I bake cookies to give away to co-workers, and a few others, every Christmas. This year I made cranberry hootycreeks (best cookie name ever) and Nestle mint chocolate chip break-and-bake in addition to my usual double batch of traditional molasses cookies. All the cookies were a hit, and as usual, I had plenty left over.
My friend Stacy gave me this molasses cookie recipe years ago and I’ve never looked further. They’re everything you could want in a Christmas cookie! The original, official picture showed the cookies stacked in a jar with festive ribbon around it, which would be a beautiful way to package them if I found an amazing deal on jars.
Molasses Christmas Cookies
From Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
2. Place ½ cup sugar in a shallow bowl; set aside. (This means you will only use 1 cup of sugar in the actual cookie batter, so DON’T forget to do this step before creaming your butter and sugar. Especially if you’re multiplying the recipe – it can get confusing quickly. I’ve made this sad mistake twice and had to start over.)
3. Beat butter and remaining cup of sugar with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in the egg, and then molasses, until combined.
4. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in dry ingredients until a dough forms.
5. Pinch off and roll dough into 1 Tbsp balls. Roll in reserved sugar to coat.
6. Arrange balls on baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time, 10-15 minutes until edges are just firm. Cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly. (Gasp!!!)
7. Cool cookies on baking sheets for one minute; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
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All my life, for me, the music I listen to has been deeply tied to what’s going on in my life at the time. In 2002 I started taking this to the next step with annual soundtracks. I’m glad to have these musical “yearbooks” and I keep them in mind throughout the year. If, after this, you still want more of the 100+ songs I was addicted to this year, see my last.fm 2010 Playlist. If I know you in person and you want a copy of this mix, just ask!
“Cover” image: John Howe‘s Eowyn and the Nazgul
I spent months looking for an image that evoked the same feelings as this scene from The Return of the King, but when I came across this one, I didn’t see the sense in using anything else. (Eowyn is kind of my hero, if you didn’t know.)
1. Times Like These – Foo Fighters
I organize my soundtracks in roughly chronological order (with a few changes for better flow). Thus, this song symbolizes my feelings at the beginning of 2010. I was coming out of a tough time and felt hopeful about the year ahead and ready to rebuild, but I was also on my guard. I was also listening to the Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits a lot.
2. Hey Man! – Nelly Furtado
I discovered Whoa, Nelly! ten years after everyone else (fairly typical for me). I love the shimmery strings in this song, and the theme that although things look pretty on the surface, the clouds are gathering.
3. Breakeven (Falling to Pieces) – The Script
4. 99 Times – Kate Voegele
I knew of Kate Voegele from her semi-autobiographical role on One Tree Hill. I don’t remember if I first heard this song on the show or not, but it grabbed me. It’s one of her best.
5. Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet? – Relient K
One of my greatest joys is making mix CDs for people. Both of my siblings have gotten “breakup” CDs from me in the past, so I was touched when my brother made one for me! This was one of several Relient K selections on it. I’m not a huge fan of theirs, but this song is very applicable and I like the use of the banjo.
6. When It Rains – Paramore
Narrowing down to one Paramore song for this mix was like Sophie’s Choice. In the end, I chose this one over “For a Pessimist…”, “Emergency” and several others because it said best what I wanted to say.
7. Eet – Regina Spektor
I don’t know what to say about this except that it’s like one of my melancholy moods in musical form.
8. Black and White – Stefanie Morgan
Stefanie is amazingly talented. She’s also my brother’s girlfriend! I included this song because it’s never been more clear to me that I’m an intense and “multicolored” person and have to live accordingly.
9. Past Pain – Gene Evaro Jr.
Fans of Deadliest Catch will recognize this as the tribute song for Phil Harris (RIP, Captain Phil). Gene Evaro Jr. wrote it about the loss of his sister. It’s sad but beautiful.
10. You’re Not Sorry – Taylor Swift
I love Speak Now and thought about putting “Better Than Revenge” or “Innocent” on this list. But this song from Fearless is a better representation.
11. You Already Know – Train
I’d heard this song a few times before my ex left, but never really heard it until it came up on shuffle in my car one day. Then I started smiling. I replayed it at full blast approximately five million times over the next couple of months.
12. The Comeback Kid – B.Reith
B.Reith is sort of a hip-hop Jason Mraz. His EP was free on Amazon one day, and I loved this song immediately. It’s silly and fun, but I feel empowered every time I hear it. Although I wish he would stop complaining about people mispronouncing his last name (it’s a common theme in his songs). We get it, B.
13. These Walls – Hanson
I was working my way through Hanson’s new Shout it Out album and hit this song on a really down weekend. It summed things up.
14. Defying Gravity – Glee Cast
I still haven’t seen Wicked (though I really want to). But for motivational music, does it get any better than this? Here it represents my shift toward feeling more ready to move ahead with my life.
15. Shine – Anna Nalick
This is one of several songs on this list that I turned way up and sang along to really loudly a lot. Because I have only begun to shine.
16. Uncharted – Sara Bareilles
Kaleidoscope Heart may be my mainstream album of the year. I don’t know of any other that could be described as an optimistic breakup album – expressing deep pain and hesitations, yet largely cheery and upbeat.
17. Can’t Keep Me Down – Myla Smith
I’m SO, so proud of Myla and all she’s achieved this year! She deserves all of her many accolades. This was her first single from White/Gold (which would make a great stocking stuffer!). I have many great “live” memories of this song, which was written for another friend of hers, and now it’s sort of mine too.
18. The Heart of Life – John Mayer
19. Feels Like Today – Rascal Flatts
I know something is coming. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s amazing.
20. She Must and Shall Go Free – Derek Webb
I hadn’t listened to this song in a long time, but it popped into my head one day when I was struggling with some spiritual and social things. I need the reminder that I am free in every way because Jesus says so.
21. Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
This isn’t the type of song I would typically be drawn to. But when the Glee kids performed it, it, like happiness, hit me like a train on a track. I increasingly ask myself why I have so much hope for my future. Why should good things happen to me? From where are these things going to materialize? Is this belief for happiness and fulfillment from God, or am I selfishly making it all up? Every time I listen to this song, it feels like confirmation. It’s become deeply emotional and personal to me. This is my rallying cry for 2011. Join me, won’t you?
Happiness hit her like a train on a track.
Coming towards her, stock still, no turning back.
She hid around corners and she hid under beds,
she killed it with kisses and from it she fled.
With every bubble she sank with her drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink.
The dog days are over, the dog days are done.
The horses are coming, so you better run.
Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father.
Run for your children, for your sister and brother.
Leave all your love and your longing behind.
You can’t carry it with you if you want to survive.
The dog days are over, the dog days are done.
Can you hear the horses? ‘Cause here they come.
I’ve always enjoyed writing and wanted to Do Something with it, but for years I’ve been paralyzed by perfectionism and limited thinking. Now I’m really working on being open to possibilites, especially unexpected ones, in all areas of my life, including writing. My friends know this. In mid-November, Myla sent me the link to an application for a website called Blissfully Domestic, along with a note strongly encouraging me to go for it. :) In the past, I would have assumed that I was too inexperienced or not talented enough to do such a thing. But I liked the website and thought I’d fit in well there – since I am, in fact, blissfully domestic. I told myself that the worst they could do was say no, and submitted the application. I really didn’t think anything would come of it, but a few weeks later, I received an e-mail telling me I was accepted!
So I am now an Arts & Crafts Columnist at Blissfully Domestic, and my first post went live today! If you’re interested in making custom coasters to match your decor, it’s a great time to learn how. :) I’ll be posting there monthly (at least) and am very excited about this opportunity to grow as a writer – and crafter!
1 Comment + Posted in: crafts, the writing life
I’ve been down with a killer sinus infection since last week. Yesterday, after a day resting at home, I decided to make from-scratch cream of mushroom soup. I’d made this recipe several times before, and it sounded like just the thing for my yucky throat. Sadly, it was not to be.
First, the mushrooms refused to puree, either in the Magic Bullet or my small food processor. So I pureed them directly in the pot with an immersible blender. Feeling a little gleeful at my mastery of the mushrooms, I finally looked up to discover that mushroom debris had splashed over the entire kitchen (which I had just cleaned earlier after baking cookies for Christmas presents). Everything in sight had been affected, including the walls (as far afield as the living room) and my Nativity creche. Grumbling, I grabbed a bunch of wet paper towels and wiped everything off.
By the time I finished, it was time to add cream and broth and bring to a boil. Great! I dumped everything into the pot, added the lid, and left the room for a few minutes. I returned to find the pot boiling over and soup gushing out in waves, covering the whole stovetop and part of the countertop. In disbelief, I got more paper towels and threw them onto the stove (one of them actually caught fire, but was quickly extinguished by the spilled soup). Once the area was dry, I turned the burner back on and continued cooking the soup. I added cornstarch at the end and stirred well for a few minutes. I poured the finished soup into a mug and retreated to the couch to enjoy the fruits of my kitchen disaster.
It tasted kind of funny. Then I got a spoonful of cornstarch. Twice in a row.
So I shouted “THAT’S IT, I’m done with this” and dumped everything down the drain.
And that is why I had a roast beef and Laughing Cow cheese sandwich for dinner last night.