Book Update: My 3 year old is still requesting “Calvin and Hobbes” each night and I feel like I have read every single strip ever created. But, they’re awesome, so it’s okay. Here is probably my favorite so far if I had to choose just one. The strip can be found here. Below is the text:
“Any good mail today? Mm… not really. Here’s a “You’re not covering the cost of all these mailings” charity request. You’ve got a “You’re not attractive enough” women’s magazine with an article on swimsuits that minimize all your body flaws. Here are some “You’re not stylish or ostentatious enough” catalogs… and coincidentally, an invitation to go deeper in debt from a credit card company. And here’s our news magazine to identify the trend of the week we’re missing… and I got a hobby magazine featuring new equipment I ought to have. Yikes. …Why do I get the feeling that society is trying to make us discontented with everything we do and insecure about who we are? I suppose if people thought about real issues and needs instead of manufactured desires, the economy would collapse and we’d have total anarchy. So pitching this junk would make me some kind of terrorist, huh? Yep. It’s our patriotic duty to buy distractions from a simple life. Hey Mom, I saw a bunch of products on TV that I didn’t know existed, but I desperately need!”
– Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes”
Who says cartoons aren’t deep or educational? 😉
Recipe Update: The kids and I had soooo much fun making these!!! I think they were even more fun than Christmas ones. I was even able to use some Easter sprinkles on the cookies that I purchased on clearance for the greens and yellows. If you love chewy cookies, you will love these. Probably one of my top five favorite cookies ever. Thick, chewy and flavorful. The cookie glaze works great on these and gives the cookies a touch of crisp crunch at the top of the chewy cookie. Lemon tastes great with ginger anyway, or you could use vanilla extract instead in the glaze. I like using squirt bottles to apply as well as to store any extra.
Need the traditional cookie? That’s on my website, too! Chewy Gingerbread Men, or..
Gingerbread Waffles or…
Chocolate ginger cookies or…
Gingerbread marshmallow men
Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
yield: about 20 – 3″ cookies
3 cups (15 oz.) AP flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tb. cinnamon
1 Tb. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbs./12 oz. unsalted butter, soft and cut up
3/4 cup molasses
2 Tbs. milk
1. In a great big mixing bowl, mix the dry stuff: flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and salt.
2. Add the butter. Mix on medium low until the mixture is coarse crumbs.
3. Put the speed down to low and drizzle in the molasses and milk. Mix until a big ball of dough forms.
4. Divide this great big ball of dough in half. Spread it out on parchment or plastic wrap. Spread out another piece of parchment or plastic wrap on top. Roll to about 1/4″ thick. Stick in the freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut out the cookies. Bake 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake! Or well… they won’t be chewy. Your finger should be able to make a slight impression into the cookie. My gingerbread and chocolate cookies look done when they have cracks in them.
6. Cool on cooling rack and decorate.
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Cookie Glaze
2/3 cup yield
9 ounces (2 and 1/4 cup) powdered sugar*
1 and 1/4 ounces (2 Tb.) light corn syrup
1 and 1/2 to 2 Tb. plus 1 tsp. milk
3/4 tsp. lemon extract, or almond extract or vanilla extract (Panera’s tastes like lemon)
*I find sifting optional here. I sift the powdered sugar for paid jobs or when it needs to look great. I don’t if we are just making them from family and/or at home.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, light corn syrup, milk and extract. It is a small amount of ingredients, but my powdered sugar tends to fly everywhere.
2. Add milk by the half teaspoon until it reaches the consistency of cold honey – thick, but flowing. It is much easier to add more milk than sugar.
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
these are so adorable!