Holiday Cookies!

Despite the million things to do during the chaos of the holidays, I thought it was important to make cookies with my 2 year old son. So we got out the cookie cutters and I looked for a sugar cookie recipe. I absolutely never make sugar cookies, so I looked in The Joy of Cooking for a recipe and I found a drop cookie recipe that looked like it might work. We made the cookie dough and then laid it out on the cookie sheet and tried to roll it. It was too sticky and wouldn't roll at all. So I tried to stretch it out and "stamp" it with the cookie cutters. The dough just stuck to the cookie cutters. I could tell this wasn't going to work. So I scooped up all the dough and tried again, on a new cookie sheet. This time I set the cookie cutter down and stuffed the cookie dough into it. They looked great!

Then I carefully decorated them with chocolate chips and baked them for about 12 minutes. Now I know that "drop cookies" are more like chocolate chip cookies and less like sugar cookies in that they expand quite a bit when they bake:

So, they don't look very festive. But they tasted just fine.
And I still don't know how to make sugar cookies.

Halloween Ideas

Every year for Halloween, we hand out candy from the Asian grocery store. Because it's fun. And can you imagine what the parents say when the kids bring home candy with no English, or even recognizable letters on it? Plus, it's fun to try it! This year's candy was Japanese, called "Happy Turn Day". That led to the discovery of this blog on Japanese candy.
Also, about 1/3 of the trick-or-treaters demand to know what we just put in their bags! I tell them to just try it- venture out from your Reese's and Hershey's and M&M's for once!
Another cute idea I might steal from someone else- I saw tootsie pops (still with the wrapping on them) with a kleenex draped over the top, tied with an orange string at the "neck" and a scary face over the candy part, making a ghostly looking treat. Much more fun than just handing out the tootsies on their own!

Apple Cider Vinegar

A friend of mine just posted this link on Facebook, which I wanted to share. I have a few recipes that call for Apple Cider Vinegar, and I happen to own this very brand in 1/2 gallon jugs. I have not tried drinking it w/ water yet but I do drink a lot of coffee and wine so I'm thinking that I should start.