An old favorite...

For the first time in a long time, i didn't bake cookies this Christmas. My daughter Katie makes all the old favorite cookies we've made over the years. Our favorites are Snowballs and "Aggression" cookies (two old day care center recipes we made with the kids. The "aggression cookies" are called that because you have the kids roll up their sleeves and pound, squeeze, squish and slap the dough till the kids are tired. The more you mash it up, the better the cookies taste!) Instead i made loads of fudge - peppermint stick, peanut butter chocolate, double chocolate and coffee fudge. But in the days after Christmas i found i was missing making cookies...and i wanted to start a new tradition. I was looking in my Grandmother's old box of cookie cutters and found her old rosette wand! And on the back of the package there was an old fashioned recipe. So, here is my first batch!

After i worked out a few glitches, these little cookies came out light and airy and not a bit greasy. The only complaint i have is, they are so good i ate too many of them!

Here's a closeup of the wand and all it's parts.
I remember my Gram making these a LONG time ago....

I was so excited about making new cookie memories that i just ordered a pizzelle maker, and 2 lovely shortbread pans! I can't wait to try them out as soon as they get here.
Happy New Year Everybody!!!

Easter Gifts

Walking by my kitchen window this morning, a little hint of pink caught my eye down in the left hand corner of the picture....

For the first time this year, my Easter (Spring) cactus is blooming...Not much, but every little bit counts with this particular plant. These simple flowers bring back such good memories...

The original plant was bought on a bus trip to Boston to a big plant and garden show with my Grandmother Mary, some 30 plus years ago. It was the first time she and i went on a trip together. I bought the original plant and Gram bought one of the first Martha Washington geraniums to come out on the market .(This plant above is actually cuttings taken and repotted from the original plant which did actually pass on recently. It just got too old and "woody" to survive. I guess no matter how you care for things, nothing lasts forever...) I remember Gram and i each brought home a few other plants, as many as we could carry. I can remember me buying a "Crown of Thorns" plant that is no longer living, and Gram buying a few more African violets.. I remember that bus ride home, getting pricked by the crown of thorn plant all the way home, and laughing! Just like it was yesterday...