Sugar cookie recipe

This is the sugar cookie recipe that I used, which is similar to the "family" recipe except I think my mother uses almond flavoring instead of vanilla. But I didn't have almond and they are still tasty.

This recipe made about 60 small pumpkin and cat cookies (1 WW point each). Double it for a serious batch.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured (I found I needed a lot of flour so they didn't stick!) surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Frosting

Mix powdered sugar, a little almond or vanilla flavoring and then add milk until the frosting is slightly runny, maybe 2T milk for 1 cup of sugar? You don't want it to be too thick but you also don't want it to run off the cookie. It's an art. Divide the frosting into different containers and add food coloring. I used Ateco, which I got at the kitchen store. It's a gel coloring which makes vibrant colors, including black, which I have never used before. Cool!

Cooking/Baking frenzy

I got inspired yesterday to hide my horrible hair in the kitchen where there are no mirrors. I stopped by a cool kitchen store on Newbury Street after my French class and found a couple fun cookie cutters. I also roasted a small sugar pumpkin the other day and wanted to use the innards so I made my mother's famous pumpkin bars. I'm not sure where she got this recipe but I'm going to share it!

Pumpkin Bars

1 1/2 Cups Whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking powder
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed pumpkin, cooked or canned
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 raisins

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt & soda. Add pumpkin, milk, oil, vanilla, eggs.
Beat at med. speed 2 minutes
Stir in raisins
13 x 9 " pan, grease bottom only
350 degrees for 25-30 minutes
Frost with Butterscotch frosting immediately after taking out of the oven.

Butterscotch Frosting
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tblspn butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted.
1-2 Tblspn milk
1/2 teas. vanilla

Combine brown sugar and butter in small saucepan, place over low heat and stir and cook until butter melts and sugar is dissolved.
Stir in powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Remove from heat and spread.

I ran out of brown sugar part way through and instead of doing the smart thing and walking to the store 4 blocks away, I found that you could "make" brown sugar by adding molasses to white sugar. I did this for the cake part, which was fine, but then I also did it with the frosting and now it tastes a little molassey. It may not be noticiable that this is a bad thing to somebody who has never had the bars before, but to me they taste a little funny. Not like my mommy's. But everything tastes better when your mom makes it, doesn't it?

Then I made sugar cookies in the shapes of pumpkins and cats. Even though Frenchie got home from work very late I forced him to get his creative juices flowing and decorate with me. He definitely rose to the challenge.





These are mine, not quite as impressive


For dinner I made chili again, this time using the recipe that Lauren recommended. I had ground beef instead of chuck but it was still amazing. I served it with Trader Joe's new Organic Corn Chips. They are like Fritos except without the gross trans-fat stomach ache that follows. Definitely not healthy but really good with chili. I highly recommend them. We also tried TJ's new Simple Times lager, their new cheap beer. It was not that good but sort of counteracted the extreme sugar we were surrounded by while decorating.

Adventures from last Sunday. Am I a Carrie or a Miranda?

Last Sunday we visited the South End Open Market which was awesome and of course it was the last one of the season! There are tons of artists there selling their wares but it isn't cheesy stuff, like, say, the Eugene Saturday Market. More like Portland Saturday Market. They were having a vendor costume contest which was pretty hilarious.



I definitely understand why people like the South End. After the market we went to the South End Buttery where we had an awesome brunch (butternut squash soup and an awesome salad) but a very not awesome pumpkin cheesecake. I think they accidently used salt instead of sugar. It did not taste right at all. But other than that it was a good experience. I mean, the name has the word "butter" in it. How could you not go?

That night Frenchie and I went to see Keith Jarrett, the infamous jazz diva. I accidently fell asleep before the concert and Frenchie was working so we both realized at the same time that it was suddenly time to go. There was no time to change clothes, brush hair, or put on makeup (at least that's what I keep telling myself). Because we live in Boston and the concert was at the Symphony Hall, people were dressed up. Anyway, while we were waiting for the T, Frenchie's ex called saying she had an extra ticket. Now, there is quite a story behind this ex but I am definitely not going to get into that here. Let's just say, we've never really hung out and actually have never seen each other post Frenchie and I being together but Frenchie and her still talk a lot so it is kind of weird. I am definitely not the jealous type but running into her was not at the top of my to-do list. Especially in this state.

Once he got the phone call I realized that we were going to see her at the concert, that perhaps Frenchie knew she was going to be there and hadn't told me and, my worst fear, that we would be going out for a beer afterwards. After establishing that he didn't know she was going to be there and therefore he could live through the night, I started hoping maybe we just wouldn't run into each other. Of course, we walk up to the Hall and there is a big group of glamorous French folks standing around and Frenchie starts chatting with them. I start trying to disappear. Then we saw the ex. She was glamourous, with perfect makeup and cool jewelry and I was oafish and awkward, which is actually how I always feel around the French and this was no exception. After some awkward conversation it was time to go inside.

The concert was pretty awesome but I spent a long time thinking about what would happen after the concert. What were we going to talk about? How was I going to cover the zit on my chin before the concert ended? If we ended up going out, what sort of drink would I order that could double as food because we hadn't eaten before the concert and obviously I couldn't order food?

Luckily, since it was Sunday night and the concert went sort of long, nobody wanted to go out. Phew. Dodged that bullet. Except of course that we all had to discuss how we could would hang out "soon." I'm pretty sure that means never, but we'll see. I'm not opposed to the idea, I just need a lot of prep. That's fair right?

What was I thinking?

I have discovered another problem with being an unemployed housewife. Certain really bad ideas suddenly sound good! Like buying a box of "Light Amber Brown" hair dye. "You didn't actually use it though, right? On your beautiful golden blond hair?" you are asking yourself. Ahhh...What Was I Thinking!?!?!??!?!

I made a huge mistake. I have never been that picky about my hair (see earlier post about unpickiness). My philosophy is usually that it will grow back! This time feels different. I now understand those melodramatic women who say they will never leave the house again after a bad haircut except maybe to buy more hats. Maybe I'll just become one of those hat people. I look pretty good in hats!

My hair is now orange. Well, the top layer, where I had beautiful expensive highlights is orange and the bottom layer is brown. It looks, well, exactly like I just picked up a box of hair dye and made a very bad decision. However, since Halloween is right around the corner I was thinking maybe I could spin this as part of my costume.

Any ideas on characters with horrible orange hair dye jobs?

Has anybody else ever ruined their hair and lived to tell the tale?

ugg, I'm going back to bed.

Chile?

The last couple of days Frenchie has been coming home from a conference on cancer research all excited and telling me about new research breaking the frontiers of science. Half of it I don't understand, but some of the concepts aren't too hard to grasp and I was getting excited also. I used to be a cancer nerd. My senior year in college my favorite book was Folkman's War all about how Judah Folkman discovered angiogensis. Then he turned out to be our graduation speaker! My friend Rachel and I were the only ones who a) had any idea who he was and b) were excited so we got to go out to lunch with him and got really dorky pictures taken with him. Anyway, Frenchie's stories made me miss working in science.

Then it was my turn to talk about my day.

Em: "I was looking up recipes for chili today but I wasn't coming up with anything"

Frenchie: "umm-hm"

Em: "I was spelling it like the country, Chile, and I thought, maybe I'm spelling it wrong, but I couldn't think of how to spell it correctly!"

Frenchie: fake laugh

Em: "Isn't that funny? I, um, couldn't remember how to spell chili...um, yeah."

Frenchie: leaves room, probably still pondering life-saving cancer research ideas

Em: realizes that this is the worst story ever told and tries to think of a better one. Only other thing I could come up with was how I accidently stole Real Simple from the gym while leaving my brand new Shape magazine there. Decided to keep that one to myself so as not to bore Frenchie right out of our marriage.

This was on Thursday, so Friday I felt slightly inspired and applied for some jobs. Was rejected by one is less than hour, although he did offer me a volunteer opportunity! Thanks a lot buddy. The other one I sent by snail mail so I'm sure it will take at least a week to reject me.

UPDATE: Went back to the gym to try to trade the magazines back but my SELF (it was a SELF, not a SHAPE) was gone! Stupid gym thieves. Now I'll never know how to blast my buns and flush my fat.

One More...

Music

Ani's new CD. I know, I know, Ani is an angry feminist and you hate her music. But seriously, check out this new happy song she has.

"I've got myself a new mantra, it says don't forget to have a good time"