More goodies!

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This is the other Party Hat from my swap. I received it today from Rayna in New Zealand. Look at all the goodies she sent with it--a beautiful handmade card, a nice pocket notebook with a lizard on the cover (the lizard appears to be made from a slice of abalone or some such material.) She also sent three pieces of metallic braid, very glitzy; and a little tiny teddy bear, only 2" tall, fully articulated. The hat has braid and "jewels" on a beautiful brocade gold-on-black fabric. Thanks, Rayna!

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I felt like making some cookies today. I so seldom bake that my flour said "best used by 01/06." OF COURSE I tossed it, as well as the shortening which had gone rancid. A quick check of other ingredients (all recent, thank goodness!) and a quick trip to the store for fresh shortening and flour, and I rolled up my sleeves and got busy.

What really got me started was finding my mother's recipe for Snickerdoodles. My mother, my sister Meg and I made these often when I was young. They always bring back good memories!
The big difference is that we had to mix the ingredients by hand, so they took a long time to make. I now use my food processor. I've tried my Kitchenaid mixer, but overmixing makes them a little tough.

Bake along with me!

SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
#####
1/2 tsp salt
2-3/4 cups sifted flour
2 tsps cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
#####
2 T sugar
2 tsps cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream together the first four ingredients in the food processor (note: this shows a double batch!)
Sift together the dry ingredients, and add to the food processor in small increments. Mix until the dough is consistent throughout.

I had to refrigerate the dough often because it was 90 degrees today with 84% humidity. I'm not kidding!


Roll into balls the size of large walnuts--about 1-1/4" in diameter.


Mix the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together, roll the dough balls in the mixture.


Place the balls on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Leave plenty of space between the balls for the dough to spread.
(Anyone know how to get that gunk off the cookie sheets? That's why I use parchment paper now!)


Bake for approx. 8-10 minutes per batch until lightly brown, like these. Keep your eye on them in the oven! Makes about 3 dozen cookies. These flatten out as they cool. They make great ice cream sandwiches!

I put most of these in the freezer, otherwise they would be gone in a flash. I intend to make more cookies in the next few days--we'll see if I actually do it.

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I have a Red Hat luncheon tomorrow, then my DH and I are going to plant a jacaranda tree in the front yard. Our Arizona Ash died last year, and we have cut most of it down. We still have a Loblolly pine that drops loads of pine cones every year. We need all the shade we can get here in south Texas.

My DH and DS are going to my MIL's house after the tree planting to set up her Lifeline necklace. She isn't thrilled about wearing it, and I'm still not convinced she will; but at least we are doing what we can to make sure she is safe. I have the feeling she will take it off in a few days and lay it on her chairside table in the living room (where she spends most of her day) and then fall in the bathroom or bedroom. I hope I'm wrong.

DH has a buyer lined up for her car--he is getting his financing lined up and should have it ready on Thursday. It will be a relief to get the car out of here. We've had several calls on it, and a couple of other serious lookers. I think it will be gone by the weekend. Yay!

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