Remember the Friends episode with Phoebe’s cookies? Monica wanted Phoebe’s grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe as an engagement present. After realizing Phoebe had lost the only copy of the recipe, they slaved in the kitchen for hours trying different combinations (“Don’t try batch 16”) of egg, sugar, butter, and flour to recreate the recipe. At the end of the episode we learn that Phoebe’s grandmother’s cookie recipe was actually the recipe found on the back of Nestle Toll House chocolate chips. There is nothing wrong with handing down a family recipe which was found on the packaging of a baking product.
Last night with my friend Taunya, we dusted off the recipe for my Gran’s cookies and made what seemed like one hundred cookies. The recipe isn’t really a secret, but I am a believer that the way my grandmother prepared the cookies is the secret. I don’t know how many times I helped Gran make cookies, but each time seemed special as I watched her hands move carefully through the ingredients. She would pull up a stool for me to stand on and dress me in a hand made apron. Gran had this ceramic bowl with blue and pink stripes on it. I was often unwilling to wait while the butter softened, so she put me to work setting out the cooling racks, or lining the cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
The “secret” recipe came off a box of Arm & Hammer baking soda. I think I remember Gran telling me when I was a kid that my great grandmother discovered the recipe. Gran probably made thousands upon thousands of the buttery cookies, especially since she made cookies with all of her grandchildren. Making them as well as eating them is a family tradition. A few years back, well maybe it was a decade or two; my Aunt Wanda collected all the family recipes and compiled them into a handy dandy cook book. In “Family Jewels” my aunt tells brief stories about each recipe. The cookie recipe is my favorite; let me share it with you… You can find it on Arm & Hammer’s website. It is neat that this recipe is still being published.
Have ingredients at room temperature
Sift together
- 2 ½ cups of plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Cream the following until fluffy
- ½ cup butter or Oleo (don’t know if anyone still uses Oleo)
- ½ cup Crisco or vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir in dry ingredients and till mixture is smooth
Blend in 2 tablespoons of milk
Drop by teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in oil and then sugar.
Bake at 400°F for 10 – 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. (I only needed 6 minutes)
Makes about 5 ½ dozen 2 inch cookies
You can mix chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, or nuts. You can also top the cookies with whole pecans, sprinkles, or my favorite cinnamon.
This recipe is very special to me. I am sure there are thousands of people who use this recipe each day. It may not be a gourmet recipe, but it is special to me and my family. In an effort to connect with my mother-in-law I gave her this recipe at Christmas. She didn’t get it. I guess most people don’t get it. Just like most people don’t get Christmas. We live in a rush, rush world. An easy bake, slice and serve culture. However, it doesn’t matter if it is Nestle Toll House or the break and bake cookies from the freezer section of your local grocery store, as long you are cooking with the ones you love. That is what is important.
I enjoyed baking with Taunya. The cookies are delicate and sweet and my husband thinks that anything is good with butter. He wants to create a new butter marketing slogan, WWPDD – What Would Paula Deen Do? She uses lots of butter! Use this recipe or another, buy some butter, and find a kid and make thousand of cookies tonight!
Growing up Christmas was so special. You learn about the birth of Christ in the nativity play. You witness the compassion and giving through family gatherings on Christmas day. Santa is a larger than life figure in a child’s development. The magic he represents and the belief that anything is possible can impact a child to dream big dreams. For me Christmas was all those things, but now I am just like all other adults I have stopped believing in Christmas.
Last weekend I made a pilgrimage to Lynchburg in a driving snow storm! It was treacherous making our way to Tennessee through the blizzard. I didn’t even have bread or milk in the 4Runner with me. Those are the most valuable staples in a southern snow storm. Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds, but it was a gorgeous drive. We headed north early to make it to the bottle signing at JD so we could make it back to watch the SEC Championship and then to the Sprocket Christmas party.
I am always amazed at how many crazy people show up and wait in line for the Master Distiller and Master Taster to sign bottles. There was someone from Alaska and several people from outside of the good ole deep south! It was cold, but it was a great day to make new friends and see old friends. The Master Distiller is an Alabama alumni and it would be a day for Alabama. I think my husband calls it “The” University of Alabama.
Right after my alarm clock goes off each morning I start my preparations for work. This ritual is true for millions and millions of Americans. I shower, brush my teeth, feed the dog, put on some clothes, and so on. I then get into my Toyota 4Runner and drive to work while I listen to 
Two years ago Chris and I joined my brother and his boys in the upper deck of 
The first and second quarter seemed like typical Egg Bowl football, emotional but sloppy play. My whole family sat together in the shadow of the jumbo-tron. Lucy seemed sleepy and the boys just wanted to know who would win the game. Every five seconds Reece would pull on my pants leg, “Who’s going to win, will it be Mississippi State?” Mom and Dad left at the half to join the family back at the tailgate. They enjoyed drinking coffee and watching the game on TV with family. After the game, we all thanked my Dad for leaving. State plays awful when Daddy is watching. I remember one Thanksgiving where Mississippi State was beating Eli Who? (the guy who doesn’t have his own 
They gave us so much to ring our bells and there were many cowbells that lost their clappers. My dad tells a story about ringing his cowbell so much the clapper fell out. I have never experienced this phenomenon until today. Early in the third quarter when things started going States way, I noticed a wounded clapper under the stadium seats. Later Chris’s clapper went flying through the sky. The girl a few rows above us lost her clapper. Then finally at the end of the game something hit me in the shoulder. Guess what it was another cowbell clapper. Either they don’t make cowbells the way they once did or there was just that much ringing in the stands today! When you ask for more cowbell, make sure it is built well!
Last year on November 27th I posted my first blog on Blogger, and I have enjoyed every minute of the adventure. I am not blogging to make money, market a product, give cooking tips, or improve your golf game. I am not a mommy blogger or topical blogger. I am blogging to improve my writing skills. Yes, you read that correctly, I am blogging just for the heck of it. I am not hoping to get a book deal or have fifty-two minutes of fame. I am simply doing it to grow as a person and as a writer.
House Guest:
Bourbon Trail Blogs:
Some of my favorite memories have been standing around the chop block in my mother’s kitchen. This was the case this morning and this afternoon as we prepped for our large Thanksgiving Day spread. Last night as I helped my mom prep the turkey on the chop block for its overnight stay in the oven, I realized how lucky I was to be born in a family that knew how to cook. I remember standing on a stool in my Gran’s kitchen learning how to bake cookies. Each batch of her soda box cookies we made was precious and dear to me. Cooking is just as special to me as eating on Thanksgiving Day. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love Thanksgiving.
This afternoon I had to play “babies” with Lucy. Strange thing is, I didn’t know how to play “babies.” Growing up I played football, cowboys and Indians, or army with my brothers and cousins. This concept of playing with dolls was new to me. I didn’t know how to feed the baby, change the baby, or burp the baby. Come on, it has a plastic head with a cotton body and synthetic stuffing. You can feed it, change it, or burp it! The only thing worse about this playing “babies” is my brother put Lucy up to asking for a cousin for Christmas. Unfortunately I think she will be disappointed, because that isn’t on our Christmas list.
He has taken on the sport in recent years. He loves growing his beard out, wearing his hunting clothes, and spending time in search of the great white tail buck! This morning he woke up and hit the dear stand before day break. This afternoon he tried his luck again. He is such a technology driven hunter. Last year he played with Blackberry more than he shot his gun. I text messaged him to see if he took a shot. He informed me that he shot at a six point. It wasn’t until I saw the bearded wonder outside with his not six point, but eight point buck I had confirmation of the kill.
I am not sure if anyone knows this, but I dated 
Five years ago Chris and I closed on our first home. We were so proud of our jewel, our palace, our home. We were very detailed in the selection of our home… we thought. This blog is the good, the bad, and the ugly of our 
Today was my birthday! Someone told me it was a special day. I replied with “I am too old for a special day”. Reluctantly, today has been a very special day. From birthday greetings on Facebook, to the delivery of the F-16 engine at Aviation Challenge, it was a spectacular day! Today would have a been a great day if all I did was hang out on the right wing of Story Musgrave’s T-38 while Snapper and Slip Knot taped the plane. Today would have been great if I had only hung out with Tank and Divot as the engine was lifted off the 18-wheeler. But I got to hang out with all my friends.
This morning I arrived at camp, and the fact that I work at a camp is pretty special all by it’s self. Breakfast was chicken biscuits in the chilly rail car. All was great I thought, I thought that the plane would be painted before lunch, but I was wrong. Unexpectedly a super secret terrorist organization kidnapped all of the AC management team but me and I had to rush to their rescue. Not really, but that was the scenario I was given. I rushed to the freshly painted Hab3 showers, climbed the Pamper pole, raced to the Davidson Center, right justified, and then toward 
Shortly there after, we got a call for the recruiting goddess, Charity N. Stewart, about the