Chewy Gingersnaps

Is that an oxymoron?  Chewy Gingersnaps?  If you love the crunch of gingersnaps, this recipe is not for you...unless you bake them a lot longer!  But if soft and chewy cookies are what you crave, then whip up a batch of these yummy things and enjoy. 

Chewy Gingersnaps
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp. vinegar
3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 T. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1.  Cream together butter and sugar.
2.  Stir in eggs, molasses, and vinegar.
3.  Sift and add remaining ingredients.  Mix until blended.
4.  Hand-form into 3/4" balls or use a cookie scoop.
5.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (sprinkle a little coarse sugar on them if you like) and bake at 325º for 10-12 minutes or until barely brown around the edges.

They might not look quite done as they will still appear puffy; they will flatten after you remove them from the oven.  Let cool on the cookie sheet for two minutes before removing them to a rack.  For crispier gingersnaps, add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.  The dough freezes well. 

Note:  I found this recipe on the internet several years ago.  Unfortunately, I didn't save the link so I don't know where I got it.  The only information on the recipe is a generic name, "Unknownchef86."  So, to Unknownchef86, (whoever you are) thanks for a great recipe!

We're Home!

What a fun week!  While workers were busy refinishing our hardwood floors all week (before and after pictures coming soon), we stayed with friends here in town.  While having eight people descend on anyone for 5 nights, including Thanksgiving, would be daunting, they never once made us feel like we were imposing.  The Randalls are great friends.  Sadie followed 17-year old Miranda around, loving all the attention, not to mention the manicures, hair-do's, and make-overs.  She was in 5-year old heaven.  The boys got their fill of Nerf Gun wars and wii games.  We don't allow sleepovers so Savannah was thrilled to spend 5 nights staying up late and laughing with the girls.  The adults even stayed up late most nights, sharing stories and laughing like kids.

The food was amazing.  The Randalls know how to do Thanksgiving!  I take a lot of shortcuts when I prepare the meal myself, but Paula does it all from scratch.  Everything was so good.  My only regret is that my fridge isn't filled with leftovers this year.  Mmmmm...  Nothing like a cold turkey sandwich after it's all over!  We had way more pie than any of us knew what to do with.  So, so good!

Now we're home.  Our house smells like floor finish.  We have no furniture in the living room.  My feet hurt because there is no place to sit down.  The kids are fighting because being good for a whole week was apparently all they could handle.  But it was worth it!  The floors are beautiful and I can't wait to have everything back to normal.  It's been a great week!

Friday Funny

A lady walked into a boutique and asked the sales lady, "May I try on that cute dress in the window?"

The sales lady replied, "Sure, but wouldn't you be more comfortable in a dressing room?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Santa's Underwear

Here's a fun idea for a Christmas gift for a neighbor, student teacher, bus driver, etc.  All you need is a sheet of red felt, a few small buttons, crochet thread or embroidery floss, a cute tag and candy.  Cut the felt into two pieces to look like long underwear - a front and back.  You should have room on the piece to also cut a back flap. (See back view photo below.)  Stitch the buttons and back flap on with the crochet thread.  Then stitch the front and back together, leaving the neck open.  I like the look of the hand stitching, but I guess if you wanted to make a bunch, you could machine stitch them.  Let the kids help!  They don't have to be perfect.  Then stuff it with candy through the open neck and attach a tag that says:

I looked for a stocking

but couldn't find a spare,

so I ended up stuffing

Santa's long red underwear!

I have to thank my friend, Torrie, for this darling idea.  So cute.  Enjoy!

Waving Goodbye

Jeff usually walks the three youngest kids to the bus stop each morning.  One day, near the beginning of the school year, I walked with them instead.  Whenever we wave goodbye, we always wave with our hand making the sign language sign for "I love you."  Standing outside the bus on this particular day, I was waving in our usual manner trying to see where the kids were on the bus.  As I looked in each window, I saw one little boy sitting near the front of the bus waving back at me, "I love you" sign and all.  I thought it was so cute!

It must have caught on because yesterday Jeff told me that when he waves to the kids as their bus pulls away, there are always a few other kids already waving their "I love you" to him.  I love it!

Taught By An Apostle

We had Stake Conference this weekend.  As Mormons, we meet weekly with our ward or branch which is a congregation defined by specific geographical boundaries.  Several wards and branches together make up a stake, presided over by a Stake President.  Twice a year we meet together as a stake instead of our regular Sunday meetings.

This weekend we were privileged to be taught by one of the 12 apostles, Elder David A. Bednar.  It's pretty rare anymore to have an apostle preside at Stake Conference.  After all, there are only 12 of them and over 3,000 stakes throughout the world.  At the Adult meeting last night, Elder Bednar spoke of agency and how we use our agency to choose to follow God.  Once we make covenants, we have expended our agency.  Then if we do not follow through, we are breaking covenants, not exercising our agency.  They are completely different.  It was some pretty heavy stuff, but it rang true to me and gave me a lot to think about.  At this morning's general session, Elder Bednar spoke of testimony and conversion.  Again, a lot to think about.  I'm looking forward to studying these things further.

Sam and Savannah attended a youth session yesterday morning where he answered questions.  They were pretty excited that they also got to shake his hand. 

It's been a great weekend!

Worth A Try

Our back-up hard drive died.  Looking back, it gave us plenty of warning -- we just didn't recognize the signs.  Of course all our family video footage was stored on there.  But then Jeff came across this tip:  Put the drive in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer for 12 hours.  Seriously?

Well, it was worth a try.  I mean what did we have to lose?  And what do you know?  It worked!!  As it slowly hummed back to life, Jeff was able to transfer all the files onto a new drive (a 4-5 hour process) and save the day.  Who would have thought? 

Friday Funny

Three lawyers and three engineers are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, each of the three lawyers buys a ticket while the three engineers buy only one ticket.

"How can the three of you travel on one ticket?" asks a lawyer.

"Watch and you'll see," answers an engineer.

Aboard the train the lawyers take their respective seats while all three engineers cram into the restroom and squeeze the door closed behind them.

When the conductor comes around collecting tickets, he knocks on the restroom door and says, "Ticket, please." The door opens a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.

The lawyers are impressed with this clever idea. One the way home from the conference, they decide to copy the engineers' technique. At the station, they buy a single ticket for their return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers don't buy a ticket at all!

"How in the heck are you going to pull this off?" asks a lawyer.

"Watch and you'll see," answers an engineer.

They board the train. The three lawyers cram into one restroom and the three engineers cram into the other restroom.

Shortly after the train departs, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and knocks on the other restroom door. "Ticket, please!"

The Fossil

Take a look at this bad boy.  This is our awesome cell phone; the only one we've ever owned.  It's pretty obvious that this has not become a major portion of our annual budget, especially when you consider the fact that we put 1000 minutes on it last December and we still have over 250 minutes left.  If we don't use them by December 26, we lose the rest.

In an attempt to use up some minutes, we've been sending it with Savannah to various functions so she can call us when she's ready to come home.  She loves it.  She was okay with it until she attended the basketball game at the middle school last week.  She pulled it out and her friend Dakota said, "Um...Why hasn't that thing fossilized by now?"  Savannah laughed it off, making a crack about her awesome parents and how "in" we are, but I'm pretty sure she just wanted to crawl under the bleachers.  A few other friends threw in their own ancient/antique comments about our amazing phone.  They were just jealous.  I mean, who wouldn't be?