BOOK READING FUN TURNS INTO COOKIES

Me and My Shadow have been enjoying our volunteer time at the middle school.  JoPapa was able to start volunteering weeks ago.  I had been delayed in joining this worthy cause due to my fall from Grace (my pet name for my step ladder).  But now that I’m recovered enough to sit for an hour or so with my foot on the ground, I get to join the fun of listening to these students read to us. Sharon Fairlie from Smithville United Methodist Church asked for volunteers from the church and we accepted the invitation.  That was about the time I fell from Grace. In the past weeks, the volunteers who have been there every day have made believers of the administrators there. The reading tests showed the 6th grade students’ reading skills have improved.  So the program was expanded to also include the 7th grade reading class. 

So here’s where reading turns into cookies. One of  the students I have been reading with did not grasp the significance of the passage in Touching Spirit Bear, the book we were reading.  The parole officer in this story had the adolescent taste flour, salt, soda, molasses, egg, and water.  Each ingredient was not especially tasty but some were even down right bitter tasting. But when combined…a delicious molasses cake resulted.  It was a metaphor for life! We have to take the bitter with the sweet. When I explained it like that, her “light bulb” came on and she comprehended.  Which bitter ingredient should we leave out? Each ingredient is a necessary component to making the end product - even a fall from Grace!

This story  inspired me to make these molasses cookies. 


MOLASSES COOKIES

1/3 cup Crisco
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ cup water
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon

Beat shortening, sugar, egg, molasses and water. Blend in dry ingredients. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched with finger.

Almost no imprint remains

Remove from cookie sheet and cool. When cookies are completely cool frost each cookie with:

Butter Cream Frosting

3 Tbl. soft butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
about 1 ½ Tbl. milk

Blend powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until frosting is smooth.

Cooled cookies with butter cream frosting

I don't think these cookies will ship very well with the frosting, but I could be convinced to ship some sans frosting. Or maybe you'll make some for your family tonight? They are light, cake like, sweet and spicy! 

Enjoy!

POTATO CASSEROLE

I am able to stand! I can be in the kitchen preparing dishes for my family and friends to enjoy! I get to do fun stuff and blog again! Lucky you! You get to read what’s going on in Peg’s Pantry!

This potato casserole is a favorite dish that is often requested for family gatherings.  We crave this cheesy potato casserole every holiday and of course this Easter was no exception.  I tasted this dish for the first time at a Dinner-for-Eight get together more than 20 years ago and it made a lasting impression. (Interesting side note, these hash browns used to come in a 32 oz bag. So depending on the crowd I'm expecting, I either use just 28 ounces or I buy two bags and add more potatoes.  Either way, I don't alter the rest of the recipe.) This is a wonderful side dish that can be prepared ahead of time and then baked when needed. It feeds a crowd and for that reason I don’t make it when it is just for Me and My Shadow.  

You'll notice that I substituted crushed Corn Chex for the cornflake topping.  That's due to poor planning on my part for not having the listed ingredients on hand, but it was very tasty and crunchy. I think I'll make it with Corn Chex next time too. We eat Corn Chex, especially when I make it in Puppy Chow, but that's another day's blog!


POTATO CASSEROLE

28 oz bag hash browns (potatoes O’Brian already have the onion included)
½ cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. grated cheddar
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
½ small onion diced (skip if using O’Brian style)

Topping – mix together
2 cups crushed corn flake crumbs
¼  cup melted butter

Place thawed potatoes in 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix other ingredients except topping and pour over potatoes. Cover with corn flake crumb topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until heated through

Maybe next fall, I will experiment by putting this casserole up in several smaller containers to freeze for the future so we can take out just what we need instead of freezing the leftovers. To make it in smaller portions, I won’t thaw the potatoes, instead I’ll pour the toppings over the frozen hash browns, seal each baking dish tightly and freeze.  I would then need to thaw it in the refrigerator before baking. I’ll let you know if I follow through on that project.  Or maybe you will try this recipe and let me know if it works to put it in smaller portions.