Cookies in the Snow

Good evening, Kitschies!  I hope you had a restful weekend.  Me?  Notsomuch.  LOL  Friday night was the hubs' office Christmas party.  The party was held at a local restaurant that serves *awesome* food.  The hubs' office Christmas parties are always a good time.  They host a white elephant gift exchange that can go on *forever*, but there's usually a good assortment of goodies to be had.  This year we ended up with a digital coffee maker - YAY!  After the party I was planning on coming home and doing stuff around the house, but I was DONE.  The next morning the hubs had to take one of the dogs to the vet and I got to sleep in a bit.  Nate got up around 7:30 and he crawled in bed with me to watch cartoons for a while.  Mason didn't get up til 9!  It was so nice to get a little break!  Saturday early afternoon, we had our nephews over to spend the night.  They kept my boys occupied so I was able to get to the library and then I got started on a day of baking (that extended in to the next day).  I was a baking fool this weekend!!  The boys stayed up late watching Despicable Me and I got the ironing done.  *whew*  We're not even done yet!  Sunday afternoon/evening, we had family over to celebrate Christmas for the kids since we won't be in town for the big day.  We had TONS of food and even more goodies.  We ate as much as we could possibly eat (including two AWESOME pies made by my SIL) and the kids played and played.  Good times were had by all.  To thank me for all my hard work around the house and in the kitchen, the hubs offered to clean the kitchen.  SCORE!!  I was so busy, I didn't even have time to do my nails. *gasp*  They were nekkid in front of company!  LOL  I took advantage of the hubs cleaning the kitchen and I did my nails (that post later this week).  After that, I tried to read a book, but I couldn't get past page 3, so I gave up and went to bed.  I was exhausted!  This morning came *much* too early, but I dragged my groggy butt out of bed and started on my 2 day work week.

So, I mentioned I was a baking fool this weekend.  I'm going to share one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes with you today.  I've made these cookies before, but I couldn't find the recipe (I know, Mom.  Big surprise.), so I emailed my mom to ask her if she'd send me the recipe.  She did.  Then I got home and I realized I'd left the recipe print out at work and the email was in my work email.  So I asked her to email it to me again at home.  LOL  Good thing she knows to type up and save any recipe I ask for because I've been known to ask for the same recipe over and over (and over) again!


Sugar Cookies
Preheat oven to 400*.

Blend together
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

Beat in
1 egg, unbeaten
2 Tbsp milk

Stir in
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Drop by rounded teaspoonful on to greased baking sheet.  Grease bottom of glass.  Dip glass bottom in sugar.  Press cookies to flatten.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Now that I'm seeing these, I'm wishing I made a double batch.  These are super easy cookies to make.  If Nate hadn't been busy with his cousins, I would've asked him to help.

Since I didn't have very many pictures of the cookies, I thought I'd share some pics of our first snow that started this last Thursday night.

It had snowed on and off Thursday afternoon so there was a dusting by the time I got home.  But by 8 pm, this is what our front yard looked like.

Our backyard.  Nate wanted to go out and play in the snow - I wouldn't let him (it was already past his bedtime).  Every time I looked out the door that night, it was snowing.  It was so peaceful!

The morning after.  Our front pine tree was feeling the weight of all the snow - good thing we didn't get *that* much!

The backyard.  Brrrrrr!  We got about 6" of snow in Rio Rancho - the valley didn't get quite as much.  This was more snow than we got last winter.

This is the view straight out our back door.  It was so pretty!  Most of the snow stuck around until Sunday afternoon.

I don't mind the snow - especially if we don't have to be out in it.  I texted my boss Friday morning to tell him that I was going to be late.  His reply?  I need to get reindeer.  LOL

I have a couple more things left to do this evening, so I better get off the computer.  I was going to wrap the rest of the gifts tonight, but the hubs decided he'd take all the wrapping paper with him to the studio tonight so he could do his own wrapping.  *sigh*  Best laid plans...