
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

 
This recipe works really well as a slice & bake too.
 
Next Up!
 

 

While the sugar cookies were baking, I started up a batch of yummy soft ginger cookies.  These are MY fave---I’ll go for a spicy molasses/ginger cookie over a chocolate chip anything at ANY TIME!

Do any of you have this K-tec mixer? I’ve had it about 10 to 12 years---have loved it.  But the start/stop button no longer works.  I have to hold down the pulse button to get it to run…what a pain.  There may be a new Mixer on my list for my birthday next month!  I like this one because it is small.  I can put it AWAY after use in the bottom cabinet. I don’t want something that lives on the counter, I don’t have that much counter space. It has a gazillion attachments…even a blender sits on it and whirrs like a champ.  That is --- IF you stand there and hold down the pulse button >_<

Here’s the dough after I took the beater bar off the top…ummmm…..can you see the two “Let's taste the dough!!” finger marks in there!  One is Jeff's-- one is Mine! Yummy!  Yes, I am a cookie dough lover…raw eggs be danged!

Dough balls are dipped in sugar and baked…these stay soft if you keep them in an air tight container!

Soft Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

The house smells WONDERFUL.  We had a great time.  We’ve also got plans for some Chocolate Chip ones for DH – and Jeff requested my Oatmeal/Pecan/Craisin cookies…so we’ve got that coming maybe tomorrow.  And I love Pecan Sandies – they are always a holiday tradition.  I think that’s IT for the holiday baking extravaganza--- the reason I don’t bake a lot?  I EAT IT!

But Hey, it’s the holidays!  And it feels good to feel like it!