Easiest kid-friendly macaroni and cheese

 

Image by Steve Buissinne via Pixabay

 Recently my friend Jennifer and her three young boys came for lunch.  We're trying to make this a biweekly thing, so I've been considering kid-friendly menus for the very young -- say, five and under.  For last Friday, I wanted to make macaroni and cheese, along with hot dogs.  

I nearly always make baked macaroni and cheese and top it with either bread crumbs and grated cheddar, or (my preferred way, and the way my mother always did it) with saltine cracker crumbs browned in a generous amount of butter.  But somehow, I thought unbaked macaroni and cheese, unadorned with anything crunchy, might be the way to go for little kids.  A little more like Kraft Dinner, only much better.

So I went hunting for a Quick Macaroni & Cheese recipe I used to use quite a bit back in the day.  It called for processed cheese (I'd forgotten that) and I wanted to use real cheddar.  So I adapted the recipe quite a bit and I also doubled it.  I was really pleased with the result.  Nice and creamy, and everyone enjoyed it.

Our friends were arriving at 11 to allow for an hour of play time before lunch.  So even though this is a last-minute type recipe with no baking required, I didn't want to be preparing it at the last minute.  So I started my prep at around 10:30 and, when it was done, I popped the mac'n'cheese into a slow cooker and set it on Low until  time to eat.  I skipped the paprika on top to avoid picky eaters saying they "didn't like" that red stuff. But for adults, yes, I would add a sprinkle of it, maybe even smoked paprika.

Here's the recipe:

Easiest Kid-Friendly Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 to 2 Tblsp. instant minced onion
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (12 ounces)
2 teaspoons parsley flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Paprika (optional)

Cook the elbow macaroni as directed on package.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the flour, stirring constantly, and cook until bubbly.  Remove from heat and gradually add the milk and the minced onion,, stirring constantly until all is well mixed.  Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly.  When it comes to a boil, continue to cook and stir for one minute or until sauce is nice and thick.  Add the cheese about a half cup at a time, stirring until cheese is melted and blends into the sauce.  Add the salt and pepper and the parsley flakes if using.

Drain the cooked macaroni well and combine with the cheese sauce in a large serving dish.  (Or, if making this an hour or two ahead, place it in a greased crock pot set on Low to keep warm.)  Sprinkle with paprika before serving if desired.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.  

Vintage Christmas cards for kids

Since I've been going through lots of vintage cards from "the home place", I've become more and more aware of how special Christmas cards for kids were, back in the day.  Many readers know that I have had for some time a little collection of vintage cards.  A few of those were intended for children, but many were not.  The two pictured below may be the only ones in my collection that were specifically for kids.

Today it seems more usual that a Christmas card is sent to a whole family rather than separate, special cards being sent to a child.   But back in the 1950s and 1960s, it seems it was more common to send cards to kids.  Of course the postage was a lot less, too!  Here are some of the treasures I've found:

 A kitten in red boots brandishing a Christmas message.

 Sweet Christmas puppy in a red boot

 A cheerful snowman

 Santa going down the chimney

 This Cinderella Christmas booklet was a real charmer.

 Inside this card there is space for five dimes.

 White kitten in a Christmas package

 This little ballerina is just the sweetest!

 Cute kids with a friendly snowman

 A Santa on skates

 This little girl with a blue bird perched on her gloved hand is just adorable.

 And last but not least, a shouting boy skating with his puppy.

All of these cards have been listed in my Etsy shop, but many have already sold, and it's easy to see why.  These nostalgic images of children are just too cute!  (Edited to add: Some readers have asked for the link to my Etsy shop.  Here it is: A New Hampshire Attic.  Happy browsing, and please don't feel that you have to do any shopping.  Just enjoy the vintage goodness.)

Hope you've enjoyed this look at some real mid-century treasures!

Relatively speaking: Wednesday Medley for July 24

Seven cousins in fall of 1959

So it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida.  This week's questions are based off Cousins Day (July 24) and  Aunt and Uncles Day (July 26). Most of us have, or had, memorable relatives in those categories, so why not head on over to Terri's and get the the questions to answer on your own blog?   It could be a lot of fun to wander down Memory Lane!  

Here goes:

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin?

My maternal grandmother had 20 grandchildren, and I had 3 siblings -- so, I had 16 cousins on my mother's side of the family.  On my dad's side, just 2 cousins.   We didn't see those two as often, so we weren't as close with them.  Although not all of my other 16 cousins lived nearby,we all saw one another fairly frequently. 

A couple of uncles take a boatload of cousins out on the pond at the family cottage in 1956.

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?  

I do see my cousins.  Not frequently, but I do see them.  One of my cousins lives on a street where I often walk.  If we happen to walk there on Cousins Day and he is headed off for work, I'll be sure and wish him a happy Cousins Day.

In the past couple of years, I have reconnected with some second cousins I hadn't seen in years.  We meet up a couple of times a year for a meal and a visit.

3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you?  

I had a favorite aunt for sure.  My aunt Joanne was a wonderful influence in my life.  She was a great example to me in many ways and was such an amazing mother and grandmother.  She always had time for me and made me feel loved and special.

Joanne and my cousin Gary in 1957

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them?

We have had a few reunions, but nothing like what family reunions are in the South.

The most recent one was in 2016 and was quite a large and well-planned event.  Two of my second cousins did most of the planning, and others helped in many ways.  There were many family photos and other objects like quilts displayed in a barn, and everyone brought food which was served under tents.  It was thoroughly enjoyable in spite of the fact that it rained almost all day.

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles?

Let's see.  I have to think about that for a bit.  They did when they were growing up, for sure.  Two cousins lived next door to us, and we saw four other cousins often.  We also got together on Thanksgiving each year.  Nowadays they are not as close.  They keep in touch with some on Facebook or Instagram, and this past New Year's my daughter and family got together with one cousin and his family.  A nice time!

6.  Tell us something random about your week so far.

I'm hoping that the Christmas in July sale starting today in my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic,  will generate some traffic to my shop.  It's been a bit slow over the past few weeks.  All vintage Christmas items will be 20% off this week, so it you've been eyeing listings in that category, this is your time!

And there is this week's Medley ... relatively speaking!

Waffle buffet: a fun meal for guests any time of day!

One thing we wanted to do while our Nevada daughter was here was to plan a simple way for my hubby's 92-year-old mom to see and enjoy her visiting great-grands along with some of the local ones.  We decided to have a simple meal to share at our home on Sunday afternoon/evening.

The next decision was what to serve.  There would be about 18 people.  Our Nevada grandkids had made a few requests of both Grammy and Aunt Carrie (especially Aunt Carrie) for meals they would enjoy while here.  One was Grampa's waffles!  We decided to plan a simple waffle buffet.  It worked out so well, I would like to share the idea with others.

This was the menu:

Grampa's Sunday Waffles
Strawberry Sauce
Blueberry Sauce
Lemon Curd
Maple Syrup
Whipped cream
Breakfast Sausages & Bacon

I cooked the sausage and bacon in the oven, which makes things really simple.  I made the fruit sauces ahead of time and served them warm, right from the saucepans on the stovetop.

We set up several tables and put a stack of sturdy paper plates along with napkins, cups, and silverware in a central location near the waffles.  We borrowed a waffle maker from friends so that we could cook more waffles at one time.  Theirs is the fancy type that one turns over partway through cooking, and one of those is definitely on my hubby's wish list!

When a good number of waffles were ready, I transferred the bacon and sausage to paper-lined serving plates, having kept the meats in the oven until that point.  We placed these on our dining table along with the whipped cream, maple syrup, and lemon curd.  People would go through the line, get a plate, utensils and a waffle and then proceed to the stove if they wanted a berry sauce and to the table if they wanted one of the toppings available there.  People sat where they liked (we also had a table set up on the deck, but it was a bit chilly and no one sat there) and it was all so easy and simple.  People came back for seconds and even thirds.  Mr. T ended up using all the milk in the house as he made a third batch of waffle batter.  (He had thought a a double batch would be plenty.)  Every last waffle got eaten!

We offered only water for a beverage because no one seemed to care about coffee or tea, but depending upon the group (and the time of day) I would offer hot beverages another time.

Here are the recipes for the waffles and the berry sauce.

GRAMPA'S SUNDAY  WAFFLES

2 eggs, beaten in large bowl
2 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tblsp. sugar

    Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the beaten eggs in the large bowl.  Sift the remaining ingredients into the liquid and beat until smooth.  Bake in waffle iron according to the directions for your particular waffle iron.  Yield:  10-12 waffles.

    This great recipe is one I copied from The Beany Malone Cookbook, which shared recipes used by the Malone family in the series of books by Lenora Mattingly Weber.  The vanilla was not in the original recipe, but makes a good recipe into a super one!

Mr. T used to make these every single weekend in years gone by -- and, in 2015 he had this recipe published in a Gooseberry Patch cookbook!  You can read about it in this post if you missed it: He Was Published!.

BERRY SAUCE FOR PANCAKES OR WAFFLES

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 cups blueberries, raspberries, OR cut-up strawberries

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the water. Add the fruit and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Makes about 2 cups.

This is a wonderful, versatile recipe that tastes so good on waffles in particular. It’s also good on pancakes or French toast and would probably be good on vanilla ice cream as well. You can make blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce, or strawberry sauce -- all are wonderful. Or you might like to use a mixture of these berries to make a mixed berry sauce. When I do that, I usually also add a few cranberries to the mixture.

 Other toppings that might be included would be peanut butter, applesauce, jams or jellies, or chocolate  hazelnut spread.  You could even branch out and make a savory topping like chicken and gravy or sausage gravy, but if you did that I think you'd want to omit the vanilla from the waffle batter.

We were so pleased with how this hospitality idea worked out, and people seemed to love it.  We are planning another waffle buffet for a smaller group very soon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This sweet graphic is by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

For this St. Patrick's Day, I decided to do something a little different.

Many readers know that every year I write (or update) a kids' summer devotional book for our church's children's ministry, Patch the Pirate Club.  (You can learn more about Patch the Pirate Clubs here.)

Back in 2005, the songs and lessons the kids studied were from the Patch the Pirate adventure Limerick the Leprechaun, so I wrote a devotional book for our church kids featuring an Irish theme and also including information about sheep and shepherds.  One of many things I wrote about was the topic of "Irish Blessings."  Of course, when sharing these with the kids, I steered clear of those that emphasized luck.  For, as Abby reminds us in this post, No Luck Here, we are blessed, not lucky.

So today I am simply going to share the devotional page I wrote concerning one "Irish Blessing".

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  

(Psalm 37:4)

Today we will learn about another "Irish blessing".  You may remember that these "Irish blessings" are good things that one person might wish for another.  Here is the one for today:

May you always have

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all that your heart might desire!

These are good things to wish for your friends. "Walls for the winds" and "a roof for the rain" mean that you hope your friends will always have shelter from the weather.  

"Tea beside the fire" reminds us of a warm, cozy home.  Tea warms us up on the inside and a fire warms us up on the outside!

"Laughter to cheer you" is a good thing to have.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Of course, "those you love near you" is a wish to always have friends and family nearby.  We like to have our loved ones near.

The last wish is "for all that your heart might desire."  Our Bible verse today tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  Delighting in God means that He is more important to us than anything else in our lives.  If we delight in God, we will love to spend time with Him, reading His Word, and talking to Him in prayer.  If we truly delight in God, the things we desire, or really want, will be things that please Him.  When we delight in God, He will give us the desires of our hearts.

*  Thank God for the promises in His Word, the Bible.  Ask God to help you delight in Him more each day.  *

And there you have it!  Hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my devotional book In Green Pastures.  This particular Irish blessing strikes me as one that I would wish for all of my friends.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  And remember, we are blessed -- not lucky.

The year a third-grader saved our Christmas tradition

A number of  years ago, I spent quite a bit of time thinking back on my memories of Christmas past. I did something that those of you with grown children or with grandchildren might like to consider doing, if you haven't already. I wrote down every Christmas memory I could think of from my own childhood and my kids' growing-up years, and typed them up. Then I made copies of family Christmas photos and other memorabilia, and gathered up all of the recipes I use at Christmas, along with recipes my mother and grandmother used. What I ended up with was a wonderful Christmas memory book to give to each of our children and their families.

In fact, when I lent my copy to my parents for them to look through, they were so taken with this book that the next year, I made them one of their own. Then two of my aunts saw the book and enjoyed it so much that I ended up making each of them a copy, too.

Back cover of the memory book

It was interesting -- when I really started to think about Christmas memories, so many things came back to me that I thought I had forgotten. The memory I'm about to share with you, however, has stayed sharp and clear.

First,  a little background. Christmas cookie baking was a BIG tradition for us. I had grown up in a home where lots of baking went on, especially at holiday time. My mother would be in the kitchen for days before Christmas -- not making just cookies, but yeast breads and fudge and other treats -- and she would make up goodie trays for all of our neighbors and friends. So when I had a home of my own, I very naturally carried that on.
 

My mother's fudge recipe

I had always seen my parents' holiday gifts of baked goods to friends and neighbors as a very important part of Christmas. So early on, I began doing the same sort of thing by baking dozens and dozens of cookies and then freezing them for later use on cookie trays to give away and also for our own enjoyment. I started by baking the ones I was familiar with from my own childhood, like Russian Teacakes, Molasses Crinkles, Date-Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Spritz. Then, gradually, I
began branching out and trying different recipes. I made a point each year of trying at least one or two different cookies. Many of these recipes would become favorites and go into the file of "must-make" cookies for each year.

When the kids were young, we always, always set aside a day to bake cut-out cookies. We didn't go the route of icing the baked cookies, but did things the easier, possibly less messy way by sprinkling on colored sugars, nonpareils, silver dragees, and the like before baking. I had these marvelously detailed red plastic cutters that produced wonderful designs. I was also fortunate to inherit some of my grandmother's aluminum cookie cutters with the faded green metal handles. For a couple of years our elderly friends Sue and Margaret would join us to make cutout cookies. I think they may have had more fun than the kids! I will never forget how Sue invariably perched on a creaky old wooden youth chair that we had. I held my breath every time, but it never gave way.

image from Gooseberry Patch

So that gives you a little background into how much of a tradition cookie-baking was at our house. You really need to get that, to  appreciate the memory I'm about to share with you.

In my book, I've titled it:

HOW THE THIRD-GRADER SAVED CHRISTMAS
(The cookie tradition part of it, anyway.)

It was a busy year. Our kids had changed schools. Our son was away at boarding school for his first year; our daughters were at a small local Christian school. And so was I.  I was working at the school as a teachers' aide. I enjoyed the work and it was great being able to be with the kids all day. But oh, it was a long day and often meant not getting home until nearly 5 p.m. I was doing well to get a meal prepared each evening -- and sometimes I would start that the minute I came in the door, still wearing hat, coat, and boots. (I did take my mittens off.)

It really looked as if no cookie baking would take place at our house that Christmas. There were going to be two disappointed little girls who had grown to love the cookie tradition. I don't know who came up with the solution in the end, but it was decided that Carrie could make all the dough and we could bake the cookies in the evenings. She was in 3rd grade and could easily read and follow a recipe. Being in an ACE curriculum, she was able to finish her schoolwork each day and seldom had homework. She could do this! So we looked over the recipes and decided which ones we simply had to make. Carrie made up a batch or two of dough each evening and we would bake as many cookies as we had time to before bedtime. I have never forgotten and never will forget the sacrifice of time and effort on this little girl's part. The tradition went on!

As I thought again about this memory, and how a little girl gave up hours of after-school play time to make sure a family tradition could go on, it reminded me of the attitude that God wants each of us to have toward one another in His family.

In this, as in all things, Jesus is our example. At this wondrous season, when we consider how Jesus left His home in glory and came to earth to be born as a Baby in a manger, we are again reminded of why He came. As the Ron Hamilton song so clearly puts it, He was "Born to Die" --  to pay for the sins of each of us. Listen to Jesus' own words in Mark 10:45 -- "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."

When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior from sin, then we become part of His family and are expected to live accordingly. There are many verses in God's Word that remind us we are not to live our lives selfishly, but to be willing to sacrifice our time and talents to serve God and minister to others.

Proverbs 3:27 says, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

Romans 15:1 reads: "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." This is so contrary to the world's thinking! But as Christians, we are not to live to please ourselves. We are here to serve God and others.

Galatians 6:10 instructs us: "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." John Wesley had a saying: "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

2 Corinthians 12:15a shows us the heart of the apostle Paul toward his fellow believers in Corinth. He wrote: "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you..." . Paul was not only willing but glad to give of himself in tireless service and sacrifice for these believers in order to help them grow and prosper spiritually. Paul's attitude can and should be our attitude as well -- not just in a burst of good will at Christmas time, but all the time!

I hope this precious memory and these related thoughts will be a blessing to someone today. 

Carrie has kept the tradition going with her own children!  This is Julia a few years back.

Quiet-time puzzle kits

Here’s a neat idea which I came up with for my grandchildren (ages 2-1/2, 3-1/2, and 5-1/2 at the time) many Christmases ago.

This idea came to me when I was browsing in the dollar store and noticed some really cute, good-quality kids’ puzzles. It occurred to me that if I combined the puzzles with a hot-cocoa packet and one of microwave popcorn, I might have a nice gift that would give the kids (and parents) some much-needed downtime during the holiday season.

So I made wrappers for the cocoa and popcorn packets that coordinated with the puzzles -- Strawberry Shortcake for the girls and Thomas the Tank Engine for the boy -- and tied each set (1 puzzle, 1 cocoa packet, and 1 popcorn packet) together with a ribbon. I added the tag which I’ve shared above, writing a poem to explain the purpose of the gift.  Since then, I have done this for other grandkids as well as children at our church.

The kids and their parents seemed to appreciate this gift. 
 

Sam, many years ago!

In fact, one of my daughters has asked me to do this again  this year for five of her kids.  Perhaps you have children in your life who would enjoy this little treat as well. Feel free to borrow my tag or poem if you like. Have fun with this idea!

Edited to add:  When I came up with this idea, I thought it would work for probably any age up to 10 or so, using age-appropriate puzzles.  But yesterday as I was looking at puzzles in the Dollar Tree, I was noticing a lot of puzzles that would be just fine for adults.  I'm thinking something like this could work for adults as well, maybe with a Christmas teabag or a packet of more upscale hot cocoa mix, and an individually wrapped biscotti instead of the popcorn.

A fun little project to usher in Fall

... and it will also get you a head start on some stocking stuffers or little Christmas gifts!

For whatever reason, owls always make me think of autumn.  So this would seem the perfect time to share this handmade gift idea!  (I actually thought I had already shared it on one of my blogs, but I can't find it anywhere, so ... here you go.)

I made some of these little Owl Heat Packs a couple of years ago as quick gifts for some of my grandchildren.  I was in a hurry when I finished these two but quickly snapped a picture.

These little hot packs (they can be gently heated in the microwave) were a real hit with the grandkids who received them.  In fact, one of my littlest grands, Arielle, likes to steal the owls belonging to her older brothers and sister.  So her mom suggested an owl hot pack of her own might be a great gift for Ari.  I am going to make hers this week, Lord willing, and use it as a gift for her birthday in November.

This is such a simple project, and it's great for using up bits and pieces of fabric.  I like to use flannel for the ones I make, as I think it makes the owls extra cozy.

I'm even thinking I will use this pattern (but just stuff them with fiberfill) to make some little owl stuffed animals to put in my Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. These cute little owls might be just what some child needs to cuddle with!

A late-summer adventure

My daughter Carrie took this photo.

This past Saturday we had the delightful adventure of a cruise on our state's largest lake in the company of four of our grandchildren and their parents.  What a lovely morning it was -- a perfect day to be out on the lake.  Mostly sunny, yet not too hot, with a nice breeze. 

I will share just a few photos and add captions.  As always, double click on any photo to enlarge it.

Josiah, Julia, and Sam watching the ship leave the dock.  That is my red and white striped shoulder.

Love the color of the water here.  Check out the architecture on those Victorian style homes in the background.

A very nautical-looking pose on a coil of rope.

Arielle enjoyed the trip and walked all over the ship holding a hand of a parent or grandparent.

Mr. T's old friend was the captain this day.  He invited him to bring the kids into the wheelhouse.  Here is Captain Josiah.

Sam at the wheel.  He learned that in 5 years, he could be old enough to be a deckhand.

And here is the lovely Captain Julia.

You will really need to enlarge this to see it, but in the very center of the photo (taken by Carrie) there is a very, very pale blue mountain.  It is Mt. Washington, fifty miles away!

Hope you've enjoyed cruising with us!

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope that all of my readers will enjoy a great day of celebrating the Glorious Fourth with family and/or friends!  We will be attending a 4th of July picnic later in the day, with fireworks to follow in the evening. 

For something a little different today, I am going to share the July 4 page from my summer devotional book for kids, This Land is Our Land.  This book has a patriotic theme and also allows kids to "visit" each state of the USA to learn a few interesting facts about each one.  So here's today's page:

 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."  (Galatians 5:1)

It's the Fourth of July -- America's Independence Day!  On this day, we celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  This important paper was signed on July 4, 1776, and it declared our country to be free and independent from being ruled by England. Because our independence was won by way of war with England, we celebrate with fireworks, which remind us of gunfire and "bombs bursting in air" as our national anthem says. 
 
We are thinking today about the state of Michigan, and it’s a great place to celebrate July 4th. One of the neatest places to celebrate is on Mackinac Island, where they have an Old Fashioned Fourth of July.  An old Revolutionary War fort is on this island. At the fort, there will be military demonstrations, gun salutes, and patriotic music all day long.  

At 10 a.m., every 4th of July, there is a stone-skipping tournament on Mackinac Island. This year is the 48th one. You can watch this interesting contest or even skip stones yourself. If you get hungry, there will be an All-American Picnic served on the Fort Mackinac parade ground. The food will be served by the Grand Hotel and will include barbecued ribs, grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, salads, and desserts. At dusk, you will be able to watch spectacular fireworks over the Round Island Lighthouse. What a wonderful way to celebrate our country’s independence!
 
Our verse today is a good reminder that as Christians, we have been set free from sin. How were we set free? We were set free from sin by the death of Jesus on the cross. He paid the price for our sins, but it cost Him His life. Are we thankful and grateful to Jesus for dying so that we could be free? If we are, we will want to live in a way that pleases Him. We will not want to get tangled up with our old sins again.

* Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank Him that he has made you free from sin.  Ask God to help you live in ways that please Him and are a good testimony to others.  Ask Him to help you not to get tangled up with your old sins. *

Hope you have enjoyed this somewhat different post.  Happy Independence Day!

Favorite cut-out Christmas cookies

2009 vignette on my kitchen island

"When lights and decorations go up along main streets across the country, rolling pins and cookie cutters of many shapes soon come to light in the kitchen. Then, more than at any other season, rolled cookies have top popularity. By the time Christmas arrives, cookie stars, hearts, crescents, jaunty gingerbread boys and animals dangle from the branches of twinkling Christmas trees."
~ Nell Nicholson, in Farm Journal's Homemade Cookies.

Oh, how I loved that book, which my mother had in her cookbook library when I was growing up (and which I eventually got my own copy of).  Nell Nicholson wrote so evocatively of country-style food -- and really, of an entire way of life.   Her words still ring true. For a good many people, the best Christmas cookies are the kind you cut out with holiday cutters and sprinkle with colored sugars and sprinkles before baking -- or, alternatively, bake first and then frost and add the trimmings. I have made plenty of cut-out cookies in my day -- by myself, with my own kids, and now with grandkids -- and thought I would share a few of my favorites here. There are other cut-out cookies over in my Christmas blog as well, and I have labeled them as such so they can easily be found.

Here's the first one:

SUGAR COOKIES

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. If the dough is sticky, add flour if necessary to make the dough easier to handle.

Roll dough 1/4-inch thick on a well-floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters of your choice. Sprinkle with colored sugars or sprinkles.

Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 100 cookies.

This recipe came from a Farm Journal Christmas magazine from the early 1960s. It was supposed to be a very easy dough for children to roll and cut, and I remember helping to make these as a child. Later, I used this recipe for my own kids to make and decorate cut-out cookies when they were young.  It's not my favorite sugar cookie recipe, but it is great to use with kids.


No list of cut-out Christmas cookies could really be complete without gingerbread men.  The following recipe is slightly adapted from Cook & Tell, and is my favorite recipe for ginger guys. Note that it is easily made in a saucepan!

GINGERBREAD MEN

1/2 cup shortening (or use real margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 egg, beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large, heavy saucepan, place shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat and cool mixture to room temperature.

Add beaten egg to cooled mixture in saucepan. Sift together remaining ingredients and stir into molasses mixture using a wooden spoon. Mix well. Form mixture into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

Working with a small amount of dough at a time, and leaving the remainder of dough in the fridge, roll out dough 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick and cut with desired cookie cutters.

Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375º for 8-12 minutes. Mine took about 8 minutes or even a little less. Makes a bunch of gingerbread men.

This next recipe is a newer favorite of mine, although I suspect the recipe itself is quite old.

BROWN SUGAR CUT-OUT COOKIES

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter flavor Crisco® (I use the sticks -- so, 1 stick for this recipe)
2 eggs
3 Tblsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream sugar and Crisco® until fluffy, using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, water, and vanilla and combine well. Sift the dry ingredients together. Work them into the sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or your hands, if necessary. When well blended, form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap to chill for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, roll the dough very thin on a floured surface. Cut out shapes and decorate with colored sugars and sprinkles, pressing down lightly. Using a floured spatula, transfer the decorated cookies to a foil-or-parchment-covered cookie sheet. Re-roll the scraps to make more cookies. Repeat the cutting and sprinkling process.

Bake at 350º for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove to cooling racks.

Yields a lot of cookies; I have never counted to determine how many, and the original recipe, which I found in Cook & Tell, didn't say.
Have you ever made a chocolate cut-out cookie?  I have two recipes for those and they are very good.  Different!

CHOCOLATE  JUMBOS

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 cup melted shortening (for example, one Crisco® stick, melted)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup warm water or coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. cloves (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat the egg; add sugar and molasses and beat 1 minute more.  Dissolve the cocoa in the melted shortening, cool slightly; then add to batter and beat again.  Dissolve the soda in the warm water or coffee and vanilla.  Sift together the flour, salt, and spices if using.  Add soda mixture to the batter alternately with the sifted dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Chill dough for 1 hour before using.

Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface; cut into shapes.  Bake about 8 minutes at 350º; do not overbake; you want them to be fudgy, so watch carefully.  Remove to racks to cool.

When cool, frost generously with a vanilla butter frosting.  If you need a recipe, try this:  3 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tblsp. softened butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and up to 5 Tblsp. milk -- start with half that amount and stir in more milk as needed until smooth and spreadable.  Makes a good amount of cookies!

The second one is a little bit less fudgy and more molasses-y, but very good:

COCOA-MOLASSES COOKIES

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
Vanilla glaze, optional

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in molasses, egg and vanilla to mix well.  Sift together flour, cocoa and salt; stir into creamed mixture.  Chill dough.

 Roll dough rather thick, about 1/4”, and cut into rectangles with a clean empty luncheon meat can, or use cookie cutters of your choice.  Place cookies 1/2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° about 10 minutes.  Remove from sheets and cool on racks, then frost with vanilla glaze if desired.  Makes about 3 dozen.

 A little side story concerning these Cocoa-Molasses Cookies:  Years ago I read the Trixie Belden serieÏs to the kids, then they enjoyed them on their own as well.  In one of the books a Dutch lady named Mrs. Vanderpoel served Trixie and her friends some cookies, and I’ve always wondered if these were the ones.  The recipe says that these cocoa-molasses cookies are ”long-time favorites in Dutch neighborhoods in the Hudson River Valley.”   These are yummy with a vanilla glaze but just as tasty without it.  Moose and pine trees cut from this dough are really good!

  And this last one, which may be my personal favorite sugar cookie, is from my dear friend Marilyn's mother. Love the festive combination of flavors in this one!

CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES

1 cup shortening (may use half margarine)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. orange extract
2 unbeaten eggs
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine all but the flour and beat thoroughly. Add flour and mix well. Chill dough thoroughly.

Roll small portions of dough 1/4-inch thick and cut out. [Edited to add: decorate cookies before baking with sprinkles and colored sugars; or, bake the cookies plain and frost when cool.]

Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375º oven.

The yield is unspecified on this one, too. You really do get a lot of cookies from cut-out recipes, especially if you re-roll the scraps, a process that sometimes seems interminable. But I always do it.

Whichever recipe you choose, have fun.  Happy Baking!

I am linking up today with Gooseberry Patch's Christmas Cookies and Candy Recipe Roundup, where you will find loads of inspiration for your Christmas kitchen gifts and treats.