Wednesday, December 10, 2008

My mom's gingerbread

Apparently, spending all morning and part of the afternoon eating chocolate cookies and making salt dough Christmas ornaments yesterday was just not enough fun for one day.

So while I spent two hours scrubbing paint, glitter and glue off my $5 plastic Christmas tablecloth (we're in a Recession, people!), my mother decided it was the perfect time to make up some gingerbread dough. Have I mentioned she has a lot more energy these days? Er... nights?

I can't blame her, really. Last year was our first Christmas without my grandmother. The year before that my mom was recovering from a broken ankle and surgery to fix it. And three years ago she was in the hospital just days before Christmas with some unknown, extremely painful gastro-intestinal illness.

This year? She's blogging. (Yes, I know. The potential ramifications are great. These are the sacrifices a devoted daughter makes.) And you know what that means -- no shortage of motivation to crate something fun to blog about!

So, we cleared the dinner dishes, washed the salt dough off the rolling pin, and got to work cutting out gingerbread men and baking them into deliciousness. And, believe me, my mother's gingerbread is the BEST.

Best Ginger Bread Cookies Ever

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg (cage free, of course)

4 tsp. grated orange peel

2 tbsp. dark corn syrup

3 cup sifted flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter & sugar, add egg, beat until light & fluffy. Add orange peel & syrup. Stir in dry ingredients. Form into ball, and chill at least one hour. Roll out and shape. Bake for 10 minutes, cool & decorate.


8 comments:

Denise @ Sunflowers, Chocolate and Little Boys said...

They look great but Im too tired from making salt dough ornaments today....make and eat a few for me, ok?

mandi said...

oh how fun to have grandma so close! send some cookies our way!

Unknown said...

So glad to hear of all the fun att your house! I'll add this to my cookie list!!! thanks

Sarah at SmallWorld said...

Crunchy Christian Mom! I am glad you visited my blog because I adore you already. You are one of the only people I know who loves Dar Williams! I'm going to scout around your blog for awhile.

Amanda said...

Denise -- there's no way I would have started baking cookies again if it hadn't been for my mom! LOL. I totally crashed on the couch afterward and made her read to the kids so they'd stop bouncing around the living room begging me to decorate the Christmas tree next.

SmallWorld -- please do! I adore Dar Williams! I'm finally getting her new album in my stocking from Santa. But I'm not supposed to know that. ;)

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog via Homesteadin' Unschoolers. Will def add you to Reader!

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

That picture is wonderful! It is what family is all about...

Blessings

Anonymous said...

my mom is like that. She had a heart attack two years ago and you wouldn't ever believe it.

I tell her she is "hyper" it makes her laugh.

Anywho, she is always doing something!! I think she would enjoy blogging too, if only she knew how to turn on the computer! People always tell me, "I love your mom", for which I reply, "yes, and she is all mine". ha!

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