SB: (when Noa was about to open my wallet) Honey, please don’t go through my wallet. I need the money in there to buy food for our family.
Noa: But Mommy, I need to the money in my wallet to give to God.
Christmastime brings out a ton of emotions and desires in me. One of those is the nostalgia of baking all kinds of yummy-ness. My mom makes such great baked creations and I have some wonderful memories of baking christmassy treats and sharing them with others when we were growing up.
I wanted to share 2 of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes with you.
*Gingersnaps - from the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook. (I like this recipe because these “spice-y” cookies are so soft and chewy when they come out).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cream together: ¾ cup butter and 2 cups sugar
Stir in: 2 well-beaten eggs, ½ cup molasses, 2 tsp. vinegar
Sift and add: 3 ¾ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking soda, 2-3 tsp. ginger, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. cloves (or nutmeg)
Mix ingredients until blended. Form dough into ¾ – inch balls and bake on greased cookie sheets. Bake about 12 minutes or until the cookies develop the characteristic crinkled top. You can melt ½ marshmallows on top in the last 4 minutes of baking, or cool and ice with frosting. OR, you can just eat them plain, which is how we like them best.
*Sugar Cookies – this recipe has been in the family since the year my Grandma got married. I have yet to find a sugar cookie recipe I like as much.
Cream together: 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar
Add: 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. milk, 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Sift in: 2 1/2 cups four, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Chill dough in fridge at least 2 hours (I always make it at night and shill it overnight).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough onto slightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. Cut out into cute shapes and place on ungreased cookie cheets. Bake about 8 minutes. Remove from tray immediately to cool on rack. Frost with your favorite icing – I suggest a buttercream icing as it makes the cookies so soft the longer is sits on them… YUM! Sprinkles make for added fun. 
Along with these two favorites, I have ton more two favorite categories in my life right now. So, lest you think that everything in my life comes in threes these days – like little girls, carseats, matching clothes, etc. – here are some of my favorites in twos:
My 2 favorite big sisters in the whole world:
who are also my 2 favorite cookie bakers:
My 2 favorite little mini-mamas:
And my 2 favorite forward-facing sleeping beauties in the car:
These are my 2 favorite “Sound of Music” fanatics who ran over to the ipod when the soundtrack came on, hoping to see Maria and the children.
Check out these, my 2 favorite sets of piggytails:
I had my 2 favorite elves decorating my tree this year:
Oh, and there are these 2 favorite recent family photos:
I know they’re not perfect, but I’ve become less picky with every new face we’ve added
And here’s my 2 favorite recent Glo photos:
Well, maybe I have 3 favorites …
this was Gloria's birthday gift, made so lovingly by Grammy. Isn't it beautiful?!?!
… or 4 …
Ah, nevermind. So much for a themed post…
Now go try one of my favorite cookie recipes!
As I was putting Noa down to her nap today I was snuggling her tight and just enjoying being able to hold her.
SB: Oh Noa. Can you please stop growing up. I want you to stay my little girl forever.
Noa: (looking very concerned and a little panicked… as if I could really keep her from growing up) But MOMMY! If I don’t grow up I can’t be a mama and have my kids and you need to be my kids’ Baba.
** In response to a few comments on my last “Overheard…”, Martha is definitely NOT potty trained (so I can’t tell you how “I did it” ). I think that because Noa does it, she wants to sit on the potty, and she usually thinks to do it while I’m changing her diaper. So I let her and sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. After Noa took so long to train, I am not pushing anything at this point – I don’t have the time or patience or free hands at this stage of my life to potty train a 21-month old. Maybe next year…
On a warm and rainy Monday in June we found ourselves at Tokyo Disneyland with Mark, Hannah, Micah, Seth, Martha, and Ian. God has blessed me with many wonderful memories at Tokyo Disneyland, so I was thrilled to finally get to share this special place with my kids. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Mieko and Toshi who gave us this special gift and such a fun day!
Here are some photos:
the Robinsons at the top of their tree house... heeehee!
And my two favorites from our day:
After Martha went potty (which happens, sometimes, several times a day around here…)
Noa: Martha, tell me you went potty
Martha: Potty
Noa: (clapping her hands and in a voice of utter joy) OH! Good JOB, Martha! High five!!!
Here are links to 2 videos that Eric put up on YouTube.
I am not techy enough to put the actual video on here, just the links. Sorry!
Noa sings Tomorrow at lunchtime
